Question
Would you recommend strawbale, rammed-earth, or CEB as a sustainable building method for a new home in East Texas?
We're moving to East Texas and want to build a strawbale, rammed earth, or CEB home. We have 5 acres of "very sandy" soil to work with and plenty of time (mobile home on site). Which method is most cost-effective and energy efficient? We plan on an 864-sf footprint, 2-story house, with solar panels and passive solar design. Any recommendations as to method would be great!
Answer
Strawbale works if coated with gunnite (sprayed concrete), but is always vermin-prone. Rammed earth is similar to natural adobe construction in the use of earth. Sandy soil would seem to be a good mix with the cement to give you the rigidity and weather resistance. Compressed earth block is hand-sized rammed earth with the benefits and drawbacks of traditional adobe construction.
