thoughts input appreciated

hello im new here so hi everyone
first a little info first off my brother is a construction worker and think the ideas i get from alternative/green building are ridiculous and that im an idiot that said i hope to build a house that will show him that people dont have to live in a box and that people are very wasteful in todays society and that alot of waste can be reused to make sustainable housing for those such as myself who cant afford a 50,000 dollar home. so why am i here? well im looking for imput from people who have more experience than i in building such a building. In my area pallets are in abundance so the general idea was to use that for possible wall framing. then in my searching for info i thought foundation what will i use for a foundation then the idea of earthbag or tires filled with earth may be suffice. so if anyone has any tips resources etc. it would be greatly appreciated
thanks
new member
biscuit

The type of building would depend on climate and budget. Assuming you are free to build whatever you want (not something you should assume) If you have the money you should put a stone and mortar or concrete foundation. If you still have money then just keep going with the stone until you finish the walls then put a concrete roof. Legal as the bald eagle.

Now if your broke I recommend a mud hut with a thached roof. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cQRkx1Ortg You have to be careful with fire near it. There trying to make it illegal to live it that type of thing though. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=Cv7Kqw1o7Xc A thached roof on a really big building is asking for fire to burn a big investment.

Gabion walls https://permies.com/t/12592/green-building/Dry-Stone-Pebble-Wall-Stone You could build a round room say 12 feet in diameter with steel baskets.

In my oppinion concrete or ferocement is the best roofing material

Here is a nice mud wall video http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=753wPWalMpE&NR=1

broke yes. it will be out in bfe and ya wont get into trouble and third must be suffice for me and wife and kid and shes needs a little more space than i so a 12ft dome will not do as far as rock goes or slab goes tryin to keep concrete out of it considering a pillar type foundation anysuggestions thanks for input and btw i am in midwest if that help geographically or in regards to weather

Curious why you are interested in pillar foundations?

you ever seen like a picture of a blues musician in the 30's sumtimes earlier sitting on the porch of a rustic looking house in the south sumwhere with a front porch sumtimes in those pictures you see the houses on pillars and to answer your question thats just my dream gouse its simple i want to be able to go out on my front porch in the evening and break out the guitar so ya kinda silly but ya its a dream

Hi James,

There are MANY ways to build a well-built home which will last many decades or a hundred years or more. AND MANY ways to build with a smallish budget.

You can always start with smaller dwelling and build additional smaller units. THis way, it is easy to finish a single project and move on to another. Learning from each one as you go...

Is your area of BFE in the US or other part of the world?

humid, arid, semi arid?

DO you want to have ways to catch rainwater off your roof?

Even if your home is even partially below grade, you can always build yourself a 'porch' to sit and play your guitar.

Here are links to several threads which may or may not work for your situation.

https://permies.com/t/17362/green-building/Adaptations-Pit-House-Earth-Lodge

THese homes are based upon indigenous cultural designs. These folks built their dwellings without money, I would surmise.
There are photos/links of examples of homes.

there are also photos/links of Straw Bale Vaults which have been built in areas with cold winters and hot summers.

Look around the green building forums for earth sheltered home/wofati. ANd others. There are many folks here with much more experience than I have who can share wisdom with you.

to answer your questions i do live in us i am in southern il it gets humid but not a humid as the south

so ya i just aquired 40 pallets and ya still stumped on foundation considering cinderblock possibly too i may have access to getting some cinder blocks wats yall thoughts

If you have some time to burn and free or inexpensive access to the internet, you can review the entries in the $300 House Challenge:

http://www.jovoto.com/projects/300house/ideas?filterby=all


There are several pallet house designs. Good luck finding them all.

I have considered building a shed out of 4' x 8' pallets. I sketched out some ideas that might work. I don't think the wife would be pleased, though. I have seen people disassemble pallets and use the wood to build sheds. That's a lot of work. Far easier to use the pallets intact, if possible.

i got a new place to get pallets there bigger nt sure on dimensions and there made of 2x4s and 2x6s there the kind used to ship lawn mowers gona use those i figure they will add more strength to the design

James,Hello
I agree with you that one can build a safe,comfortable house with little money.
I like this one out of pallets with clay/straw insulation,pier foundation with rock infill and earthen floor. Named the Fuddy.
www.firespeaking.com has the info on it
All the best with your home building.
Kate

i think i am goin to stay away from the straw and mud concept and find alternative insulation im plannin on using some of the thinner flats from pallets and use them as dutch lap siding ive got a mobile home relative of mine said i can strip out the bath tub and sinks and windows etc out of so i figure that will give me a head start on the inside a little
p.s. kate i do like their pier foundation style and believe i will go with that ty