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A few of the common problems to be faced with Earth Homes.
Thousands of years ago some of the first Earth Home dwellers crept into their caves. There they suffered with bad air from bat guano and fires, creeping insects, cold air, excessive moisture that dripped on their upturned faces. Some of the first homes built were shelters covered by clay or mud or rocks and wherever you turn around the world you will find remnants of the post-cave dwelling.
Earth Homes were built by native americans and later by settlers in the form of Sod shelters that were dug out of the rock hard ground. These snug and warm homes protected against the worst storms nature could create but as civilization grew and cities matured the buildings were flimsy wooden structures. Entire forests were stripped to provide for these newly built homes.
And despite all the countless disasters from fires, to wind storms most homes today continue to be built entirely from wood. Most people don’t realize there is any option or if they do they can’t afford the high prices most charge to build alternative homes.
Yet for those few who dare to return to their roots there are some concerns to be dealt with.
1. If money is a problem there are very few banks that want to take a chance on providing for an Earth House. There big concerns include, will it cave in, will it be resellable, will it have more problems then your normal home. Even today most see an ‘earth home’ as nothing more then an earth covered basement.
2. Find a reputable company to deal with. Don’t be afraid to ask questions on work they have done in the past. Have them give you references to specific projects they have worked on. If they have little experience then you must hire either someone else or have an engineer check out your plans.
3. Drainage was the main issue in most early earth homes. The end result was leakage in the walls. This created everything from unstable concrete to mold, mildew and water problems. Still, be sure that the company or folks you deal with know what they are doing. Once you put the soil on the roof its a little late to think about drainage.
4. Find the right kind of property. Don’t limit yourself to a hillside. Flat land can also hold promise to the right kind of earth home. Many of the early settlers built below grade sod homes with sod covered roofs. Some folks really do want to live 100% underground. There is nothing wrong with this. For sun lovers, which way do you want to place your home to take advantage of the light; South East for morning sun and West for sun-setters...
5. Be creative. Just because no one else has though about it doesn’t mean its a dumb idea. I had one person write me and wanted to create an earth sheltered A-Frame home. I told them it wasn’t a dumb idea but would be difficult to implement. The biggest issue of course was getting soil to remain on the roof. Still there are ways to make your dreams come true no matter what.
6. Think long term-Is this house big enough for you and your family? Continuity in an earth home is a must and putting up additions five years later may not be easy or cheap.
7. Are you in a neighborhood where this house style will be accepted? Unfortunately many cities refuse earth sheltered homes because they look so unusual. Prejudice and misunderstandings are still some of the main issues.
Do you have other concerns? Please let me know and I’ll add them to this page.
Joel Akin webmaster@earth-house.com
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