What is new in alternative/selfbuilt housing methods?

[Aerindel]

I'm going to start building the other half of my house this spring, hell or hyperinflation.....the alternative is to lose my mind being in my small house with a rapidly growing child.

Some 15+ years ago, I built my house using strawbale construction, as it was cheap, strong and I could do it by myself.

However, NOW, I'm not sure I can get bales anymore, and frankly, its SLOOWWW.....I think I have more money than time at this point in my life.

Before I give up and just go stick built for the rest of my house, I thought I would see what other building methods are out there right now.

Requirements are that I can do it all myself. Not just because of cost, but because I have come to realize that even if something takes me 10 times longer and costs twice as much as someone else could do it....that is ten times faster than not doing it, which is what happens if I have to have someone else do it. I just can't lower myself to have somebody else's filthy hands working on MY house.

So what is out there in 'hippie' building methods that I might not have heard of?

 

[Hardcalibres]

Have you considered Rammed Earth?

To make sense, you need a deposit of good quality gravel nearby.

You also need eaves to protect the walls from erosion by rain.....and some people also apply a resin/sealer to help with that.

Rammed earth walls have substantial thermal mass......but are arguably a much poorer insulator than your current bale walls.

 

[Mountain trapper]

What's wrong with traditional stick built? It's easy to build by yourself and the materials are readily available. It's probably cheaper and longer lasting than most hippy methods.

 

[Aerindel]

What's wrong with traditional stick built? It's easy to build by yourself and the materials are readily available. It's probably cheaper and longer lasting than most hippy methods.

Ummm, well its terrible in every way, but time (its fast to put up) and relatively cheap, although not even that cheap. But it's not long lasting, poor insulation, weak, ugly, burns easily, rots easily etc. This is pretty much the only place in the world it's even common. Even most third world countries wouldn't consider it for a home. It's my fallback method, with modifications, but I want to avoid it if possible.

I'm actually posting this because just a couple days ago I was working a house fire and reminded just how flimsy stick built houses are, you can pretty much just tear the walls apart with an ax or prybar. It only took my about 30 seconds to make a hole in the exterior wall of this standard stick house and fill the wall with water, which then pressurized the space between wall studs and blew the drywall out across the living room. Reminded me that stickbuilt houses are basically just heavy duty cardboard boxes.

Have you considered Rammed Earth?

To make sense, you need a deposit of good quality gravel nearby.

I haven't considered it, I have the gravel, its the earth part I'm low on. I live on a glacial moraine, its all one big pile of gravel, with a little clay mixed in and about 6-8" of topsoil over it. The stuff sets up rock hard if you get it wet and pack it for foundation, but for walls it would all have to be in forms, there isn't enough clay content to make it hold together on its own

 

[Caribou]

I’d like to do an ICF addition to my home. There are numerous brands, this is just an example.
https://www.amvicsystem.com/products/icf/

With the hurricane on the East Coast and the fires in CA, requiring massive home building, I’d check on lumber prices.

 

[Aerindel]

With the hurricane on the East Coast and the fires in CA, requiring massive home building, I’d check on lumber prices.

I don't even want to think about it....I know its going to be bad....but its been bad for years, and I don't see it getting any better. I made the mistake of letting that delay me in 2020 and now I'm 5 years behind the curve.

The only problem with ICF, is that it doesn't seem very feasible for a self builder. I think it makes a fantastic house, but is probably outside what I can DYI.

Concrete work is very hard for the self builder. It took me five months to just make the foundation for my house....it took me about six months more to be living in it.

 

[Hardcalibres]

I haven't considered it, I have the gravel, its the earth part I'm low on. I live on a glacial moraine, its all one big pile of gravel, with a little clay mixed in and about 6-8" of topsoil over it. The stuff sets up rock hard if you get it wet and pack it for foundation, but for walls it would all have to be in forms, there isn't enough clay content to make it hold together on its own

I understand that you add 5-10% cement to make the earth set.....perhaps you could compensate for low clay content with a bit more cement.

Rammed earth is very fire resistant.......and I would guess, would stop bullets too

 

[Aerindel]

I understand that you add 5-10% cement to make the earth set.....perhaps you could compensate for low clay content with a bit more cement.

Rammed earth is very fire resistant.......and I would guess, would stop bullets too

It might be worth experimenting with, 'dirty' gravel is something I have. I could pretty easily make an experimental section and see how it preforms with the materials I have.

