# How to Build a House Single Handed



## Homely (Aug 22, 2007)

Here's a link I liked. Its a guy in Arizona sharing how he built his hybrid earthbag house (by himself) and the lessons he learned doing it.
How to Build a House Single Handed


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

So the walls fell down, before he got it up very far at all... wondering why it wouldn't fall down later?

I have seen some 'bag houses' that were pretty much bombproof.

To have such an alternative homebuilding style, and then top it off with flakeboard... arrgghhh... I'd'a not used that material on such a home.

I do wish him well, though.


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## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

I read some of it, the pictures were super slow on dialup. Had to stop the page loading and then reload them one by one. Grrr, gave that up quick. 

From what he said, they had extreme straight line winds when walls came down. If you have never lived in an area where that happens, guess its hard to understand. I doubt many partially built stick homes would hold up under that either. Lot of approved and completed stick built homes by contractors dont, or at least they become roofless unless you have strict hurricane area type codes that are actually enforced. There can be straight line winds strong as a low end tornado.

Not much of a foundation from what I could see, but then I didnt see many of the pics. And a dirt floor?? I lived in a shack with dirt floor for a year and believe me, never do that again unless it was absolute emergency situation. Course he is in a desert area so maybe not quite as bad. He shows bunch money spent on building permits. I assume thats a government money making venture only where he lives (pay us some money and you can do what you want), cant imagine any building inspector being ok with that foundation and dirt floors. Nor are they going to be excited about building walls with dirt filled bags.

He said had $20k into the shell. I guess I dont see real good value for the money.

I am not thrilled with flake board either but the days of sheathing a roof with lumber yard dimensional lumber are long gone. Not sure what else he would use. Pretty much plywood or OSB unless you go to something very exotic and expensive. Or mill your own dimensional lumber... Didnt look like many trees on his 4A though.


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## shawnlee (Apr 13, 2010)

I applaud his effort and he is on the right track......

But I can build a 16 by 24 conventional framed house in 2by6s and fully finished on a concrete slab with a bathroom for 10,000,including heat and air conditioning...never did see the dimentions of what he had for a comparison.


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## rzrubek (May 13, 2004)

texican said:


> So the walls fell down, before he got it up very far at all... wondering why it wouldn't fall down later?
> 
> I have seen some 'bag houses' that were pretty much bombproof.
> 
> ...


It says the Law came and knocked it down as his wife watched in horror.


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## Energy Rebel (Jan 22, 2011)

rzrubek said:


> It says the Law came and knocked it down as his wife watched in horror.


I saw that too.
Then I backed up and read it again.

Murphy's Law
:grin:


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