Hand-Build an Earth Sheltered House For $5,000

This is exactly what i have been looking for. Although i sent him a email with a few questions... I'm in Montana and wonder about the snow load and how much the roof can hold before it shows stress. Some winters we get a decent amount.
actualy i think i'm looking at combining the used tire idea with the one he has built have to do some more research and reading and thinking.

Originally posted by kettlebellysmith
It's a great idea if you live in a hilly or mountinous area, but where I live the land is as flat as a pancake. I would love to be able to buld something like this, if nothing else, as a work shop, or a root celler. (Where I live was swamp land untl one of FDR's alphabet soup groups drained it to make it easier to farm.)

So make your own hill side.. gather up some used junk tires, fill them with dirt, make your hill on 3 sides and build a strong roof, then cover it all in a layer of soil and plant some grass..

Just a ideaa

Looked into this 30 years ago with rammed earth in discarded automobile tires. The one thing you need to consider in the USA is getting past zoning laws and building inspections. Realisticly unless you are in the "trade" you cant build your own home around where I live. They got us coming and going.

I'v got a real prolem with building a house at the bottom of a hill.
Witnessed mudslides in person and seen how they kill, NO THANKS.

Though I have looked into this kind of building because I like the architecture, NOT BECAUSE IT'S "GREEN"

I would like one of these in the desert, I think that would be nice.

I have seen some mud houses, I dont want to call then adobe because Im not sure thats what they are, in any case they looked pretty good and were suppose to be fairly cheap.

One thing I have always found interesting is that you can build an adobe house then basically build a kiln around it and fire the place making for all intent and purposes a ceramic house. Holds heat and cold. Strong insulator as well... not to mention basically fire proof from that point on.

Originally posted by snowen20
I'v got a real problem with building a house at the bottom of a hill.
Witnessed mudslides in person and seen how they kill, NO THANKS.

Though I have looked into this kind of building because I like the architecture, NOT BECAUSE IT'S "GREEN"

I would like one of these in the desert, I think that would be nice.

I have seen some mud houses, I dont want to call then adobe because Im not sure that's what they are, in any case they looked pretty good and were suppose to be fairly cheap.

I like the green idea, I think the hippies and and Al Gore (one of the biggest hypocrites) and the media have been yelling about it ever sense the whole Global Warming scare. The reason why I like the idea about the greenness of the house is I know that plants produce oxygen and they can protect your house from bad weather, it's rather hidden if you build it right, you don't really have to worry about having to pay bills for water and electricity, plus it is good for the environment, I care about the planet I live on and the environment I live in because it directly effects me, plus the Bible say's for man to take care of this planet, not to destroy and pollute it and make it unlivable, but global warming, I don't give a hoot about that myth, if there is any kind of global warming, than it's done by the sun, not us, that's just silly.

-Lahara

Dude, I am going to have to do that for myself someday. That house sounds mad!

S&F

I have been looking into something like this for quite awhile, and this is the plan I have come up with, and hope to one day realize. I am wanting to purchase 20-30 acres, with the land being semi-hilly. I would personally/secretly build an underground bunker-style system first, into the top of a hill, to minimize water seepage. I would make it very roomy, with an excellent support system in place and any type of bilge pumps, etc for any water that does make it into the structure. I would re-cover the entire structure with sod, then build a legally conforming, very small house onto the top of it, with no indication of the structure underneath. After final completion of the conforming structure, and all inspections/whatnot is completed, then install the access door leading to the subterranian rsidence in the floor of one of the closets, able to be hidden anytime as needed. Also, you can install the "skylight tubes" into the above-ground house, but with the tubes running inside existing walls, so that they are unseen in the above house, but perform their functions for the below residence. The water system will then be connected to the below residence and set on a tankless heating system fed with rainwater from the gutters (filtered of course), and could also run a T into the house to connect it to the main water supply, in case of long periods of no rain. All Solar Panels can go on the roof of the above house, no one will ever have a clue as to what exists under that little frame house that sits on the hill. I will not be completely off the grid, but pretty close to it. No need to heat/cool the small house above, its mainly just for show anyhow.

