Alternative Building Materials?

[campandtravel]

With the cost of everything going up so much, what are good alternative building materials to consider?

I know there are earthships that use tires and plastic bottles for... well I don't know what for.

I wonder if there is a good guide/reference/wiki for this sort of thing? The dream would be to be able to enter "shingles" and see alternative outdoor siding ideas. Etc.

Anyway, what can you think of? Something else I remembered is that in Mexico people cover their roofs in broken glass. It's cheaper than barbed wire.

 

[MNwr786]

Broken glass wouldn't hold up too well in minnesota. We get hail, ice buildup, we gotta walk on it to shovel so the weight of the snow don't collapse the roof, etc. The problem with suggestions for improvised building materials is that they are often region specific. This is one of those things where you just gotta see what you have available. I live near cedar trees, so shingles are available if I was desperate for them. I was thinking about making a machine that cuts the top and bottom off beer cans and turns them into flat strips, then have it run those strips through a set of meshed gears to so the bends reinforce the metal enough that they could be used as siding without the wind bending them. Not sure they would be strong enough, but if one summer of drinking and a nail gun can keep the summer heat reflected away for 20 years, maybe its worth a try. If I lived in town, I would ask Coors what they would pay me to make the labels face outward. You'd know its cold outside when the house turns blue lol!!!

 

[Amish Heart]

There were many homes in Santa Fe built with old tires. Called Earthships. Their heating/cooling system is very cool.

 

[Helen Back]

Do you have Youtube? There are countless videos of such homes.

 

[GaRp58]

Bales of hay, wooden disks in concrete, stacked tires, underground, fiberglass coated cardboard, wooden boxes with styrofoam cores, stamped earth and cob, re-cycled bricks, insulated sheet metal, glass bottles and cement, log cabins, re-cycled old airplanes and boats, shipping containers, up-graded caves, if you are cold and wet....you will find something to use to build with.

 

[campandtravel]

There were many homes in Santa Fe built with old tires. Called Earthships.

Yes, that's why I mentioned earthships in my post. You're just repeating what I said.

Do you have Youtube? There are countless videos of such homes.

Yes there are. So what? If asking a question and getting direct answers on this forum is not much more efficient than YouTUbe, why bother coming here? Do you have actual specific information to share? If not, there's no reason to post please.

Bales of hay, wooden disks in concrete, stacked tires, underground, fiberglass coated cardboard, wooden boxes with styrofoam cores, stamped earth and cob, re-cycled bricks, insulated sheet metal, glass bottles and cement, log cabins, re-cycled old airplanes and boats, shipping containers, up-graded caves, if you are cold and wet....you will find something to use to build with.

Great, thank you! Do you have any idea of the uses of these things. I think it would be useful to have a guide that explains what materials can be used in which ways. For those of us with no experience in building.

 

[Mountain trapper]

I think I'll stick to building with lumber. My house, barn, shop and most of my buildings are already built and they'll last the rest of my life. Any remaining buildings will be built from lumber too. If needed I have several thousand acres of timber that could be milled in to lumber.
I have seen some areas around the world where people made their own bricks from mud and straw and built their homes from the dried bricks. They made very inexpensive homes that were warm in winter and cool in summer.

 

[campandtravel]

I think I'll stick to building with lumber.

Then why are you posting on a thread that is asking for alternative building materials ideas?

 

[Mountain trapper]

Then why are you posting on a thread that is asking for alternative building materials ideas?

Finish reading my post. I offered an alternative building material idea.

 

[campandtravel]

Finish reading my post. I offered an alternative building material idea.

Mud bricks? You mean the most long-lived building material in all of human history? That was the alternative suggestion? Why not suggest "concrete?" If I asked for "alternative transportation" ideas, would you suggest horseback?

 

[DrHenley]

If I asked for "alternative transportation" ideas, would you suggest horseback?

Horseback may be the best alternate mode of transportation if there is no gas.

 

[DrHenley]

Mud bricks? You mean the most long-lived building material in all of human history? That was the alternative suggestion? Why not suggest "concrete?"

So mister know-it-all, please tell us what building materials we are allowed to talk about.

 

[Mountain trapper]

Mud bricks? You mean the most long-lived building material in all of human history? That was the alternative suggestion? Why not suggest "concrete?" If I asked for "alternative transportation" ideas, would you suggest horseback?

Of course. If timber wasn't available mud bricks could be a good option. Better than trash.
Whats wrong with horse power? Horses have been used for a long time too.

 

[Amish Heart]

I mentioned the Santa Fe Earthships because you said you didn't know what the tires are for.
I've toured them, twice. Lots of photos and plans on how they use their materials on line.

 

[GaRp58]

Great, thank you! Do you have any idea of the uses of these things.

