my dirt bag cabin

[PCTREE]

I like the idea of mixing wood chips with a binder, would have to use boric acid or someting also to keep the bugs out.......

 

[SkwerI]

I would not be comfortable with wood chips mixed in the dirt. We chip brush in order to speed up the decay process. Mixing it in with dirt containing bacteria and microorganisms will facilitate faster decay. I would think using it as a construction material would lead to possible settling issues down the road as the wood chips decompose.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Speaking of decay, and no doubt a dumb question given your careful considerations, Jaime, but don't those bags rot out at some point, being exposed on the outside?

 

[Porkbrick]

your quite right Jay, they last a couple of months in full sun before they start falling apart. the finished walls will be plastered inside and out, and in the mean time i painted the bags with some old house paint we had laying around. that plus tarping while not working should keep the bags in good shape till i get the plaster on.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Ah, I see...a temporary affair. It all is starting to make sense!

 

[Porkbrick]

I would not be comfortable with wood chips mixed in the dirt. We chip brush in order to speed up the decay process. Mixing it in with dirt containing bacteria and microorganisms will facilitate faster decay. I would think using it as a construction material would lead to possible settling issues down the road as the wood chips decompose.

i wouldnt mix chips with dirt either, i can only imagine how much the termites would love that. what i meant was to use cement as a binder, and as mentioned, mix boric acid to help with bus and mold. if the wall is well protected from damp i think it would work real well. i read a lot about magnesium phosphate cements (http://greenhomebuilding.com/articles/ceramicrete.htm), it sounds like that plus chip would make a great building material either cast in units like rastra block or cinder block, or cast as a whole monolithic wall. its too expensive at this point tho.

 

[MasterBlaster]

So, how many bags were filled?

 

[woodworkingboy]

This part of the world has a tradition for thick mud walled structures, both with the mud left exposed, and often highly skilled plastered over and ornamented. There usually is bamboo lattice work in the walls that the mud is adhered to. Often on the grounds of homes, they were originally built so people could store their valued possessions inside without the fear of fire destroying them, and also the fact that they provide a year round cool location for storing otherwise perishable foodstuffs, is a big bonus. A great place to make and keep pickles, of which many varieties comprise the traditional diet. Also, to store rice and other grains. I can attest to the fact that they do indeed stay quite cool during the hot months, and the ones I have visited that were turned into living dwellings, with heat inside, they are great places during the winter as well. There are still a few folks around that can repair such structures, but they are becoming considerably less.

Your method seems really cool, Jaime.

 

[cory]

Great thread. So, when the bags rot away then plaster walls will keep the dirt in place? Can you elaborate, cuz plaster alone wouldn't seem up for that task imo?

 

[Porkbrick]

I'm about halfway at this point. at a rough guess ive filled between 450-500 bags so far.

filling in between the windows now. the two columns between the door and window are too narrow to be stable on their own so...

...I'm tying in two posts on the inside wall, plus a 4x6 post on the inside of the column.

the posts are oak (interior live oak if your wondering), which i peeled and treated with boric acid. they are tied in with building straps every three courses.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Barbed wire is between each bag?

 

[Porkbrick]

Great thread. So, when the bags rot away then plaster walls will keep the dirt in place? Can you elaborate, cuz plaster alone wouldn't seem up for that task imo?

no, the plaster goes on before the bags rot. once they are covered and out of the sun they will last forever (or close to it).

yes Butch, barbed wire between each layer of bags. the are slippery and it helps to hold everything in place.

 

[Marc-Antoine]

Smart system.

 

[cory]

Oh! I get it now, sounds good!

 

[Porkbrick]

more pics...

here you can see the bags painted

some built in shelving in the corner, i plan to go all the way up the wall with it

here you can see the beginning of the stairs to the loft. they are sycamore i milled free hand from a job. hopefully they will be cantilevered out from the wall, the two-by is temporary.

the last of the downstairs windows going in. the walls are finally above ground all the way around.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Concerning the barbed wire, is it so necessary to have individual coils on each bag? Wouldn't it be easier and stronger to run say, 3 or 4 straight, long strips across an entire layer?

 

[woodworkingboy]

Jaime, how are you keeping the courses level and parallel with each other on each side? I don't see any laser devices or anything.

 

[Porkbrick]

your absolutely right Butch, and that is the way it is put together. its just the columns between the door and windows that have the little circles of wire you saw. otherwise the wire is laid in two continuous, parallel, strands the length of the wall (or the next window/door).

Jay, the walls are very free form. the corners were laid out using strings at the beginning, and i just chek that the walls remain plumb as i go. organic.

 

[MasterBlaster]

How much have you spent on barbed wire so far?

 

[MasterBlaster]

LOL @ "organic!"

I hear ya!

 

[Mrs.B]

This is really cool to follow, Jaime! Thanks for posting the step by step of the process. I've never seen anything like it.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Hey, here's your washing machine!

 

[Porkbrick]

sorry butch, nudists dont need washing machines

and so far ive spent around 200 bucks on wire. i got a bunch of old wire off my moms farm, only had to buy one roll. might need another to finish.

 

[MasterBlaster]

It seems like I would like to drive rebar vertically, just to reinforce things even more.

Nevertheless, I'm loving the build.

 

[Porkbrick]

i have, and i will do more, especially at the corners.