Full Thread: Underground houses
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Old May 7th, 2006 #5
Todd in FL
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Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: orlando, fl
Posts: 3,683
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I someday plan on going underground too. The best way is via earth contact cement. That is, clay/dirt mixed with 10% concrete in 2 foot wide forms with pilons every 20 feet. In those pilons are tubes that go to the roof to a solar collector so it can channel heat during the winter down the tube and you can open or close it depending on the heat you need. You can also put a PVC water system under the floor before pouring concrete so as to pump hot water thru them to heat the floor and the home as a whole too.

Some people (like Ragnar Benson) say it's best to te totally underground with 1 wall facing outside with a concrete roof with about 6-8 feet of dirt over the top.


This way very few people from the air know you are there. I am of the camp of half above and half below... with most of the square footage below. To me it doesn't matter if someone knows you are there as long as you are away from the cities or out of the usa.

http://www.undergroundhousing.com/videos.html

Along with the house itself goes wood burning stoves, solar electric, water systems and air exchange systems, wind mills, radio communications tower, ect. It's best to build the home on a slope so that your water supply can flush toliets downhill to a septic system away from your well water. Also avalible is fiber optic filament that goes from the roof to the underground part so you can have natural ligth during the day without it looking like you live in a dungeon. Don't forget to make a channel PVC drainage system around the house to keep water away from your walls. All this costs a ton of money but little by little you can accumulate. The first step is to buy the land.

www.homepower.com

www.undergroundhomes.com

Quote:
A daytime shot of the master bedroom, located off the backside solar atrium. There isn't a single window in this entire room, yet, look at all the natural light, coming in from the solar atrium.




http://www.monolithic.com/plan_design/belowgrade/

http://www.earth-house.com/

http://www.earthshelters.com/



http://www.malcolmwells.com/