Earth bags
Clay-soil is mixed with a little water. If you can make a "snow ball" with it, it is wet enough.
Add a quart of cement to each bucket of clay-soil in order to stabilize the material. Very useful for foundations.
An upside down bucket with the bottom cut out makes it easier to fill up small earth bags.
Earthbag is rolled up and placed in position.
Don't use too much force! Just enough until the sound changes to a solid "wap". You will know when you hear it!
The dimple will help connect the different layers. Kinda like Lego.
First row is done!
Earthbag foundation is almost done. We will leave it a little lower where the door is going to be. The tamped floor is now also in.
Earthbags are used to raise and level a messy "urbanite" foundation.
Now the foundation is high enough for some cob!
Some sticky wet cob or straw-clay plaster goes on the bags and fills in the cracks.
Straw-clay plaster goes on the bags. If you use stucco cement as a way to protect the bags, you have to use some wire mesh, like chicken wire; cement based plasters are not very sticky.
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