I personally know how to use all of the above things as I have been teaching survival and prepping since 1974...I do not have the time to give you all the details of what I have learned in the last 45 years tho. Many of these are included in you-tube tho by those who have the time or are getting paid for their videos. Use your time wisely and watch and learn.
As you have not been very friendly in your posts with a few on my good contacts here on this forum which I have been communicating with here and also personally with private messages, email and even with Skype, and also seeing that you are being very rude with your remarks after only being here for a few days now, I would like to ask you to be a bit more friendly when responding to my friends here.
They have no idea who you are, but have taken the valuable time (of which NONE of us has much of) to react to your question and start a conversation with a stranger...we have many trolls coming and going fast after such answers as you have given.
If you wish to continue be answered here at all and not get "ignored" like many trolls, please temper your answers. We are and have been professionals, soldiers, truckers, farmers, survivors, rancher, hunters, fishermen/women, mothers, fathers and preppers for decades...and are not interested in being spoken to like a
RED-HEADED STEP-CHILD...and I will not repeat myself as I HAVE NO TIME FOR TROLLS, live free, Gary
PS: as you see, even tho I do not know you and do not like how you responded to my friends, I still took some of my valueable time to be a human and ask you nicely to not be a troll but a human also...unpaid. And seeing that I am a professional truckdriver and bus driving instructor since 1993 and make about $500,00 a day while training drivers and giving safetyclasses, this message is worth about $20...

 

[Digout]

Pise (Rammed Earth) is another alternative construction method.

 

[EveryMilesAMemory]

This is a wall I built on the side of my barn. It’s about 25 foot wide by about 15 foot tall. All built from liquor and wine bottles. My wife and I own a bar, so we have endless supply of building material! I just use mortar in between the bottles just like you would with bricks

 

[kbmonday]

Re: campandtravel, you might have better luck asking questions from a position of humility instead of being a jerk to everyone who responds. I've built 2 off grid homes and starting a new one this year with alternative building methods, but there is no way I'll share any info with you.

 

[Schattentarn]

I think you will end up building with what you have. So if you have river stones on your property, you will get some cement and use those. If you live in a pine forest, you are going to use pine logs, etc.

 

[campandtravel]

I mentioned the Santa Fe Earthships because you said you didn't know what the tires are for.
I've toured them, twice. Lots of photos and plans on how they use their materials on line.

Actually *I* mentioned the earthships in my first post. Probably because I used to live in one. Still don't know what the tires do.

 

[campandtravel]

Do you have Youtube? There are countless videos of such homes.

Thanks but if asking for info on these forums is not a *lot* more efficient than watching YT videos, then what is the point?

Re: campandtravel, you might have better luck asking questions from a position of humility instead of being a jerk to everyone who responds. I've built 2 off grid homes and starting a new one this year with alternative building methods, but there is no way I'll share any info with you.

You are mostly right and I apologize. I should just ignore the wasteful comments. It's hard because in person I would just walk away or if I was in my own space tell someone to stop wasting my time and either way I would not have to deal with that person anymore. On the boards, there's no way to get away. I'm still adjusting.

Of course. If timber wasn't available mud bricks could be a good option. Better than trash.
Whats wrong with horse power? Horses have been used for a long time too.

Not the point but mostly I want to apologize for being a jerk the other day. You offered the best suggestion you could think of, so thank you for that. I should have just ignored your comment. "If you don't have anything nice to say" etc.

I just use mortar in between the bottles just like you would with bricks

Cool! What does doing that accomplish and what climates is it useful for?

this message is worth about $20...

 

[Helen Back]

Actually *I* mentioned the earthships in my first post. Probably because I used to live in one. Still don't know what the tires do.

 

[campandtravel]

@Helen Back
I love that! Yes, team mentality is a trap and it takes an "a hole" to remind people that they are individuals. I know your reason for posting was different but I absolutely love this. I think I'll print and post this next to my "If you don't know what you're talking about, just shut up" poster.

 

[Schattentarn]

@Helen Back
I love that! Yes, team mentality is a trap and it takes an "a hole" to remind people that they are individuals. I know your reason for posting was different but I absolutely love this. I think I'll print and post this next to my "If you don't know what you're talking about, just shut up" poster.

You are not completely witless after all.

 

[campandtravel]

@GaRp58
A fun fact of use to each of us: did you know that you can highlight a person's username and "Ignore" that person? I just learned this. I'm testing with you right now. Now we don't have to waste each others' time again. Isn't that great?

 

[Flying lead]

Thanks but if asking for info on these forums is not a *lot* more efficient than watching YT videos, then what is the point?

You are mostly right and I apologize. I should just ignore the wasteful comments. It's hard because in person I would just walk away or if I was in my own space tell someone to stop wasting my time and either way I would not have to deal with that person anymore. On the boards, there's no way to get away. I'm still adjusting.

Not the point but mostly I want to apologize for being a jerk the other day. You offered the best suggestion you could think of, so thank you for that. I should have just ignored your comment. "If you don't have anything nice to say" etc.

Cool! What does doing that accomplish and what climates is it useful for?

 

[Flying lead]

You must be blast at parties

 

[DrHenley]

I saw a lot of homes in Kenya with walls made of cow dung. Not much different than mixing up mud with straw, except the cows do the mixing for you, LOL. It is like a lath and plaster construction with cow dung as the plaster. The "lath" is made from tree limbs interlaced with small branches.

 

[DrHenley]

Oh, and although a lot of houses built from cow dung are one room "mud huts" not all cow dung houses are huts...

 

[Amish Heart]

Looks like a New Mexico house. Alot of adobe houses there. We had a post office made of Straw Bales in the town we used to live in.