BUILDING with RAMMED EARTH - An Impressive & Super Durable Natural Material!

[@michaelhuber3345]

My wife and I built a rammed earth home with Tony and Earth House Holdings. We are super happy with our home!!

[@GoddessBB]

I have been in love with rammed earth homes for quite some time. Love how you built this house. Thank you. I wish more people would consider rammed earth, especially in tropical climates.

[@BlueBeeMCMLXI]

It's their life, not your's.

[@octane7047]

I'm learning how to build one myself. In the tropics

[@atoncybiker2022]

​@@octane7047could you share your experience so far?

[@guringai]

Great to see that you've incorporated insulation into the rammed earth. I've been in rammed earth & mud houses in Australia but both were very cold in winter & very hot in late summer. Sanden heat pumps are the best, we have one too since 2014 (which we used to replace gas, now saving a fortune). The heat pump is on a timer to only operate during the middle of the day, when out solar PV panels run it. Cheapest hot water available.

[@anddyandii5857]

How did you set it up

[@guringai]

@@anddyandii5857 There's a timer under the top panel of the compressor.

[@barnstar2077]

The walls look beautiful.

[@wrayjordan7188]

Very interesting. Would like to see a more detailed video of the wall construction. Congratulations on your beautiful home. It looks amazing. Best wishes for a long and happy life there.

[@matthewharaminac6348]

@Tony Johnson I'd love to know more about this. If you ever offer a webinar I would be very interested to join. What is a good way to follow you?

[@meheretnardos1894]

Wow 👌 good luck thank you for sharing your knowledge!

[@DeLambada]

Refreshing honesty about the pros and cons and transparency about the process. Compare this to the average 'Is this the best house in the world???' type if youtube video.

[@njsarn]

Wow, a real design beauty. Besides superb insulation quality, it's bullet proof too, literally. Thanks for sharing your dream house.

[@randyrhyne1195]

There is a house where I’m from that was built with sandbags. It was built in the sixties and is still in very good condition considering that it has been through hurricanes. Using the material around you to build a home makes a lot of sense.

[@itzakpoelzig330]

What are the bags themselves made of?

[@randyrhyne1195]

@@itzakpoelzig330 Considering when it was built, probably burlap. I believe he covered the outside walls with stucco. Probably has numerous coats of paint over the years but last time I saw it you could see the outline of the sandbags. Has been a about ten years since last I saw it.

[@itzakpoelzig330]

@@randyrhyne1195 Very interesting. Thanks for sharing!

[@MrJcTTK]

@@itzakpoelzig330 yup people have been doing this for a very long time. Go look up someone names Kris harbour Built his giant workshop with it. Also noticed a lot of people do it the bag way in the dessert

[@pinefilms3141]

indeed, nature provides everything

[@craigmerkey8518]

Really great! I can imagine how the sound is insulated as well... bonuses all around!

[@georgesamaras2922]

That copper piping = work of art

[@SpaceCrete]

Extremely beautiful! And to acknowledge insulation! (the most important part) We were also fortunate to retrieve foam for a building from a dumpster. Though we are not capable of transporting, processing/screening, mixing, placing, and seriously compacting a million pounds of earth.

[@barsbatbold3393]

I am trying to design my home using the same method. I often go back to this video just to see that the design solutions I found or the ones am searching already solved in this short video. Thank you!

[@rs-fe9xr]

Looking at that house makes my heart melt. Honestly, it's that same feeling when listening to a great symphony. Great work. Beautiful. Inspiring.

[@louise9973]

It's fantastic, what a guy with great ideas. We need more of this. Time to change the way we build, period.

[@TwilightMysts]

The challenge isn't ideas, it is the overbearing government regulations. It is like tiny houses, they have been around for a decade, but are only just starting to be legal in some states and some circumstances. The guy said he needs it signed off by 3 different engineers.

[@SusanSlattery]

Wow, this is an incredible technique I was totally unaware of. Love the idea of this.

