| | |  | Design Books | Home » » Earth-Sheltered Houses: How to Build an Affordable... | | | | | | | Description: | | An earth-sheltered, earth-roofed home has the least impact upon the land of all housing styles, leaving almost zero footprint on the planet. Earth-Sheltered Houses is a practical guide for those who want to build their own underground home at moderate cost. It describes the benefits of sheltering a home with earth, including the added comfort and energy efficiency from the moderating influence of the earth on the home’s temperature (keeping it warm in the winter and cool in the summer), along with the benefits of low maintenance and the protection against fire, sound, earthquake, and storm afforded by the earth. Extra benefits from adding an earth or other living roof option include greater longevity of the roof substrate, fine aesthetics, and environmental harmony. The book covers all of the various construction techniques involved, including details on planning, excavation, footings, floor, walls, framing, roofing, waterproofing, insulation, and drainage. Specific methods appropriate for the inexperienced owner/builder are a particular focus and include: - Pouring one’s own footings and/or floor
- The use of dry-stacked (surface-bonded) concrete block walls
- Post-and-beam framing
- Plank-and-beam roofing
- Drainage methods and self-adhesive waterproofing membranes
The time-tested, easy-to-learn construction techniques described in Earth-Sheltered Houses will enable readers to embark upon their own building projects with confidence, backed up by a comprehensive resources section that lists all the latest products such as waterproofing membranes, types of rigid insulation, and drainage products that will protect the building against water damage and heat loss. Rob Roy is a former contractor with 27 years of experience and 12 previous books to his credit, including Cordwood Building and Timber Framing for the Rest of Us. An expert on underground building, he founded the Earthwood Building School in 1981 with his wife, Jaki, and is frequently a speaker at events throughout North America.
| | | Features: | |
• ISBN13: 9780865715219
• Condition: New
• Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
| | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| Rob Roy | | Paperback:
| 256 pages | | Publisher:
| New Society Publishers | | Publication Date:
| March 01, 2006 | | Language:
| English | | ISBN:
| 0865715211 | | Package Length:
| 8.9 inches | | Package Width:
| 7.5 inches | | Package Height:
| 0.9 inches | | Package Weight:
| 1.15 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 22 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
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0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Good BookJun 09, 2010
I haven't had a chance to put any of the information in this book to practice. I am gathering information on "how to" project for my retirement. Right now, I'm looking for the piece of land. This book has great information for anyone looking to live off the land.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Inspiring and full of useful informationMar 25, 2010
This Book is written with a great deal of personal affection. When reading you can tell that the author has made this kind of construction his major passion in life. He consistently refers to real building projects and shows not only how to do things right but mistakes to avoid. There is also a consistent thought about code, witch is important when doing alternative building.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Specific, detailed, thoughtful: A real builder's guide.Mar 02, 2010
Although not the most comprehensive collection of eco-building material and techniques, Rob Roy excels in this field of green building: cordwood, timber framing, and earth-sheltered passive solar homes. (worth checking his other books too) Lots of pictures and detailed step by step building process shown along with his narrative of design choices that revolve around salvaged materials, reducing waste and cost-effectiveness.
This is the most detailed earth-sheltered book to date for the owner/builder to have in hand to avoid big mistakes, even if you don't like cordwood.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Technically usefulOct 26, 2009
I found technically useful information in this book, drainage, waterproofing, insulation, etc.... I just think that they could include design examples of other succesful earth sheltered houses, since they only include two the author has designed, which I think are not aesthetically succesful. I am trying to be polite, they are horrible!
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 underground homes booksSep 04, 2009
This book is informative and well written. Especially if you want to build with cement blocks and cement. Some useful information.
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