Certainly, we've done it before. A massive rammed earth wall helps moderate indoor temperatures. And the walls are beautiful.

Absolutely. A rammed earth interior wall is useful for creating a sound separation within the home and for additional thermal mass. See similar questions...

high as the engineer and the budget allows us to. In seismic areas, we can build two stories, and in non-seismic areas probably more. We have built many rammed earth walls 18 ft. high. There's a cost premium to building second floor rammed earth. See similar questions...

Yes, we can. That is, if you are building with our SIREwall system. We have an experienced team of designer/builders who know their way around rammed earth design. See similar questions...

The dirt used in rammed earth is one of the most abundant materials on the planet. The "right stuff" contains absolutely no topsoil or organics. It has a minimal amount of silt and 5-20% clay. The rest is, at best, an even mix of sand and gravel with particle sizes up to 2 inches. We've spent a good deal of time developing an efficient formwork technology. Unlike rammed earth forms in California and Australia, the SIREwall? form system doesn't require any through-ties. See similar questions...

Load bearing rammed earth walls can support roof structures as well as second storey floors. This eliminates the need for structural timber or metal posts, and reduces the building time and cost. See similar questions...

We do not offer rammed earth how-to courses for the general public. We do offer weekend courses for people interested in rammed earth to find out more. And we will be offering training to builders who buy SIREwall franchises. Email us with your name and we'll keep you up to date on these options. See similar questions...

Rammed earth is an ancient method of building. The rammed earth method uses wooden forms that are placed and secured, then damp earth with 10% cement is loaded into them and tamped to total compaction. When the forms are removed, the wall is complete. See similar questions...

Yes! We combine knowledge from a site inspection as well as a brief from you outlining your likes and dislikes, needs and project budget. This enables us to design an affordable passive solar home that meets your needs and blends in with the surroundings and environment. See similar questions...

We have come to the conclusion that it's very risky to try the SIREwall™ system of insulated rammed earth without Terra Firma's expertise. At a minimum, the design should be overseen and approved by Terra Firma. As well, during the wall building, at least one Terra Firma expert needs to be on site at all times. Very often owners work along with us and are integrally involved in the designing and building of their rammed earth home. See similar questions...

Housing is expensive. Custom rammed earth housing is comparable to wood- frame custom housing. If you ask a wood-frame builder to build a house with the same benefits as rammed earth, it would cost much more. We also find there are two types of clients Those who decide on their housing values first and are willing to minimize their square footage to achieve quality within the same budget if necessary See similar questions...

Our standard packages include timbers made with Western Red Cedar. Other available species include: Douglas Fir/Larch, Ponderosa Pine, and Southern Pine. Call for availability of Alaska Yellow Cedar, Redwood, White Fir and Idaho White Pine. See similar questions...

External walls are a minimum of 300mm in thickness which enables them to be load bearing. Internal walls can be reduced in thickness to 200mm but are not load bearing at this size. See similar questions...

These homes can be built on flat, sloping or steep sites. The base floor level can be as far as 22 feet below the finish grade. The shell is engineered for all soil requirements. Our energy efficient structures -- utilizing solar energy and natural forces -- have been built from Washington State to New York, from the hot Arizona desert to the extreme cold of Minnesota and Michigan. See similar questions...

AMVIC wall is stronger, more soundproof, more resistant to natural disasters, better insulated, has a superior R-value, is more energy efficient, reduces air infiltration and benefits from the thermal mass of the concrete. See similar questions...

Either can be done well. With block we generally recommend an insulation level of R-5 or more. Usually it is installed adjacent to the block and then a 3/4 inch air space is furred out on the inside. Make sure that the top of this airspace is blocked off from the attic. With frame walls the concern is good insulation installation and reducing air infiltration. Seal gaps, make sure insulation is cut correctly (too long and it tends to bend, too short and it misses spots). See similar questions...

Traditionally, rammed earth walls used clay as the only glue holding the compacted soil together. But today, rammed earth construction uses some cement along with the dirt. The ratio of cement to earth depends on several factors, including the clay content of the dirt and the complexity of the building. We find that 10% cement makes for a strong earth wall. Like cement, rammed earth walls get stronger as they age. See similar questions...

In locations with limited building area the thick earth walls will reduce the available living space, although in Perth, rammed earth houses are regularly built on small city lots. There is some cement in the walls. Cement has a high-embodied energy. The impacts of the small amount that we use are amortized over hundreds of years. See similar questions...

All hard, massive materials are similar in that they are hard and massive: stone, brick, adobe, cob, concrete, concrete block. What sets them apart is what they are made of and how they perform. Building a house out of concrete is like cutting butter with a chainsaw. The strength is way beyond what is required. Also concrete is a very brittle material. Rammed earth has about half the compressive strength of concrete and it's still twice as much as is required. See similar questions...

Yes. We recommend that you bury the north-facing side of a rammed earth home, and have your windows on the south-facing side. Rammed earth works extremely well in an earth-bermed home.Click for more information about how Terra Firma's earth walls suit earth-berming. See similar questions...