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Building a Cordwood Home
- Building with cordwood is a great way to construct a unique and energy
efficient green home from locally grown wood and scrap wood found on your
property. Cordwood homes are pleasing to the eye and require very little
maintenance. |
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Benefits of an Earth Berm or Earth Sheltered Home
- Some people assume that an earth berm home is dark, cave-like, and
buried in the ground, but it is in fact quite the opposite. Earth berm homes
(and earth sheltered homes) have many benefits to both the homeowner and the
planet. |
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How to Build a Simple Wood-Fired Cob Oven
- Build a wood fired cob oven to enjoy fresh baked bread or delicious pizza. An
outdoor oven is a great gathering spot for parties, and will help you keep the
heat out of your kitchen in the summer. Best of all, the price is affordable and
you can build it yourself. |
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Put a Living Roof on Your Modern Homestead
- A living roof reduces run off, prevents erosion, and can filter pollutants out of
rainwater. Unlike most roofing products, a living roof isn’t damaged by the
sun’s rays. The thermal mass also acts like a blanket of insulation reducing
energy costs associated with heating and cooling. |
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Benefits of Building a Straw Bale Home
- Straw is an affordable and renewable building material that is widely available.
Straw bale homes are ultra efficient due the insulation value of straw and the
thickness of the walls. Straw bale building is gaining in popularity and
building resources are widely available. |
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Saw Your Own Lumber from Trees on Your Homestead
- Saw your own lumber with a chainsaw mill or bandsaw lumber mill. You will know that
you aren’t supporting clear cutting operations and you may be able to save some
money. Purchase a mill or hire someone to custom cut lumber from your property. |
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The Inexpensive, Owner Built Cob Home
- Because cob buildings utilize local materials and sustainable building practices,
not only will your home be cheap, it will be an environmentally friendly green
home. You'll also be able to escape the cookie-cutter look of modern suburbs. |
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Building with Earthbags - The Ultimate Green Building Material -
Earthbag construction has been around for at least a century, but it is gaining
in popularity as modern and innovative designs are developed. Although it sounds
very simple, there is some science and strategy that should be considered when
planning your earthbag structure. |