Earthbags with crushed limestone

I've seen little information on this. Maybe I'm just not looking it up right. I found a youtube video of some people in Arkansas that started with crushed limestone but their videos just end right when they got exciting. I've also seen a couple sites that said you can do it just like it is sand, but they didn't go into detail. Has anyone here done it? I have found a source for crushed limestone practically free and we got really excited today thinking we could use it. It does almost feel like sand just with some big junks in it here and there(1/4" or smaller). Would I still need to mix clay with it? Could I use it for the plaster as well? We've finally found the earthbags we can use for $0.18 a bag and it's within driving distance.

I literally have a HUGE supply of crushed limestone and your basic gravel at hand. I would really like to use it to build a house, I'm just not sure if I can or if there are other ways to use it if earthbags aren't the option for it.

Hi everyone. I'm trying to bump this up in hopes of a little help with my previously posted question. Maybe I'm not asking the right questions. I don't expect anyone to be a geologist here, but someone will hopefully know more than me when it comes to building earthbag homes (cause I only know what I've read ). I've posted before about building with cob and we've come to the conclusion that it's just not feasible for us on our property. My ground is pretty much solid rock on the hill we're on. Our next idea is an earthbag house. Maybe a small test dome to start. We are still running into a problem with material though. We have found the bags and I think I have settled on cement stucco for our climate. I'm just not sure of my fill material.

Our weather averages. We're more concerned with being cool in the summer than we are warm in the winter. I have plenty of firewood for that for years to come. I'll have to figure out the best wind and shade angles for summer.

My idea is to use the rock shown in pictures one and two at this link. I have found 18" x 30" Woven Polypropylene Bags. The local abandoned quarry is just 5 minutes away. There are some other materials there shown in the pics but I'm not certain what they are. The idea is how good of insulation and no organic material correct? They also have your standard gravel that you see on rock roads and large gravel that you put down under the smaller gravel.

I'll quit rambling, does anyone have any input on this idea? I appreciate it in advance!

Josh, have you considered making tabby with it? Crushed limestone is chemically identical to crushed seashells, so you may want to read up on the methods of making and building with tabby that were used in colonial Georgia and South Carolina. The only thing you wouldn't be able to do is to float the big pieces of seashell to the surface when you screed it, which is what gives tabby its quaint seashell texture.

Another article on tabby, with historical pictures, can be found here.

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/low-cost-fill-materials/

If Owen Geiger says it works for earthbags, I would say it works.

The crusher fines we get will set up if you wet them as you pack them--no other work required.

R Scott wrote:http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/low-cost-fill-materials/

If Owen Geiger says it works for earthbags, I would say it works.

The crusher fines we get will set up if you wet them as you pack them--no other work required.

This is exactly what I was looking for! I guess I wasn't searching correctly. I couldn't think of a reason why it wouldn't work, but I wanted to be sure. I've still got some planning and prep work to do but it looks like I have everything needed locally to get this started. Thanks for both of your time!

Hey Josh, I live in Michigan. I plan on building 2 earth dome sheds this spring. I have never done it before. So I'm in the same boat as you. I want to start building a home within 2 years. I was wondering about the materials as well so I cantacted Cal-Earth but they told me to take a class and refuse to tell me any types of materials. I did purchase a online video but still it didn't really say what types of earth to use. I'm not hating on Cal Earth but they use the so called Nader Khalili philosophy. Its promoted that you can build a home if you lost one to a natural disaster or relocation for little to no money and with little effort. $50 videos, $1200 work shops, $1200 earth bags and recently they sent me an email for $2500 for blue prints on earth one.... how can someone that lost everything afford any of this? If all possible can we stay in touch to help each other out? Hit me up at jonnynights@yahoo.com and we can exchage info. I'm excited to see what we can do.

Thanks a ton!!

Jon
jonnynights@yahoo.com

Hello! My wife and I had the opportunity to visit the Majors earth bag home on two occasions, so yes you can use crushed limestone in the bags and no you do not have to add clay if using this fill material. The crushed limestone felt to me like a stone wall, extremely solid.

I have often wondered about filling bags with gravel. I live close to a quarry and can get rock supper cheap.

We'll be starting our first (test) dome in just a couple of months. I'll be sure to update everyone.