This page is about building details for earthbag construction domes and lofts. It is meant to be the most complete, comprehensive, and easy-to-follow guide available. One Community will be using the Earthbag Crowdfunding Campaign and construction of the Earthbag Village to make it even better.
This guide is still under construction. When complete it will consist of the following sections:
NOTE: THIS PAGE IS NOT CONSIDERED BY US TO BE A COMPLETE AND USABLE TUTORIAL UNTIL
WE FINISH THE CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN AND ADD ALL THE VIDEOS AND EXPERIENCE FROM
THAT BUILD TO THIS PAGE – IN THE MEANTIME, WE WELCOME YOUR INPUT AND FEEDBACK
SUGGESTIONS â” Â CONSULTING â” Â MEMBERSHIP â” Â OTHER OPTIONS
This page will teach the specifics for constructing a 200-square-foot earthbag dome home with a loft. This is the same floor plan and design planned for the complete open source sustainable Earthbag Construction Village.
If you’d like to see the level of detail we will be including, take a look at these pages:
Weekly progress updates | ||
Excavation & Construction of Footers, Foundation, and Flooring | ||
Electrical: Dome Home, Guest/Studio Dome, and Bathroom/Kitchen Dome |
Go here for an overview of the complete crowdfunding program and plan:
CLICK HERE FOR THE CROWDFUNDING OVERVIEW PAGE
Earthbag construction is economical, durable, artistic, do-it-yourself doable, and significantly more earth friendly than traditional construction. Currently, however, the immense volume of internet resources on this building method lack cohesion and professional presentation. By creating the most detailed and comprehensive tutorials available, we hope to help people better understand the specifics of what is involved in this building method while providing:
Our goal in doing this is to raise public awareness and stimulate the entire earthbag construction industry. By providing what is needed to build these domes with or without a permit, sharing the labor, cost, and construction specifics, and demonstrating how beautiful and functional they are, we will make it much easier for people to decide to want to build this way both here and in other countries. In so doing, we will help people do this on their own and provide a huge increase in business and interest for training and help from expert individuals and organizations like Cal-Earth, Earthen Hand, etc.
The following videos are planned for inclusion in the open sourcing process of this component:
Video coming: Compass construction and installation:
VIDEO COMING OF: CONSTRUCTION AND INSTALLATION OF THE COMPASS
SEE OUR HOW TO HELP AND/OR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN PAGE TO HELP CREATE ALL THE TUTORIAL VIDEOS FASTER
Video coming: Laying and tamping earthbag (and overlap demonstration with slider):
VIDEO COMING OF: LAYING AND TAMPING EARTHBAGS
SEE OUR HOW TO HELP AND/OR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN PAGE TO HELP CREATE ALL THE TUTORIAL VIDEOS FASTER
Video coming: Every bag 3-course string cohesion:
VIDEO COMING OF: EVERY BAG 3-COURSE STRING COHESION
SEE OUR HOW TO HELP AND/OR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN PAGE TO HELP CREATE ALL THE TUTORIAL VIDEOS FASTER
Video coming: Barbed wire installation:
VIDEO COMING OF: BARBED WIRE INSTALLATION
SEE OUR HOW TO HELP AND/OR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN PAGE TO HELP CREATE ALL THE TUTORIAL VIDEOS FASTER
Video coming: Rebar reinforcement:
VIDEO COMING OF: USING REBAR FOR REINFORCEMENT
SEE OUR HOW TO HELP AND/OR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN PAGE TO HELP CREATE ALL THE TUTORIAL VIDEOS FASTER
Video coming: Changing the compass setting:
VIDEO COMING OF: HOW TO CHANGE YOUR COMPASS SETTING
SEE OUR HOW TO HELP AND/OR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN PAGE TO HELP CREATE ALL THE TUTORIAL VIDEOS FASTER
Video coming: Earthbag offset and peak closure specifics:
VIDEO COMING OF: EARTHBAG OFFSET AND PEAK CLOSURE SPECIFICS
SEE OUR HOW TO HELP AND/OR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN PAGE TO HELP CREATE ALL THE TUTORIAL VIDEOS FASTER
Video coming: Compass construction and installation:
VIDEO COMING OF: CONSTRUCTION AND INSTALLATION OF THE COMPASS
