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earth bag

Would this work as insulation?

Posts: 8

Location: Missouri

posted 11 years ago

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I love the Earthbag homes but we live in Missouri. Our weather fluctuates all the time and we will desperately need insulation. Wanting to recycle as much as possible, would it be possible to build the earth bag walls then add a second 'wall' on the outside made of sealed aluminum cans? The sealed aluminum cans would be cobbed next to the earthbags on the exterior and then cobbed over again. Would this create insulated air pockets that would be effective for insulation?

John Elliott

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posted 11 years ago

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That depends on how much you want to heat it. With the "sweater" on the outside of the building, when you want to heat the inside, you will be heating all of the dirt in the bags as well. If you put it on the inside, then you only have to heat the air inside the house and the thermal mass of the earthbags won't be sucking up all the heat from your furnace.

maha fae

Posts: 8

Location: Missouri

posted 11 years ago

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Thank you John

I never considered that. I guess in the same respect the inner can wall will help keep it cool in the summer?

I wonder if anyone else has had successful results making a can wall as insulation?

Brian Knight

Posts: 554

Location: Asheville NC

posted 11 years ago

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Not aware of any but sure its been done. Problem with cans is that the AL is a great conductor. So the overall performance, when you add up all the metal thermal bridging, would dramatically reduce the level of insulation between them. Plastic bottles is probably a better choice for such a wall.

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Angelika Maier

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Posts: 1475

Location: Zone 10a, Australia

posted 11 years ago

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We had aluminium sliding windows and yes I agree with Brian. The tiny frames conducted so much heat.
If you think of a material do not think of the wall but always think first how you will connect windows, doors, downpipes etc.
because the devil is always in the detail.

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Michael Rushing

Posts: 2

posted 11 years ago

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Interesting, all of the info I have read on using a layer of insulation on any thermal mass construction was to have the insulation layer on the outside of the mass to help regulate it from outside temps. Also, Owen Geiger makes note of a layer of insulation on the outside of the earthbag structure. Interesting Idea to think on. Plan on Building a earth bag home within the next year or starting to break ground.

allen lumley

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posted 11 years ago

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I have no trouble with the insulation on the inside, ! would worry more in some climates with water vapor problems a dry hole in the ground is one thing a wet hole
(in the ground) is something else ! Big AL !

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Dee Dee Foley

Posts: 5

posted 11 years ago

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If you live in Missouri, you should investigate rice hulls as insulation for earth bags. Here is the link.

http://www.earthbagbuilding.com/projects/ricehullstudio.htm

maha fae

Posts: 8

Location: Missouri

posted 11 years ago

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I have a lot of research and initially I was very interested in the rice hulls. But we will be living in central Missouri (quite a distance from the rice fields). I then started finding information on making your own charcoal and that gave me an idea. If you used the chips from your local tree trimmers, it is possible to make charcoal chips and maybe use these to insulate to fill the bags with. Would double as a filler and insulation. Any thoughts?

Scott Howard

Posts: 61

posted 11 years ago

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Fill the cans with plastic bags first and they will be a bit better.

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Angelika Maier

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Posts: 1475

Location: Zone 10a, Australia

posted 11 years ago

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I would worry about aluminium cans and the holes in between that they are moisture traps.

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Pamela Honey

Posts: 9

Location: Northern California

posted 11 years ago

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Using chard bits as a filler in the bags sounds like an interesting idea...

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