2014. január 31., péntek

Sárból épített házat magának ez a nő, de belülről maga a csoda

Korábban a török hegyek között, sátorban élt a nő, de eldöntötte, hogy ez így nem mehet tovább. 
Szüksége volt a villanyra, a vízre, mert már nem tudott nélkülük élni. 
Nekifogott ennek a háznak, ami a végeredményt látva nem volt elhibázott lépés. 
A projektről részletesen is tudtok olvasni az oldalán.



The Very Rough Guide to Building an Earthbag House.

Want an eco-home?
This guide is to give people an idea of what building an earthbag house entails, particularly for those living in Turkey, the Mediterranean or the Middle East. 
I didn't even know what a joist was when I started this project, so if I can do it, anyone can. You don't need prior knowledge. You can learn the skills. But you do need to be flipping determined, flexible and a motivated team really helps. 
It took 6 weeks to build this earthbag home and cost around $5000. There was no power or running water on the land.
KEEP IT SMALL. Everyone says the same and it's true. You can always add rooms later. Even a small structure can be exhausting. 
Mine was just a one room circle of radius 3m and I'm very glad I didn't try anything bigger.
Earthbag is PERFECT for:
Hot, dry climates.
Earthquake zones.
Roundhouses.


Rubble trench.
First layer of gravel-filled bags. 
Step 1. Designing your Eco-home.
First decide. Is earthbag for you? Because it's not for everybody or every climate. If you don't actually have any earth on your land then that means you'll have to transport it in. Aside from the practical implications of that, it also detracts from the ecological benefits. Earthbag is similar to cob, in that it uses a type of rammed earth.The difference is, the earth cures after the house is built. 
Many people have asked me, "Why use the bags?"
The earthbag system was invented by an Iranian, Nader Khalili, as sustainable, affordable and earthquake-proof housing. The bags combined with barbed wire give the house incredible strength compared with other types of eco-building. 
Compare earthbag, cob and strawbale
Advantages over Cob
Can stand flash floods as the bag structure and the barbed wire combined create a solid framework for the mud. (Cob walls are known to disintegrate in severe flash-flooding)
Much faster to build. 
Disadvantages compared to cob
During building, lifting the earthbags to higher levels and tamping require a fair amount of physical strength.
Takes longer to finish the interior than a cob house.
Advantages over Strawbale
Great for roundhouses.
Strength.
Good Thermal Mass (retains the heat/cold for long periods). 
Disadvantages compared to Strawbale
Soil has a poor insulation value compared with strawbale. ie strawbale 
houses can be heated quickly, but lose that heat faster. Earth takes longer to heat up, but stays hot for longer.
Shape
Round
Earthbag is IDEAL for roundhouses. If you're in a seismic area like most of Turkey, then round is the way to go. Round is not only aesthetic and soothing to the spirit. Circles are the strongest structures you can build. Cars have been known to hit earthbag roundhouses with no more than plaster damage. Mine has survived a 6.1 earthquake and is in exactly the same condition it was when I built it.
Corners
If you're dead-set on corners then you need to plan buttresses for them. Straight walls are weaker than round ones. 
You can also have a post and beam structure and 'fill in the gaps' with earthbags. It's not as strong but building laws in some countries approve them that way. 
Plans
I didn't make a single drawing before I started and adjusted the design as I went along. It worked:) But there are some advantages to pre-planning, especially for shelves, alcoves, tables or seats for roundhouses, electric and water fittings etc. 
If you're the planning type, take a look at Geiger's dream homes site. 
Step 2 - Foundations
No one believed a gravel foundation system would work. But if you live in an area that experiences a lot of rainfall nothing beats it. For the doubters, my house has withstood a 6.1 earthquake, and is bone dry.
See Gravel Foundations for details.
This house's foundation system was documented in detail in the Natural Building Blog. See article.
Barbed-wire between each layer of bags.
Tamping is key. It's also hard work.
Fat lintels are easier than arches.
Not my house, but the correct way to leave space for windows and doors.

Joists laid on thick slats to prevent them sinking.
Ropes to secure joists.
Celal and I getting the plywood down.
Mud plaster, harder than it looks.
But nothing works like a bit of good hard perseverence.