And yes I think it would do a excellent job stopping bullets. Although really, that is pretty easy to do if you are talking standard small arms. I was thinking even if I go stick built, of simply stacking 6x10x3.5 concrete bricks around the windows etc. I've experimented with such blocks, held between plywood, and they easily stop 7.63x51, even though the blocks break, they stay in place and keep working in the plywood sandwich.

 

[Mountain trapper]

Ummm, well its terrible in every way, but time (its fast to put up) and relatively cheap, although not even that cheap. But it's not long lasting, poor insulation, weak, ugly, burns easily, rots easily etc. This is pretty much the only place in the world it's even common. Even most third world countries wouldn't consider it for a home. It's my fallback method, with modifications, but I want to avoid it if possible.

I'm actually posting this because just a couple days ago I was working a house fire and reminded just how flimsy stick built houses are, you can pretty much just tear the walls apart with an ax or prybar. It only took my about 30 seconds to make a hole in the exterior wall of this standard stick house and fill the wall with water, which then pressurized the space between wall studs and blew the drywall out across the living room. Reminded me that stickbuilt houses are basically just heavy duty cardboard boxes.



I haven't considered it, I have the gravel, its the earth part I'm low on. I live on a glacial moraine, its all one big pile of gravel, with a little clay mixed in and about 6-8" of topsoil over it. The stuff sets up rock hard if you get it wet and pack it for foundation, but for walls it would all have to be in forms, there isn't enough clay content to make it hold together on its own

Most third world countries don't have timber like we do. That's why they build with mud and camel crap. Stick built homes only rot if you don't maintain it. Poor insulation? It's only poor if the builder uses the wrong stuff. Not long lasting? A good constructed and well maintained stick built house will last for generations.
I'm not sure but a person could have problems with financing or passing code on a "home" made out of mud and sticks. Not to mention finding a buyer if you ever need to sell. The value would probably only be in the land.

 

[Haertig]

I think I have more money than time at this point in my life.

ICF ... I think it makes a fantastic house, but is probably outside what I can DYI.

These two quotes beg the question, why don't you hire others to help you with the construction? I realize you said you couldn't stand to have someone else work on your house. Have you asked yourself why that is, the real reason?

In your stated situation, I think I'd go for a pre-fab something or other. You can get mini-homes that are delivered in panels - already containing insulation, electrical wiring, etc. - and bolt it all together on site. That might be too small for an entire home, but as an addition to what you already have it might be workable. Or a yurt. Or a mobile home if there is a delivery path to get it to you current place.

You sound like someone with a brain that can think out of the box. Maybe put up a strong oversized foundation, put a yurt on that, and use the yurt as living space while you build a heavier permanent enclosure around it on the foundation. Then disassemble the yurt, drag it's parts out and sell it. Then work on finishing the inside of the surrounding structure. If the surrounding structure is large enough you could even work on it's interior finishing on half of it's inside while still using the yurt. After you pull the yurt out, finish the other inside half with the cash you got from selling the yurt, ideally you would be able to live in the half that you previously finished.

Complicated? Probably so. But I get the impression that you live in a place that allows "different", and have the knowledge/experience to go way outside the approach that others might take to this construction project. I don't know this as a fact, but I have a hunch that you might not have to deal with a lot of regulations, permitting, etc.

 

[Aerindel]

Most third world countries don't have timber like we do. That's why they build with mud and camel crap. Stick built homes only rot if you don't maintain it. Poor insulation? It's only poor if the builder uses the wrong stuff. Not long lasting? A good constructed and well maintained stick built house will last for generations.
I'm not sure but a person could have problems with financing or passing code on a "home" made out of mud and sticks. Not to mention finding a buyer if you ever need to sell. The value would probably only be in the land.

Codes don't exist in my world,

I would burn my house down before I would sell it.

I'd shoot myself in the head before financing anything.

Okay maybe, not really....more likely to shoot someone ELSE before financing.

Stick built houses are the worst of all building methods. Medieval huts on average had better build quality. And modern stick buillt? they are worst of all, designed to only last 20 years!

Don't get me wrong, I do have some, my shop is stick built, and my addition may be stick built in the end, although I would probably upgrade it over the standard garbage construction. My kitchen addition is stick built, but instead of of 2x4's and orientated **** board I framed it in 3x6s and used 3/4 plywood and stucco for the outside and T and G for the inside. It's closer to timber framed really.

Just one of many

 

[Haertig]

Codes don't exist in my world,

That's a double edged sword.

I would burn my house down before I would sell it.
I'd shoot myself in the head before financing anything.

