Sunday, September 9, 2012

Rammed Earth Homes: Its Advantages And Disadvantages

By Greg Praker


Rammed earth homes are becoming more popular these days especially among home owners who are looking for eco-friendly options. This particular construction method uses earth or soil to form a house thus it is considered as an innovative method in green architecture. If you are planning to buy your very own rammed earth home, it is important that you understand what their advantages and disadvantages are.

There are lots of advantages of building rammed earth homes and one of the most important benefits is that they don't require home builders to use lumber, stones, bricks or even nails to create a building. With this reason, rammed earth homes are cost efficient as they don't require the builder to use a lot of materials. Aside from this, earth homes are also low maintenance and they are not easily attacked by termites.

Rammed earth homes are ideal for home owners who want to maximise solar strategies inside their home. The thick as well as dense walls help regulate the microenvironment inside the building by providing good insulation. Homes that are made from rammed earth have lower energy bills because they are energy efficient.

While there are a lot of benefits to building rammed earth homes, there are also several disadvantages of building them. It is true that homes made from this material require dirt but it is important to understand that not all dirt can be used to make earth homes. The selection process of dirt to be used in making earth homes should be carefully considered to prevent homes from getting damaged.

Another disadvantage of using rammed earth materials to build homes is that they are labor intensive. It usually takes several months even a year to complete a small bungalow house made from rammed earth materials. Moreover, you cannot just hire any contractor to build your rammed earth homes as there are specialised contractors who are adept in this kind of structure.

Building rammed earth homes has disadvantages as well as advantages so it is very important that you know how to weigh your options so that you can determine if a particular rammed earth structure is good or not. When it comes to deciding for this type of home, it is crucial that you base your decision with your objectives and budget in mind. Moreover, you can also seek help from an architect or a home builder if this particular type of house is a good option or not.




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