Your Green Review

So, you want to build a ‘Green’ home?  Not a problem; from roof to basement there are gadgets and fixtures galore to outfit your entire home in the latest and greatest in clean technology.  But for many homeowners, these additions are prohibitively expensive.

With some of the most popular Green features (including solar paneling, residential turbines and ‘sustainable’ architecture) typically running into the thousands, it begs the question: Does building a Greener home have to break the bank?  According to Paul Bukky of Green Tech LLC, the answer is a resounding ‘No’.  Old-tech, tried and true, may offer one of the best options-financially and environmentally-for today’s homeowner looking to tread lighter.

Green Tech is a Columbus-based manufacturer of the Compressed Earth Block (CEB), an eco-friendly alternative to brick and mortar.  Sub-soil and clay are harvested, often mixed with a stabilizing component such as lime, then compressed in a hydraulic press on-site for rapid construction.  Because the blocks are uniformly produced there is no need for mortar and therefore no need for skilled masons-cutting labor costs significantly.  Instead, blocks are ‘dry-stacked’ one on top of another and then allowed to cure outdoors in order to achieve their notoriously high compressive strength.  Overall costs are competitive with conventional building, if not significantly less, due to materials and reduced need for skilled labor.

Manufacturing the blocks is also time-efficient with the hydraulic presses capable of producing enough blocks in one day to build 1,200 sq. ft. house.  With less than 10 workers, it is not unheard of for a structure to be completed within one week.  But in case you are in the market for something other than a new home, CEBs are extremely versatile and can be used to build a number of above ground commercial and residential structures including garages, office buildings and landscaping walls

Despite their somewhat limited use in the US, earthen homes have been around for thousands of years-in fact, some of the oldest structures in the world are composed of compressed earth.  Recently, however, CEBs have become increasingly popular in urban and rural communities alike as consumers search out new ways to ‘Go Green’ while sparing their bank accounts.

Upcoming: Part 2 in the CEB series; “Pros and Cons; Building with Earth Blocks”

Read More:

Wikipedia.  Compressed Earth Blocks (Wiki)

About.com. How To Build An Earth Block Home (Article)

International Organization for Standardization.  Environmental Impact of Concrete Building (Article)

EPA. US Construction/Demolition Debris (Article)