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Construction advice for sustainable living.

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posted on Dec, 15 2015 @ 08:54 AM
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but I was counting on the dirt being the insulation and having bare concrete walls,


You may want to put up some 2x4's and drywall against the walls too, just as hanging ANYTHING on a concrete wall is not exactly "easy".... Trust me, I know. All of my exterior walls are concrete block, with the sheet rock just right against it. If I can hang it with a thumbtack, great, but anything heavier, and I need to use a concrete drill bit and water to drill a hole then use an anchor, etc.



posted on Dec, 15 2015 @ 10:40 AM
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a reply to: Gazrok

Grab one of these the next time you need to replace your cordless drill.
Dewalt hammer drill.
You still need a concrete bit, but on the hammer setting, no water needed. You'll get a little dust, but it will drill through anything. I have some 7/8 drill bits that I use for 3/4 conduit and they go through poured concrete.



posted on Dec, 15 2015 @ 01:40 PM
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a reply to: network dude

And when you move your painting? Concrete patch? Not fun or pretty.

In any case, the wood+sheetrock actually helps with heating/cooling. I am trying to get my bro to let me post some of his in progress pics from the house he put up in Augusta. Basically having an insulation board between the sheetrock and block helps retain cold air/heat as the concrete wall will suck it out. He did 1x2's as his block mounted studs with a fiberglass insulation board and 1/2 sheetrock as his interior wall.

He wasn't' allowed to cover all 4 sides with earth, only the roof and one side. He had to have 3 sides open with windows and a second exit in order for it to be a legal residence.



posted on Dec, 15 2015 @ 01:57 PM
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a reply to: raymundoko

www.command.com...

There is always a way.



posted on Dec, 15 2015 @ 02:13 PM
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I, for one, would strap the interior of the exterior walls, simply for future considerations. Everything is designed to be mounted inside a traditionally framed wall. Strapping the interior allows you to use all of those easily obtained (and cheaper) components, and also allows you to modify/repair easily and efficiently.

It is nice to have all of the utilities built right in, but when you need to fix or modify...there is nothing quite as easy as a traditionally framed wall, sheathed in drywall.

If this was mine, it would be 8" ICF, with an additional 2x4 interior. 12" overall wall depth. I would infill the 2x4 wall with a compatible (to the ICF) closed cell spray foam (1" expanded depth). Install all utilities, and follow that up with a blown cellulose infill, held in place by a radiant barrier, inset 1/2" from the drywall.



posted on Dec, 26 2015 @ 10:27 AM
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a reply to: network dude

Your best bet would be to do research into a tiny solar house. There are many free sites out there as well as books at your local library.

Placement of the windows for your earth home is crucial. Wrong placement and you'd be living in a solar oven during the summer and fall months. You could get around this with a retractable awning and potted plant setup.

Even though you have an earth exterior, you may find the amount of earth required to play the part of an effective insulation barrier to be inadequate for your building site. You may need a closed water circulation system to assist in the cooling.

As for winter heating - the windows would do great in trapping some heat. But to retain the heat throughout the evening/night you may need some assistance. You can use water vessels that'll help trap the heat during the day and release it at night. Terracotta tiles would also help. And add some valves for your closed water circulation system to reroute the water to a solar water heater.

As for your power needs, I'd pay for a professional's advice. Doing so will ensure you have all the solar panels, wind turbines, and storage batteries you'll need for your home.

You could even adapt your current cinder-block design with an earthbag exterior (but bags filled with better insulation materials) then covered in dirt.

Hope your home idea comes to fruition.



posted on Dec, 29 2015 @ 05:45 AM
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a reply to: ChuckNasty

thanks for the tips and ideas. I have some good directions to go after all these fantastic pointers from everyone.



posted on Dec, 29 2015 @ 08:20 AM
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a reply to: ChuckNasty

Solar heaters won't work in the winter in NC. This isn't Arizona
The average direct sunlight in the winter in NC is less than 4 hours. Nowhere near enough to power a home or be consistent with water heating.



posted on Jan, 28 2016 @ 04:48 PM
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My local paper reported a guy building one of these. I remembered reading this thread as a lurker. You may find this interesting. He's using tyres for both structure and insulation.




edit on 28-1-2016 by Morrad because: spelling correction



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