[@homesteadinthehood11212]

Very interesting. What energy source does the air system run on and exactly what was the cost of the building?

[@marlonlom]

but the thing is to get sufficient sand or earth for the building :S

[@rhoda7710]

@ Tony , how much will a normal 3 bedroom cost?

[@WisconsinWanderer]

Our society really missed the boat on ancient building systems we could have learned so much and save so many resources. It’s a shame. Thanks for this wonderful build and technology also a work of art love it!!

[@carldieckmann9977]

Hey man, your house looks spectacular. Well done!

[@robertgonzalez8419]

Have to say you did a great job I hope and pray that you and your family enjoy this home for many years God bless

[@nathanhuisman9399]

Awesome video discussing all the benefits of rammed earth but also all the extra details and thought that went into this particular residence. Keep at it, Tony!

[@bradleysmithhart2344]

Glad to see you guys are back. I hope all is well.

[@david.andrew.roubideaux1715]

Oh my God. I would love a home like that home. That's such a beautiful home.

[@verifiedgentlemanbug]

yes homie

[@Cynthia_108]

I love your house! The wavy earth design is beautiful! I agree, curvy walls would be super cool, I would do it. The different wood colors in the ceiling are gorgeous as well. I'm a huge fan of straw bale houses, and hope to build one at some point. They are also wonderfully insulation and maintain fairly even temps. Thanks for sharing your home. 😊

[@Earth-House-Holdings]

Thanks for watching!

[@0HARE]

It looks amazingly beautiful and functional. I want one.

[@eyeballengineering7007]

I've been wanting to see this happening for decades.

[@paulman8239]

The busy looking ceiling is taking away from the beautiful layered ram walls.

[@bob_frazier]

Fire proof, bug proof, no rot, no paint. Love it.

[@kaleign]

Really top-notch build quality here. Very thoughtful design with many insightful elements. Love to see carbon dioxide used as the refrigerant.

[@mihaiilie8808]

@Tony Johnson The walls are a work of art ! I would use this system even for decorative purposes and not just walls but even furniture.

[@willcookmakeup]

This house is gorgeous

[@Earth-House-Holdings]

Thank you!

[@jeffmathers355]

Beautiful house. I love the sediment layered look!

[@Shmerpy]

Great work. The green Picquic is a nice touch too!

[@RevdUp.Art.Fotografer]

Thank You. Using earth to build homes has always made sense to me from the first time I saw a film in 2nd grade about Adobe homes. Of course we've gotten more technical since then...(cough)...that was more than a bit ago. I do love the lines in the walls as well & I can see wanting more waves...lol... Perhaps you could come up with a way to tint them. I can see tinting applications being a good offer in the commercial world. I'm an artist with ADHD...😆 so ideas come quick for me. Plus I do Sacred Space Altars. It's very interesting what can shift energy in a space. Folks will feel different, but won't know why...😉. Look into what natural things can be used to tint your specific materials. Since you're building process is in small areas/bits at a time it would be easy to control the hows and wheres of the color distribution. Keep makin' safe homes. Peace to you and all your Relations.

[@allansmith350]

this is an absolutely beautiful home, and super cool building technique

[@SueTay.]

This home is beautiful!

[@RammedEarthInfomati]

Great to see what other rammed earth builders are doing. Good job on the videography.

[@rossli8621]

It is so cool to build houses with natural materials around. I wonder how long does it took to build such a house.

[@sid35gb]

It’s a beautiful looking material.

[@chieftech714]

I love it. A few questions: 1. how far does this build technique scale? as in how high can the structure rise before it begins to lose integrity? 2. what is the earth is used has toxins in it? how is the buyer protected from unknown toxins in the ground? 3. what additional costs are added from this style?

[@jordanstarr2992]

considered how toxic modern building is. I can't imagine 2 is a concern at all.