I don't consider those pros. They're cons.

I can see your desire for the perfectly constructed house that will endure for centuries. Who wouldn't want that? I hope you can build this. I am unsure that it can be done DIY by one person though. But I do not have the building skills that you do, to be a good judge of what is possible. My daughter and S.I.L. want to build a house using non-traditional construction techniques too.

 

[Aerindel]

These two quotes beg the question, why don't you hire others to help you with the construction? I realize you said you couldn't stand to have someone else work on your house. Have you asked yourself why that is, the real reason?

This is an excellent question without a good answer. I will get to it later. I just spent six hours trying to plow my road and I'm beat, but this is a very fair question to ask.

It's not that I need my place to last centuries.....it's more that I want to feel safe in it. I don't want a house that just burns up in a fire, or gets splattered when a tree falls on it.

 

[Jim Costa]

This SCIP Panel construction is amazing. Check out other Youtubes on the subject listed under this youtube. You can build the panels yourself.

 

[Canon29]

Have you looked at earthbag homes?

 

[Weedygarden]

Have you looked at earthbag homes?

Canon, I watch a few people who have built and are building with earthbags. LOTS of work, and takes a long time. I have considered it, but I am too old to be able to do that by myself. I actually don't think anyone can do it by themselves.

 

[Canon29]

Canon, I watch a few people who have built and are building with earthbags. LOTS of work, and takes a long time. I have considered it, but I am too old to be able to do that by myself. I actually don't think anyone can do it by themselves.

My mind is a bit biased against the issue of hard labor due to my age/fitness. I hadn't thought of that angle. But yeah, lots of work for sure, I think some equipment could be improvised to make filling and moving the bags easier- but I suggested it because the construction when completed is lasting and can be done truly solo as no individual part of construction technically requires more than one person- ntm it's inexpensive.

ICF was my first thought but OP excluded help... which kinda means by default if he wants something other than a stick built home is gonna take a pretty large amount of work.

Basically you can pick 2 of 3 attributes. Easy, inexpesive, durable. OP basically excludes easy when he omits help.

 

[Magus]

I'm going to start building the other half of my house this spring, hell or hyperinflation.....the alternative is to lose my mind being in my small house with a rapidly growing child.

Some 15+ years ago, I built my house using strawbale construction, as it was cheap, strong and I could do it by myself.

However, NOW, I'm not sure I can get bales anymore, and frankly, its SLOOWWW.....I think I have more money than time at this point in my life.

Before I give up and just go stick built for the rest of my house, I thought I would see what other building methods are out there right now.

Requirements are that I can do it all myself. Not just because of cost, but because I have come to realize that even if something takes me 10 times longer and costs twice as much as someone else could do it....that is ten times faster than not doing it, which is what happens if I have to have someone else do it. I just can't lower myself to have somebody else's filthy hands working on MY house.

So what is out there in 'hippie' building methods that I might not have heard of?

Rammed earth, used tires and pallets come to mind, you could also make a mold out of cardboard and spray it full of fire-retardant Styrofoam. just be sure to use rebar or old pipes as a core. I would just buy a junked trailer and slide it up to my home and panel it to match. I had to turn down a nice 1990 because I had no place to put a double wide. It was free, the only cost was moving it. it was in great shape but the meth heads had stripped the wires and plumbing.

 

[Mountain trapper]

Codes don't exist in my world,

I would burn my house down before I would sell it.

I'd shoot myself in the head before financing anything.

Okay maybe, not really....more likely to shoot someone ELSE before financing.

Stick built houses are the worst of all building methods. Medieval huts on average had better build quality. And modern stick buillt? they are worst of all, designed to only last 20 years!

Don't get me wrong, I do have some, my shop is stick built, and my addition may be stick built in the end, although I would probably upgrade it over the standard garbage construction. My kitchen addition is stick built, but instead of of 2x4's and orientated **** board I framed it in 3x6s and used 3/4 plywood and stucco for the outside and T and G for the inside. It's closer to timber framed really.

Just one of many

I don't know what world you live in that you're so down on stick builds homes. My house is all 2×6 construction with 2×12 rafters and a number of 6×12" beams. Nothing cheap about it. It was all built by one man with my help.
There are countless construction methods and material. I just misunderstood when I thought the question came up about building something that was easy and one person could build. There us nothing easy about building with straw bales, mud and sticks or dirt.
I never intend on selling or financing my place either, but I know that life happens some times out of our control. That's why I built my place to exceed code and with conventional construction.
Whatever method you build with good luck.

