Building
with Adobe
by Chuck Hall
 Variations
of adobe can be seen all over the world. In fact, most homes today
are still made of some sort of earth. In its most basic form, adobe
is simply mud mixed with straw, then dried to shape. Adobe is often
shaped into bricks by forming it into a brick mold. It is then dried
in the sun and used for building.
Once
built, the walls are covered with a lime or earth-based plaster.
It’s not advisable to use concrete or cement stucco. Adobe walls
have to breathe. Plasters allow moisture to escape from the walls,
where concrete and cement will not. If the walls cannot breathe, you
run the risk of having the stucco crack and fall off.
Adobe
has a lot of thermal mass. This means that it retains heat well when
it’s warmer outside, and it radiates this heat when it’s cooler
outside. Although it has excellent thermal properties, it is not a
very efficient insulator, so if you live in an area where there are
extremes of temperature, you might want to consider incorporating
some sort of insulation in your design. One way is to put a layer of
insulating material between two layers of adobe. Another is to trap
pockets of air between two adobe walls. A third option is to drywall
the interior, putting insulation behind the drywall. This is my
least favorite option, because you lose the beautiful feel and
texture of an earthen wall by covering it with sheet rock.
How
extreme do temperatures have to be before you consider insulation?
That depends on a lot of factors, such as amount of exposure to
sunlight, thickness of your walls, prevailing winds, and available
shade. I have a friend in Canada who manages to make it through
Yukon winters in her un-insulated adobe cabin. She says she’s
quite comfortable with only her wood-fired stove.
Adobe is the ultimate in earth-friendly building
materials, since it is made primarily of earth. You can literally
build your home from the ground up, using materials readily
available on your property. There are a few drawbacks, however. Many
building inspectors aren’t familiar with adobe, although it is
covered by many building codes. You may have to have an architect or
engineer’s assistance to get your building plans approved. It is
also a very labor-intensive process. You have to dig the mud
yourself, then form it in molds, then stack it yourself. It helps if
you have a lot of family and friends. Building with adobe is a
rewarding experience, though, if you have the time. There’s just
something about digging in the dirt that touches the child in all of
us.
If
you’d like more information on building with adobe, check out Adobe
Builder magazine’s Web site at: www.adobebuilder.com.
Chuck
Hall is a Sustainability Consultant and author. His latest book, Green
Circles: A Sustainable Journey from the Cradle to the Grave, is
now available at Booklocker.com.
You may contact Chuck by email at: chuck@cultureartist.org or visit
the Culture Artist Web site at www.cultureartist.org.
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