[@kpeak1]

That house looks amazing

[@carolewarner101]

Wow...gorgeous! I'm especially impressed with the fire protection. We had terrible fires out here in Oregon last summer that came within a mile or so of our property. We're getting ready to build the house and that aspect is foremost in our minds as we ponder the various methods we might use to build it. Would be curious as to its seismic capabilities as we live very close to Mt. Hood and have plenty of seismic potential around here. People talk about "the big one" being inevitable. Would be nice to have our home weather both potential situations and still be lived in a century or more from now... Beautiful result!

[@TwilightMysts]

You might consider a monolithic dome instead. It is a single piece concrete dome, but if you add a foot or so of dirt to the outside, with a little extra preparation for the exposed doors/windows, it could probably survive a serious fire with no issues. You would still want to evacuate though, since air quality would still be a big problem for people inside.

[@Krill_all_health_insuranceCEOs]

For those who can afford it this is a gorgeous technique. I'd love to learn more about it.

[@adamtash2891]

isnt it supposed to be cheaper though? isnt that part of the point? how can it be similar in price to normal houses???

[@Krill_all_health_insuranceCEOs]

@@adamtash2891 I'm not sure.... It's beautiful and natural tho so I love it for that reason... It may be cheaper for some builders. I haven't much looked into it yet. Yes you would think it would be cheaper than standard construction, but possibly not in all cases

[@alphaomega3766]

That's a work of art. I'm sure basic design would cut down costs considerably, especially if owner built. It's fun to play in dirt.

[@jonothandoeser]

Nooo! This should remain an Elite method for only those who can afford it!

[@ravent3016]

That's a fine-looking structure. I also like the layout inside from what I can see.

[@HollywoodF1]

I’d like to see a lifecycle cost comparison. It would be interesting to know the cost recovery period and if there’s an increased value in the house at resale.

[@travelfeet]

The three levels and however many different roof planes aren't helping the value proposition (though add to the beauty for sure). It would be interesting to see the cost of a simpler design in comparison to stick frame. A spec home, I as would call a mass produced one, would likely not have the same energy performance though, so perhaps a comparison to a better than code insulated and air sealed home would be a better test.

[@gerbilbits]

Favorite build I’ve seen in awhile

[@jad1714]

Looks cool I’ve only seen a few other videos of people doing compact earth walls would love to learn more about them I see no reason they can’t be used in the majority of climates just maybe not the swamp

[@gravityimage5]

Good for you guys being trend setters and innovators in the house building industry. Cheers! I possess the same aspirations.

[@Donneczka1]

Super cool! We need to use more alternate building methods like this!

[@AutisticMorty]

Beautiful. Just another thing I'll never be able to afford 🤷‍♂️ Thanks Canada. We need more building techniques that people can learn to build their own homes. I'm in Poland now, and you can build yourself a 750 sqft home (like a two shipping container tiny-house) with no permits. With labor and property so expensive, millenials and gen z need cheaper options, because salaries will never increase to match skyrocketing costs.

[@krzysztoffrancka6178]

Go to work, open your business, stop winning and start to make money. I didn't have anything special and I have bought a 1.3 ha of land whit some forest. Build a house. And I'm living in it and I bought it when I was 25 years old, and i build house and move to it when I was 33 so stop complaining. You can make money everywhere, even in uour Poland ...

[@AutisticMorty]

@@krzysztoffrancka6178 yeah dude, I'm a software engineer making $120k a year. It wasn't enough for Canada lol. Let alone all the Canadians who make average of $60,000 or less.

[@krzysztoffrancka6178]

@@AutisticMorty make more don't work for someon but for yourself. I'm getting this money for 3 months of work so you can either. Canada is Europe 2.0 so ... the frase,, you will not have anything, and you will be happy" is in making there ...

[@Gregoman89]

@@krzysztoffrancka6178 yeah it’s ok for them to steal your money. Just go make more!

[@freezerlunik]

@@krzysztoffrancka6178 your attitude to be self-sufficient and work for yourself is the right one to start, -- but you're also ignoring the folks who do everything right and still get beat down/can't get ahead. A very significant proportion of them are not lazy or defective; luck, opportunities, non-obvious decisions and risks all have a huge role.

