Rammed Earth : You won’t Believe How They Build This!

Join Matt as he travels to see a Rammed Earth House being built in the High Desert of West Texas.

Huge thanks to our Show sponsors Polywall, Huber, Dorken Delta, Prosoco, Rockwool & Viewrail for helping to make these videos possible! These are all trusted companies that Matt has worked with for years and trusts their products in the homes he builds. We would highly encourage you to check out their websites for more info.

[jameskniskern]

As a natural builder, I enjoyed watching this video. I have a small quibble of a point. The Rammed Earth shown in the video is called "cement stabilized rammed earth". Not to be confused with rammed earth which has no cement added.
Rammed earth walls have been used for thousands of years by many peoples around the globe. The Chinese used the method to build much of the Great Wall, and saved the stone for facing the walls to protect them from weathering.
Rammed earth is a technique that can be done by an individual, and most soil types (except sand) can be used. It is most efficient to use the on-site subsoil, preferably dug from the foundation area, and future pond excavations.
Cement stabilized rammed earth has a much higher carbon footprint, due to use of Portland cement, which is amazingly high in embodied energy use. And cement is often not needed if the design of the rammed earth structure has good "hat and boots", i.e. roof overhangs and stem walls.
Another advantage of both rammed earth and cement stabilized rammed earth, is they are impervious to insect damage. Unlike wood, or other cellulosic structures, termites and ants (and other crawlies) do no damage to the walls.

Anyway, thanks for showing us this alternative building method.

[douglasgault]

I talked my parents into building rammed earth over Adobe in Tucson AZ back in 1990. Their home was impressive and silent inside. Wall 2' thick, was so massive that the swamp cooler was only run evey 4 days and a single load of fire wood would keep the insides toasty for days. Power wise the house electrical only cost 15-20 a month.

[jimmynam]

In Morocco it's traditional to build our houses with earth, we don't use cement only earth with hay, the majority of ancient cities are built like that since centuries

[xinnix]

I work in the sign industry and once had to hammer drill about 300 1/4" holes into a monument sign, made out of Rammed Earth. 12 bits and 8 hours later, I realized this material and process is no joke. I wouldn't be surprised if it could withstand a nuclear blast.

[VitorMadeira]

I live in the Algarve (South Portugal) and believe me: Most country houses that were built more that 50 years ago, were built using the very same technique you showed us in there.
Great video. A true homage to the ancient human knowledge.
Greetings from Portugal.

[Patriot]

Matt. I'm watching this for a second time a year later. You should give us an update on this compound the next time you're in the area.

[mentalatious]

legit! Quality shows when building this simple, no paint, no patching and done right the first time.

[RefinerSimilitude]

Matt I appreciate your enthusiasm. Your vids are very pleasant to watch and they are TV quality. Nice drone footage of the wall tops to show how the roof rests. New or not, I've not heard anyone else talk about this.

[stephenlittle]

I live in a cob built house two foot thick walls on ground floor level. It's always a certain level temperature all year. Cool in summer and OK in winter. I somtimes put a little heater on 2kw but only for a short time or just leave on frost setting. So for 14 years now No central heating used. For real.

[zacm]

I'm an HVAC contractor in Canada and I worked on a rammed earth house once. I did the heat loss calculation and it was over 180, 000 BTUH for 2500sq ft. When I showed it to the builder and voiced my concerns he just brushed it off and said my heat loss program didn't take into account "the mass" They did have a layer of 3.5" Roxul in the middle of the wall but no perimeter insulation on the radiant slab and huge thermal bridges around every door and window. The first winter they went through $10, 000 of propane. I'll have to admit they do look really nice though.

[ClickLikeAndSubscribe]

1819 earth hut in West Texas - poor man's home.
2019 earth hut compound with heated flooring - rich man's abode.

[zanyzoo]

Here in the UK, we have "cob" houses, which is a mixture of mud and straw. I think sometimes that mix includes animal dung in it as well . Some of the buildings are still standing today and are over 400 years old .

[genephipps]

For the question "When do you know it is compacted enough" it is actually pretty easy to tell as the wall will start "singing" meaning the sound changes very noticeably from a dull thumping to an almost ringing like sound.

[robertrusso]

I LOVE that desert architecture. Can't wait to see the Lake Flato house you will be building with them. They have a great style.

[dennisf.macintyre]

In The GM Engine assembly line I worked on, small parts like the oil pan bolts would be delivered to the installer using vibration. I wonder if that could be used to deliver the dirt. Perhaps a combination between a conveyer dirt delivery truck like landscapers use ( also for spreading gravel ) and the vibrator mover to be cheaper than manual shoveling. The operator would stand where he could see where the dirt is to go and by the controls he is wearing on his hips, he is able to operate all the functions of the above said truck to control the amount of dirt placed where it is wanted.

[solarwizzo]

I am impressed! Working dry, pulvery earth into such solid walls! I have built some earthship-style rammed earth tyre walls, which are very solid as well. But you still need to fill the voids and do lots of plaster work. This is really impressive! Matt, Thanks for sharing this!

[critical-thought]

Thanks for this video. I am prepping designs for a new home, and hope to incorporate a couple rammed earth walls. Seeing this makes me believe it is possible. Great job!

[seanmccay]

There's a cool project in SA on Eisenhaur Rd that used rammed earth as well as compressed earth blocks. Pretty cool stuff. I'd love to see you cover projects in San Antonio!

[diegaah]

Beautiful and thank you for sharing this “mouthwatering” video! A must watch! Fantastic work

[maaifoediedelarey]

These people don't appear particularly enthusiastic to answer questions.