SEE OUR HOW TO HELP AND/OR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN PAGE TO HELP CREATE ALL THE TUTORIAL VIDEOS FASTER
Video coming: Laying and tamping earthbag (and overlap demonstration with slider):
VIDEO COMING OF: LAYING AND TAMPING EARTHBAGS
SEE OUR HOW TO HELP AND/OR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN PAGE TO HELP CREATE ALL THE TUTORIAL VIDEOS FASTER
Video coming: Every bag 3-course string cohesion:
VIDEO COMING OF: EVERY BAG 3-COURSE STRING COHESION
SEE OUR HOW TO HELP AND/OR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN PAGE TO HELP CREATE ALL THE TUTORIAL VIDEOS FASTER
Video coming: Barbed wire installation:
VIDEO COMING OF: BARBED WIRE INSTALLATION
SEE OUR HOW TO HELP AND/OR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN PAGE TO HELP CREATE ALL THE TUTORIAL VIDEOS FASTER
Video coming: Rebar reinforcement:
VIDEO COMING OF: USING REBAR FOR REINFORCEMENT
SEE OUR HOW TO HELP AND/OR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN PAGE TO HELP CREATE ALL THE TUTORIAL VIDEOS FASTER
Video coming: Changing the compass setting:
VIDEO COMING OF: HOW TO CHANGE YOUR COMPASS SETTING
SEE OUR HOW TO HELP AND/OR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN PAGE TO HELP CREATE ALL THE TUTORIAL VIDEOS FASTER
Video coming: Earthbag offset and peak closure specifics:
VIDEO COMING OF: EARTHBAG OFFSET AND PEAK CLOSURE SPECIFICS
SEE OUR HOW TO HELP AND/OR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN PAGE TO HELP CREATE ALL THE TUTORIAL VIDEOS FASTER
LOFT CONSTRUCTION—The loft is sized to the diameter of the structure at whatever height is desired; the ends of each joist will extend about ⦝-¾ of the way across the earthbags and additional rows above that will overlap bags as below the loft. A removable hatch is built-in to allow summer heat to escape and keep winter heat in the lower level. Videos:
Video coming: Layout of 2 X 8’s (for loft framing [16″ O.C.] and hatch on earthbags at height of loft:
VIDEO COMING OF: INITIAL LOFT FRAMING SETUP
SEE OUR HOW TO HELP AND/OR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN PAGE TO HELP CREATE ALL THE TUTORIAL VIDEOS FASTER
Video coming: Using wood scraps to level your 2 x 8’s:
VIDEO COMING OF: HOW TO LEVEL YOUR LOFT
SEE OUR HOW TO HELP AND/OR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN PAGE TO HELP CREATE ALL THE TUTORIAL VIDEOS FASTER
Video coming: Offset blocking and hatch construction (to tie in rafters, forming a single unit):
VIDEO COMING OF: HOW TO ADD OFFSET BLOCKS AND CONSTRUCT YOUR HATCH
SEE OUR HOW TO HELP AND/OR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN PAGE TO HELP CREATE ALL THE TUTORIAL VIDEOS FASTER
Video coming: Underside plywood attachment. Note:if plywood is attached on the ground, then the entire unit will be raised into place at that time:
VIDEO COMING OF: HOW TO ATTACH YOUR UNDERSIDE PLYWOOD
SEE OUR HOW TO HELP AND/OR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN PAGE TO HELP CREATE ALL THE TUTORIAL VIDEOS FASTER
Video coming: Optional electrical installation for light or fan:
VIDEO COMING OF: HOW TO INSTALL ELECTRICAL FOR A LIGHT OR FAN
SEE OUR HOW TO HELP AND/OR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN PAGE TO HELP CREATE ALL THE TUTORIAL VIDEOS FASTER
Video coming: Loft rafter insulation (aircrete or [cellulose 3.5 x 7.5″ = R-26]):
VIDEO COMING OF: HOW TO INSULATE YOUR LOFT
SEE OUR HOW TO HELP AND/OR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN PAGE TO HELP CREATE ALL THE TUTORIAL VIDEOS FASTER
Video coming: Earthbag placement between joists:
VIDEO COMING OF: HOW TO PLACE EARTHBAGS WHEN WORKING BETWEEN JOISTS
SEE OUR HOW TO HELP AND/OR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN PAGE TO HELP CREATE ALL THE TUTORIAL VIDEOS FASTER
Video coming: Upper-side plywood attachment:
VIDEO COMING OF: ATTACHING YOUR UPPER-SIDE LOFT PLYWOOD
SEE OUR HOW TO HELP AND/OR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN PAGE TO HELP CREATE ALL THE TUTORIAL VIDEOS FASTER
Video coming: Earthbag placement over joists (demonstrating continued earthbag offsets):
VIDEO COMING OF: PLACING EARTHBAGS OVER JOISTS
SEE OUR HOW TO HELP AND/OR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN PAGE TO HELP CREATE ALL THE TUTORIAL VIDEOS FASTER
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