[@mamzhie8833]

Wow,great.. amazing new idea technique.

[@georgelake7923]

love the walls love the look of the house. Would like to see the floor plan. maybe something I would want.

[@emmyashbaugh]

It's really beautiful, thanks for sharing! I hope to see more alternative building options like this become more available for the average homeowner!!

[@beebob1279]

@Tony Johnson Municipalities can often be the block in the road to improve housing systems. Only because they don't understand the new construction systems. Keep up the great work. This is a cool system

[@cpthornman]

What a cool building technique. This looks incredibly expensive though.

[@SSingh-nr8qz]

it's not expensive. I have built using rammed earth and also compressed earth brick. It's just insanely time consuming, especially if you are doing it manually. The soil mix is key. Get it wrong and you will be very sad when it freezes.

[@cynot71]

@@SSingh-nr8qz It's not just the materials and labor. The paperwork (permits, etc.) can really add to the overall costs.

[@SSingh-nr8qz]

@@cynot71 Very true! Most inspectors don't even know about these kinds of building materials. You end up having to get a 3rd party to verify the stuff you are telling the inspectors IF you can get a permit.

[@Invictum594]

@@SSingh-nr8qz question. I have heard that the type of soil on site is critical and that most places don’t have the correct mix of things for rammed earth so you end up needing to truck in the correct soil in order to do it which kind of defeats the purpose. Is that your experience?

[@OU81TWO]

@@SSingh-nr8qz "It's not expensive...it's just insanely time consuming" If it's insanely time consuming then it's insanely expensive. Time always costs more money than building materials.

[@broslyons8045]

Tony - that is one beautiful house- well done- The ceiling I love-

[@Sam89365]

If I go to build a house one day I'd definitely consider this as an option.

[@juleswithoutriches]

@Just think you got any links?, I seen hemp blocks which look amazing and get stronger over time. Plus 100 year old tree hasnt been chopped down

[@preciousreading1934]

Rammed earth wall technology was ANCIENT CHINESE engineering in fortifying boarders. Thank you and three cheers the chinese must always shouted aloud while housewarming and the prosperity showers then only.

[@edgewrld]

thats a beautiful house

[@ng3594]

I love it. I really like the modern alternatives that other earth homes do not mechanise. I think you did a real classy and thought provoking home. I really dig it haha

[@PMcGuffin]

That is a cool house, the combination of the shape of the walls, the texture and the wood that is used on the soffits and ceiling make it look like it could have been pulled straight from Minecraft as well

[@frankcastle7777]

Beautiful house, keep up the good work, and GOD BLESS!

[@kathym6603]

A dream house for sure. 🍁🌾🍁

[@steveperreira5850]

I’m very impressed, however, not to rain on the parade here but this is extremely expensive construction. I know the building industry very well, hands-on. Almost nobody can afford this. But I’m glad somebody can, it’s absolutely beautiful

[@billsharp7698]

Amazing house. Thanks for taking the time to do the video to show it off, and what your company does.

[@ourfamilytravels7083]

Beautiful home, I love the look of the rammed earth.

[@verifiedgentlemanbug]

yes homiie

[@erichpizer1]

video is packed with info, rammed with knowledge

[@joeymorris68]

I'm curious, did you apply any kind of sealant to the walls? I have watched a number of videos on this technique and only in one did they mention applying a sealant to the outside walls to increase resistance to moisture.- Thanks

[@MrBugman2525]

The USA needs this type of homes more than ever,Colorado, central Kentucky is a good example,its bad when the homes in boulder burn up like match boxes

[@Earth-House-Holdings]

In December too!!! Wildfires are a year long risk apparently.

[@cyrilmoussoki3193]

C'est une merveilleuse découverte pour moi parce que je ne connaissais pas, je n'ai pas tout compris, je vais approfondir ce sujet, merci en tout cas pour le partage.

[@ExploringAlternatives]

Bienvenue Cyril 😁

[@SASoldier]

Breathtaking!

