Straw Bale, Cob and Earthbag are methods of construction that utilize predominately natural construction materials for at least the frame and walls (interior and exterior) of your house.
The are attractive for the following reasons:
They are very affordable, compared to traditional building materials.
They are easy to work with, can rely on “laymen” to build and require relatively little training.
They are very durable once constructed.
They are more eco-friendly than traditional building materials unless you choose to use traditional materials (like drywall) on the interior.
Because they are low tech, they typically do not have a lot of post build issues and can last lifetimes.
But knowing which method to use for your main house, second home or survival shelter can be tricky.
We cover some of the considerations you must think about before you make a final building material choice on the next page.
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Used Tires on exterior and Tin Cans for interior walls
All 3 are similar, in that, these materials are a ‘fill in’, creating a super-insulating wall in a post and beam structure.
Here’s where it gets dicy. Cob and earthbags are unstable, and can shift, possibly catastrophically.
Hay bales on the other hand are like gigantic ‘bricks’ and if constructed properly, using vertical rebar to tie the pieces together, is very stable
Had to add…If you’ve ever seen those towns, say in Italy, Afghanistan, or Pakistan, that are completely demolished by an earthquake, those homes are built using ‘cob’ or handmade bricks.
The reason buildings like that fall, is that there is no internal structure…bricks are simply stacked, one on top of another without rebar or any way to hold together other than mortar.
Still support affordable, no cost recycled packed tires … no shifting in our off-grid home in 6 years, cool in summer, warm without needed heat in winter 🙂
I think I’d prefer wattle and daub. Lasts for centuries.
How does rammed earth do in an earthquake?
I always tell new folks to build in the medium they are the most comfortable with. For me that meant stick framing because that was what I knew how to do.
Rammed earth is almost the consistency of concrete when finished…excellent structure.
Dennis Wohlfeil
David