A second variation would be to build the above, but cinder block a small portion of the below residence off to look like a typical basement, and show it in the plans of the small house. After inspections are complete, cut a door into the cinder block walls to access the rest of the subterranian residence. Voila! My underground, legally conforming, 90% off-the-grid residence, that I didn't have to fight red tape to achieve.

just my idea........



[edit on 4-12-2008 by theQuest]

Hello all,

That is one cool looking house there!!!

To bad you could never build that house in any first world country.

See what you guys are not noting is that you can build a normal house for less than 4,000 dollars.

Even with the building materials at astronomical prices you can still build a nice house made out of cinder block and concrete and all the normal things you use to build a house with.

The problem is that in order to build a house you need to meet all the standard regulations that your state requires you to fallow.

The real cost of a house comes from the contractors, permits and ordinances you have to pay for to get your house built.

So to make that cute little hobbit house in America would cost you a pretty penny.

TA!! Izarith.

reply to post by TheRandom1


We are in agreement then. 100%

Awesome. That looks very much like the hobbit holes from Lord of The Rings.

How long before it rots and gets termite infestations?

Not quite as cool as the Hobbit Hut, but shipping containers are plentiful and cheap.

mocoloco.com...

zerocabin.com...

It's kind of neat,but in some states with the we need to protect you building codes, you're doomed.. Where I live now,,,lets see, dig up the top layer of tundra, expose the permafrost,build your shelter,heat melts permafrost, now you have an indoor pool......priceless

Originally posted by jibeho
Not quite as cool as the Hobbit Hut, but shipping containers are plentiful and cheap.

mocoloco.com...

zerocabin.com...

Hello Ji!!

Hey thanks for that link I'm going to buy three 20' containers and make a house They sell for 1,650 bucks there is a huge serplus of em in the US now I just need to get them down to Mexico.

There is no way that thing could pass a building inspection. I would spend a second in that shanty for fear the earthen roof would crumble down on my head. the darn things is held up with sticks for crying out loud. Look out for the big bad wolf to come knocking.

reply to post by FoxStriker


seriously.. if enough people do this.. what can a city do to you?? look at all the tent cities popping up everywhere... this is a descent alternative.. couple that with sustainable farming.. and a resource based community with solar power.. and you got yourself a sustainable city.. at some point the citizens will declare independence from the landlord..... if things get worst which sorry to say it will this will be good..

A cinder block house is VERY good, if you have the right waterproofing and insulation.
Felt and then plastic over the concrete floor.
Without insulation in the cement blocks, it 'sweats' like crazy in winter and that leads to mold.
Underground houses are VERY easy to heat and cool.
A nearby professor built a house using haybails and I wondered how HORRIBLY flammable that would be.

reply to post by Clearskies


I have seen a straw bale houses built in Nebraska. The techniques have been around for ages. The exterior walls are covered in wire lath and daubed in stucco or mud. Interior walls are finished with lath and plaster. Risk of fire is minimal. Wall insulation values can be as high as R-30 to R-45. That is tough to beat.

reply to post by grover


Awesome!

reply to post by thefreepatriot


Wut up Trunks... True enough statement, but those are tent cities, I've been to a couple of them on my journeys, filled with disgruntled Vietnam Vets with UFO fanatics with a mix of Hippies that went into the drug business and an over abundance of Alcohol... *not saying that they're all bad* just the once I've been at... what I've seen, 6 tent/mobile/shack cities that i passed through and stayed at where a Sespool of broken dreams....what I'm talking about are nice neighborhoods. Even building such a community would require buying land somewhere around here.

Maybe I'm just living in the wrong state. I won't count that out.

Originally posted by eyeforalie
I REALLY want to do this but dont have the $$ for land. If someone has land I will build them one if they let me build there also. I definatly have the skills to do this. This is so cool. What are the gov. restrictions? Would they have to know?

Okay, I'll humor this.

I live in California and plan on buying in the next couple months. I will now shift my efforts to land purchase rather than home purchase. If I can find a reasonable location, and if I find it possible to get said permits with reasonable fees, then I would be very interested in checking out your abilities.

I work for a major contractor so getting more information should be feasible.

Are you in the vicinity?