[@nullplus_space]

Beautiful look of the layering

[@alexlarson833]

Wow! This is so cool! Congrats on the build Tony👍👍👍

[@Alêpa_Oliv]

Linda casa! Aqui no Brasil se chama "taipa de pilão". Amo essa técnica.

[@delubiod1970]

Beautiful House! Here in Brazil we call it "Taipa de Pilão". Love this technique.

[@PH7018c]

En español se conoce como "tapial" "tapia" o "muro de tapia".. En mi pais se usa poco.. supongo que no es muy apropiada para lugares de huracanes y terremotos.. 👋🏻🇩🇴

[@shimonnygaard2265]

Love it!!! Also have a sanden heat pump with a circulating pump. Has not missed a beat!!!

[@brownleatherboot277]

Once you start to research EARTH RAMMED homes and ALL the benefits including health benefits I can't imagine anyone not wanting to do it. You can add accents into the walls. I've seen one with a crush line of blue gem. Look up Susuki Earth Rammed Home. I believe an ex rock star of some sort owns it. I wish I could have a home this healthy, beautiful and long lasting to have raised a family in.

[@affordabledesertliving3487]

Very informative. Thanks.

[@jonm610]

The cost of labor for this here in Massachusetts I bet would be crazy high

[@frankhoffman3566]

Pretty good. With that weight I expect a deep concrete footing, so that has to be factored in. It definitely has a pleasing organic look.

[@angiesheirlooms]

I'm interested in this type of home. I live in a area that has no Zoning and no codes. I'd love to see some cost sheets to build one like this.

[@dustman96]

Adobe is much cheaper and easier. That said, if you have the money and time, rammed earth is fantastic.

[@afrhawkins]

where do you live with no zoning/codes? i live in the states and there are not alot of places i can find rural places that aren't residential

[@dustman96]

@@afrhawkins Arizona, Greenlee county

[@vanderumd11]

@@afrhawkins likely an area with little water

[@danielkitcher9692]

Quite insightful I must say. I feel more moved to actualize my dream eco home

[@matthewrreis]

This stunningly designed & engineered house looks like it will still stand the test of time. I bet traditional stick built homes would collapse, burn down or be torn down well before this house meets its expiration date.

[@davesyoutubestuff6183]

Rammed earth is a technique that has been used for thousands of years. Some structures last 1000 years or more.

[@patchcoatgrey3434]

Now that is interesting. I work with building contractors on a daily basis at my job, and with all of the price fluctuations lately on lumber and the limited availability of concrete in my area, this might be an interesting alternative...

[@TheBearDenPhotography]

What would be the timeline and cost to build this type of structure compared to a normal wood framed structure of similar size?

[@braulioferreira2273]

Wish this videos of rammed earth happened more often

[@barisay7244]

Questions for Tony: The hydronic heating setup used for the Zehnder system --- is that custom or is it a Zehnder offering? Aren't you supposed to heat the incoming air before it hits the exchanger instead of after? (Otherwise, in order to prevent the exchanger core from freezing, the controllers would reduce the airflow or even stop it.)

[@alfonstabz9741]

you are a genius creator man.!

[@magnoid]

Tony has done an amazing job! Beautiful and very efficient home. Inspiring! Question: why does there need to be a layer of insulation between the two layers of rammed earth, if earth is such a good insulator already?

[@beebob1279]

That's a good question. Looks like they aren't replying

[@jmlinden7]

Earth is not that good of an insulator. Solids will always conduct heat more than air, and earth doesn't have that much air compared to insulation.

