Placeholder for a long discussion on Semi-permanent Shelters.

[bellson]

Hello Gents,

My purpose here is to post up some info that I have acquired over the years on alternative and inexpensive building methods. It seems appropriate to start a discussion and see where it may lead.

Chapter one: Strawbale as a practical building material.

[tanvil]

We used to make forts from hay bails as children.
Here's one you may find interesting.

[railbuggy]

MotherEarthNews has lots of HOW TOs-Free at the library.

[Coils]

Your on the left coast, aren't there a bunch of hippies in that area making mud houses?
I remember seeing an article they were mixing straw with a clay/dirt mix to build the walls.
There was another that used old tires, he'd put down a row then pack dirt into them, add another row and do it all over again

[tanvil]

Man has been building straw/mud huts for thousands of years. It's not a hippy thing. The families who settled the great plains built sod houses not much different than you see in the movie Braveheart.
Maybe a topic for chapter 2.(?)

As for bailed straw, it has considerably less moisture content then hay.
Roughly, that translates to less mold/mildew issues. And in large quantities, less chance of spontaneous combustion. I know a guy who lost a barn because he stored hay that was too wet.
As it decomposes, it can also be culled out and used for bedding, gardening, fuel and probably a half dozen other things like weed control etc,,,

Obviously, this is a 'no smoking' area.

[twa2471]

I don't know,,,heard about them "left coasters" coils, heard some awfull stories about um. Can you picture bellson dancining aroud a mud hut and campfire in his back yard in a loin cloth and with a FAL in one hand, in the middle of the night in a coldasack AAHHHHHH SCARRY THOUGHT!! Can ya imagine!! Whats the lowdown jrs?

[jrs]

Can you picture bellson dancining aroud a mud hut and campfire in his back yard in a loin cloth with a FAL in one hand, in the middle of the night in a coldasack AAHHHHHH SCARRY THOUGHT!! Can ya imagine!! Whats the lowdown jrs?

Ah hell, he does that now. I'm afraid to see what he does when he gets out of civilization.

[railbuggy]

You guys don't live in The Emerald Triangle?

[Sprat]

I don't know,,,heard about them "left coasters" coils, heard some awfull stories about um. Can you picture bellson dancining aroud a mud hut and campfire in his back yard in a loin cloth and with a FAL in one hand, in the middle of the night in a coldasack AAHHHHHH SCARRY THOUGHT!! Can ya imagine!! Whats the lowdown jrs?

Too much information, I am gonna have nightmares tonight

sprat

[twa2471]

I should have expected as much jrs,ya said before you had to keep an eye on him once and a while!! sorry sprat just have an extra toddy to steady your nerves before bed time!! See , I told ya coils, left coasters,,,,, gezzzzz!!