How to Build a House From Poured Earth

Poured earth is very similar to standard cement. A typical poured earth mixture will even use a small amount of Portland cement to bind the other materials together. Whereas cement contains a mixture of sand and gravel, a poured earth mixture will use soil. The material can be used in all kinds of construction projects, and it's even possible to build a house from poured earth.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Soil
• Wooden planks
• Steel
• Plaster

Prepare Soil to Build a Poured Earth Home

1. Survey the soil and determine the clay-to-soil ratio. To make a poured earth home, you'll need soil that's low in clay. You may need the help of an expert to determine whether your soil is ideal for constructing poured earth walls.
2. Test the soil's compressive strength to make sure that it can maintain the weight of a home's structure. You'll also need to have the soil evaluated to see whether it shrinks too much during the drying process.
3. Doctor the soil with soil from another site. Create a mixture that's ideal for your home's design.

Begin Construction on a Poured Earth Home

4. Create blueprints for your house. Work with an architect or experienced building professional to create a safe and practical layout. Designate walls, doorways and windows and consider your plumbing and electrical options.
5. Construct a foundation for your house. Traditionalists might prefer to build stone or rubble foundations by hand while others might prefer to have normal foundations built by a professional.
6. Build frames for your home's walls. Use wooden planks and reinforce them with steel. Depending on the complexity of your home's design, it's possible to use standard cement pouring forms.
7. Funnel in the poured earth to construct your walls. Since poured earth has a lot in common with standard concrete, you can use a regular concrete-pump truck to make this process go quickly and smoothly.
8. Build twin parallel walls. This will allow you to add a layer of environmentally friendly cellulose-fiber insulation. The better your insulation, the more you are likely to save on your power bills.

Put the Finishing Touches on Your Poured Earth Home

9. Finish interior and exterior walls. Traditional plaster or more eco-conscious materials, like cob, can be used to give your walls a smooth, professional look.
10. Contract the services of a roofer to construct a roof. As with the other stages in the construction process, you'll have several alternatives. By constructing your poured earth walls at declining heights, it can be easy to add a flat-panel, sloping roof to your home.
11. Cover a natural earth floor with traditional flooring materials, such as carpet, wood or tile.
12. Hire a plumber and an electrician to complete the final stages in your home's construction, and get ready to move to your new home.

Tips & Warnings

• For the time being, poured earth home construction might be slightly more expensive than typical home construction. This is because of the highly specialized nature of poured earth construction. As the building method becomes more popular, expect the prices to decline.

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