[@AA-ex7gi]

The rammed earth is a large thermal mass, which isn't the same as a good insulator. The thermal mass does a good job of absorbing and slowing the flow of heat/energy through it. But it's not a barrier to heat/energy flow; that's what the insulation layer is for. So you have a large thermal mass on the inside of the insulation layer, which alternately absorbs then slowly releases heat back into the home- but not to the outside, since it's blocked by the insulation layer. The outer layer mainly acts as a stabilizing mass which helps to avoid large temperature swings. I've always thought there should be a type of insulated concrete form, or ICF, (another type of construction which should take advantage of the large thermal mass of the concrete walls), which has the inner side of the form composed of OSB, while the outer form is made of rigid insulation. Thus you'd get the thermal mass on the inside of the house, as well as a surface for attaching things/finishes to the interior. And there's minimal waste with the forms. There's almost zero material waste, and/or labor waste to remove and reassemble elsewhere. Maybe someone makes ICFs like that now though- it's been a while since i looked into it.

[@SingularlyNaked]

As others have noted, the earth works as a thermal mass on both sides of the insulation. That is what minimizes the daily temperature fluctuation inside the house. In electronics parlance, it's a "pi filter" (capacitor-resistor-capacitor).

[@Crushanator1]

The "Earth ship" style home use functionally rammed earth in tires, but to fully insulate that's about a two foot wide tire bearm, followed up by at least six feet of earth on the exterior. So 2 feet of packed earth and 6 feet of loose, vs 1 foot of packed earth with 4 inches of dedicated insulation

[@PhilinLeBlanc]

Suuuuper interesting!! Thanks!

[@hallenw]

Gorgeous house! I would like to see rammed earth sprayed with clear epoxy.

[@wrndlabs]

Search for 'Shiny Clay Wall Finish' on KZbin. It is beautiful!

[@Rich1Rodriguez]

Very insightful. Charge on!

[@melissamcardle5729]

We DIY built our house like this over 30 years ago. It's brilliant but I would have liked one of those air exchange things.

[@dncviorel]

What exactly is brilliant about this design and what are the disadvantages? Thank you.

[@CactusJack252]

That is one beautiful home

[@nanchesca3950]

Beautiful and smart in a province with so many forest fires

[@cheriemonami]

Absolutely beautiful. I love the idea and the look is simple but elegant.

[@robontube12]

wall thickness in metric = 18 + 10 + 18 = 46 centimeter

[@solomonessix6909]

I love this style of home

[@mlrllama]

This looks very promising. Even if the initial build costs were higher than conventional stick built construction, I would imagine overall maintenance should be significantly less than a traditional home build.

[@SLCliving]

This is a gorgeous home! I want to build one of these for my family in SLC UT

[@leoshinaranami3765]

Awesome way of doing things. Now if only you could make it affordable for the "average" people as well. Otherwise I absolutely love everything about it. Fantastic work!

[@scottcates]

Yay, expensive housing.

[@SurmaSampo]

Yeah, this is amazingly labour intensive especially with such a tiny ram. His methods don't scale efficiently at all.

[@OfftoShambala]

It’s gorgeous!

[@Earth-House-Holdings]

Thanks!

[@iTeerRex]

Hempcrete is another very similar healthy and good looking technique as rammed earth.

[@bwillan]

Hempcrete is not a structural material.

[@azelshort4177]

I like all the green options that are coming about, I suspect though the increased initial cost is not affordable to most people. Beautiful home!

[@kenbender373]

Amazing bro. This is the future of building. Take huge amounts of forest to build a home when u could use the ground under feet for most of it. With cost of wood getting high and it’s not getting colder in some spots of the world just hotter. Imagine if just a unk it just a little.

[@stevejeffrey11]

yep it's the future for sure, with passive heating from solar with well placed windows to catch sunlight would be an incredibly efficient home

[@kenbender373]

@Just think just think about what I really said some spots off the world. It’s ok I don’t catch all what people say at times either. Some places getting hotter done getting colder. Have good day

[@kenbender373]

@Just think think u need to change the just think name bro. Haha sheep be gone

[@kenbender373]

@Just think silly guy u still doing this here is a smack in the face do u feel it. Please get I think that some places are getting colder some getting hotter I didn’t say anything about global warming I’d draw you pics if I could. U do know they find sea shells in places there are no water things move on planet earth all saying. Don’t get stuck on one thing just think haha u get it

[@kenbender373]

@Just think just think