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Earthbags
When bags of dirt are laid flat atop one another
and solidly
tamped into place, they serve as a variation of "rammed earth"
construction (which has a long tradition here in New Mexico) and can
achieve a strength & stability equal to adobe bricks or
concrete blocks. They've earned a reputation internationally as a
low-tech building material & method that's accessible to
anyone, and continues to rise in both popularity & reputability.
While the idea isn't new (think of the sandbag trenches &
fortifications from World War I), their application as an alternative
building material can be largely credited to Iranian architect Nader
Khalili, who recognized that people left
homeless in war zones and disaster areas around the world often have
(if little else!) abundant access to three things; sandbags, barbed
wire, and dirt.
The beauty of earthbags, especially in contrast to more conventional,
rigid, mass-produced material (like cinder blocks),
lies in their simplicity, their ease of handling, and their
ability to be laid in curves. They're ideal for bordering sinuous
walkways, garden beds, terracing, erosion control, building arches,
serving as foundations for cob or straw-bale
constructions, or more ambitious projects. And, once they're well
plastered, no one would know that they're not adobe or something more
conventional.
Advantages:
- Aesthetic - easily smoothed over with plaster
or stucco
- Non-toxic - no fumes or allergens
- Versatile, graceful, and easy to work with
- Low-tech, requiring a minimum of tools or
experience
- 12" thick walls provide superb insulation
- Stable; excellent earthquake resistance
- Perfect for managing erosion, rain/sediment
runoff, and flooding
- Ideal for low-cost ponding & concrete
washouts
Making
your own:
With the basic materials (bags, clay-rich soil,
barbed wire, and a tamper), anyone can design and build with
earthbags. If you're
new to this, you'll find information, links, and resources on
these pages to help
you get started.
Empty
bags:
We can supply those for you - in colors, if you
prefer (white, green, yellow, orange, red, or black). Our standard size
is
14"x26" (approx. 36 cm x 66 cm). A wide variety of other sizes (smaller
and much larger) can be ordered.
Polypropylene bags (standard size) are
available in lots of
100 for $50.00 (on sale!). Shipping and
applicable tax may apply. Click HERE to
see our prices on poly bags.
Burlap bags (new, 9 oz. weave, standard
size), in lots of 50, are $46.99 (plus shipping & tax).
Pre-payment is
required on burlap.
Click HERE
for prices on burlap bags.
Bags in either material are available (by special order) in a variety
of
other sizes, up to 3 feet long and beyond. Expect a few days for us to
get them in. Pre-payment or a deposit may be necessary for all large
& special orders.
Pre-filled
bags:
Some people lack the sifted
dirt to fill their own bags, or simply don't want to deal with the
hassle, the time, and the mess.
For those of you interested in trying their
hands at
earthbag construction, either on a small or trial
basis (a garden wall,
for example) or on a grander scale
(check out our
links),
we offer filled
earthbags.
Our simplest filled earthbags weigh in at about 25 lbs. each &
tamp down to an
average measurement
of 12" wide by 15" long by 3" high.
These come in your
choice of:
-
Sturdy unlabeled polypropylene
(tear and puncture resistant, UVI protected) .......... starting at
$2.00 each *
-
Biodegradable brown jute
burlap bags (9 oz weave)...........................................
starting at $2.50 each *
Delivery
of filled
earthbags is an
option, with prices starting at
$3.00 each for polypropylene, and $3.50 each for burlap.
Delivery prices are based on your location and on the quantity of your
order. Large orders may qualify for discounted rates. Contact
us
for details.
After building, you'll need to cover your structure. Popular materials
include lime, cob, adobe mud, papercrete, stucco,
and earthen plasters. Typically, you'll want to add one or more rough
basecoats, and then a
finish coat that will add color, texture, durability, and
weatherproofing. See our products
and plastering/rendering
pages (in progress!).
*
New Mexico residents, please add NM
gross receipts tax of 7.00% to all orders.
505.750.3478
(DIRT)
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Why NOT
to use
concrete blocks
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