 

[Tirediron]

I don't know what world you live in that you're so down on stick builds homes. My house is all 2×6 construction with 2×12 rafters and a number of 6×12" beams. Nothing cheap about it. It was all built by one man with my help.
There are countless construction methods and material. I just misunderstood when I thought the question came up about building something that was easy and one person could build. There us nothing easy about building with straw bales, mud and sticks or dirt.
I never intend on selling or financing my place either, but I know that life happens some times out of our control. That's why I built my place to exceed code and with conventional construction.
Whatever method you build with good luck.

cause they are just plain junk, that why, there are buildings in europe that are centuries old , ain't happening with balloon frame buildings.

 

[Tirediron]

Earth bag is perhaps a consideration , If you mechanize a bit like build a filling system and a tamping system, it could go fairly fast . it can stand the weather for a while until it is plastered. very fireproof exponentialy more bullet resistant than balloon frame. your soil mix would probably be ideal, an if you don't follow the lets do this the hardest way we can program it should be reasonably easy.
If you have access to lots of wood, stack wall is a posibility, but lots of work. Maybe a timber frame /earthbag hybrid might work , depending on the wood supply.

 

[Neb]

My place is 100 years old. Our cottage is 100+ and was a mail order kit.

Kris Harbour built an earth bag work shop. Outside is covered with lime.



He built a round house using log end construction.



Ben

 

[Mountain trapper]

cause they are just plain junk, that why, there are buildings in europe that are centuries old , ain't happening with balloon frame buildings.

And there are buildings in the US that are over 200 years old too. I really don't care what kind of building a person puts up, but it's just ignorance to say a stick built house is junk. Maybe some are if they are built by someone with no skills. I have seen a lot of shacks around though, and they add zero value to a property. I have no plans of ever selling my place, but I know if I had to I'd get top dollar for it. Not sure that would be the case if it had built with trash and mud.

 

[Aerindel]

I really don't care what kind of building a person puts up, but it's just ignorance to say a stick built house is junk.

Tear a few apart and then get back to me. Like I said....glorified cardboard boxes, go up easy, come down even easier.

 

[Aerindel]

My place is 100 years old. Our cottage is 100+ and was a mail order kit.

Kris Harbour built an earth bag work shop. Outside is covered with lime.



He built a round house using log end construction.



Ben

So what is that cordwood house like? The house I lived in as a kid had a wall like that and it was terrible. The wood shrank and so there was a small gap around every piece that let in bugs and cold air, and most split as well as they shrank. Eventually we tore the wall out and replaced it.

 

[Mountain trapper]

Tear a few apart and then get back to me. Like I said....glorified cardboard boxes, go up easy, come down even easier.

I have no idea where your from so maybe the houses where you are from, are all junk, I'll just have to take your word for. But you cannot make a blanket statement like that for the whole country.
I have been in construction in one for or another for most of my life. I have never built or lived in a "card board box".
I have bought and sold a lot houses over the last 40+ years. Not one of them were junk, no matter what your criteria is.

 

[Tirediron]

Stick frame is highly flamable , and yes if they are built right with attention to detail. they can be fairly good. they are the norm because the same material can be used to build in most any location,

 

[Neb]

Stick frame is highly flamable , and yes if they are built right with attention to detail. they can be fairly good. they are the norm because the same material can be used to build in most any location,

My brother has been with the VFD for ages and have seen a lot of fires. He says the new stick built burn fast. The old mining gomes like mine don't burn as fast.

Ben

 

[Aerindel]

I have no idea where your from so maybe the houses where you are from, are all junk, I'll just have to take your word for. But you cannot make a blanket statement like that for the whole country.
I have been in construction in one for or another for most of my life. I have never built or lived in a "card board box".
I have bought and sold a lot houses over the last 40+ years. Not one of them were junk, no matter what your criteria is.

Sounds like a raging case of confirmation bias to me. We all suffer from it to some degree. Anyway, instead of pointless arguing, maybe point out a way to build stick houses that AREN'T junk. Because, I might just have to hold my nose and build the addition that way anyway. Maybe there is something I haven't thought of that transforms them.

 

[Neb]

Sounds like a raging case of confirmation bias to me. We all suffer from it to some degree. Anyway, instead of pointless arguing, maybe point out a way to build stick houses that AREN'T junk. Because, I might just have to hold my nose and build the addition that way anyway. Maybe there is something I haven't thought of that transforms them.

How about timber frame?



Ben