Combining

I have read: When using straw bales for walls, surround the bales with old tires, packing the tires firmly with dirt, and then using adobe dirt (or in the north areas, concrete) to completely cover the entire structure. It is warm in the winter and cool in the summer, plumbing, electrical, etc. is put into piping inside the structure. Planning is the key. I have seen a TV special on this home and it was amazing and the cost was minimal.

Offered by Mary.

Your confusing two different construction technices. They are often used in the same construction, but not together. Stacking old tires packed with dirt and then plastered inside and out, called an Earthship, is one, and straw bale plastered inside and out another. Sometimes both are used to construct different sections of the same building, i.e. some walls done Earthship style, others straw bale. But they aren't done together (i.e. strawbale surrounded by tires or vice versa). Doing so would result in walls 5 to 6 feet thick. I live in that part of the country, (New Mexico), where both techcnices pioneereed and are well known. I also know someone who is currently building an Earthship. There is also a series of 3 books available covering all aspects of Earthship building. The last one, Earthship III, covers stawbale construction.

Offered by Travis.