The Question of how a structural earth-rammed tire wall would do in a fire has long been an issue for which we could only offer an intelligent opinion. People think that because tire piles in tire dumps burn so easily and are so hard to put out, that an earth-rammed tire wall would be the same. Our answer has been to compare a […]

Having access to soft, fluffy toilet paper is one of those modern conveniences that makes life in the 21st century that much easier. But did you know that using this luxury could be doing more damage to the environment than driving a large, gas-guzzling SUV? On average, every American uses three rolls of toilet paper each week (28 pounds […]

The same method for building structural walls in buildings can be applied when building retaining walls made with rammed earth encased in steel-belted rubber. Depending on the load the retaining wall is retaining, the batter and other adjustments should be considered. Some tire retaining walls have been built up to 25 ft. high.  Tires make an inexpensive solution that requires […]

Electricity free cooling based on ancient, global principles. These in-ground PVC cooling tubes are also known as air tubes, earth air tubes, a ground-coupled heat exchanger, an earth-air heat exchanger, thermal labyrinth, heat recovery ventilation, geothermal energy tubes, sustainability tubes, or a number of other terms. Cooling tubes are an efficient way to cool a […]

Big cities and luxuries aren’t for everybody. If you’re someone who enjoys the outdoors and a simple life, maybe its time to consider moving off the grid. Its not just for criminals anymore. The Homes and Garden TV network has a show where regular couples and families looking for an adventure rent or buy a […]

NEED A WAY TO ADD HOT WATER TO YOUR OFF-GRID HOME? This is not your quick 6 minute re-heat option but rather one that given enough time can serve up enough hot water for a nice outdoor shower. How much time it takes depends somewhat upon the season and the climate. It is always a […]

You can get much bigger inverters on 24V or 48V than 12V. There are a number advantages in opting for a higher DC supply voltage. – For any given load, half the DC current and losses are down by ¼. Reduced fire risk.– Better input regulation. 0.5v line drop at 12v = 4.6% supply drop […]

Trains are a good thing.  They gather up people and take them to places in a very efficient way.Trains have opened up continents and developed countries.There is nothing really wrong with trains…    except they can only go where there is track.If there is no track, the train does not go… it is not possible. The […]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwgbPeNvSC8 We are doing what a lot of people are doing around the world. We want to share our thoughts on how it is affecting the Earthship Company. We are seeing that because most of us live in Earthships, we are safe and secure but we do not produce enough food, so we are focusing […]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66ZLW_BaIZA finishing tire work burial thermal wrap frontface concrete connection

greywater planter digout frontface foundation details last few courses of tire work

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_XP1FelyEI Frontface tire foundation. Pound these tires with gravel, super tight. Check entire structure, that all walls rise level. Detail water tube to be connected to the cisterns and feed the Water Organizing Module. Use pipe for openings in foundation for waste water lines.

Sitting shotgun in my friend’s truck as we barreled down the highway, the first sign welcoming us to the Land of Enchantment crested the horizon. It’s a bold slogan for a state, but if one thing’s for sure, New Mexico is certainly aware of its own allure. We road tripped from Denver to Salt Lake […]

This summer, Salisbury University is giving students the opportunity to go off the grid. Dr. Ryan Sporer, professor of sociology here at SU, is putting on a class specialized in off-the-grid living. Sociology of Off-Grid Living is a SOCI 301/ ENVR 495 course. It will be sectioned off into two parts. Sociology of Off-Grid Living […]

Recent disastrous bushfires have rebooted debate about how to (re)build in the Australian bush. Questions are being asked about building standards, whether a fire-proof home is possible, the value of fire bunkers when it’s too late to leave, and if we should even live in the bush any more. I suggest homes and community buildings […]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Soxs30V1fh8 Start the thermal wrap insulation when the fifth tire course is pounded. As the tire work goes up, be sure to use strong lines to keep the tire walls straight. Be sure to check the 1.5″ batter per course. A ‘squishy tire’ will most likely be needed. Watch this video to see how to […]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tarE2DcPjk Pounding tires correctly, achieve proper compaction. batter tires 1.5″ per course so the tire wall slightly leans into the earth berm. cooling tubes are set with their final angle and locked into the tire walls. cistern tubes are installed to go through the tire walls.   video live March 19, 9am

Bottom course is leveled in. First two courses use 3/4″ gravel to pound with. Use plastic in bottom of tires of first two courses. Perforate with holes. Use a builder’s level to ‘shoot-in’ either side of the building as the walls go up. Make sure everything is level. video live March 18, 9am

Start with a corner of the building, we are starting with the north-east corner. Place a piece of rebar and use construction string. Find the direction the building faces, in the northern hemisphere, a little east of south. Find the east-west dimension between the inside of the first course of tires. Measure from the middle […]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XL9gNuDWKbI Rough Layout of building Leveling of building pad. Delivery of initial materials. dirt gravel sand/gravel mix cisterns cooling tubes cement concrete sand water cardboard plastic tires hand tools electricity site level  

For four decades the Earthship has been evolving. We spent a couple of decades evolving the various aspects of the Earthship and trying to learn how to make them work in a reliable user friendly way. This involved… the structure built from largely recycled materials the heating cooling aspects the electrical system the water harvest […]

Tire walls are made by laying tires in staggered courses like bricks or concrete blocks. Each tire is filled with compacted earth, so that it becomes a rammed earth brick encased in steel belted rubber, about 95% compacted. A pounded tire weighs over 300 pounds, therefore, all tires are pounded in place and are NOT […]