How To Reinforce Earthbag Walls Using Intertie Studs
76The Need, The Crisis, And The Solution
When two of our earthbag walls were blown flat by the Big Bad Wolf (see Sarah Palin, Soldiers, And Earthbag Walls), my wife and I knew we'd gone from a general awareness of the need for reinforcement of straight earthbag walls to a full fledged crisis. With the wind still howling like a demon unleashed, Pam struggled to get her shock under control while I scrambled for a couple of hours to sort out the mess, add some bracing to the walls that hadn't fallen, and begin the restacking process. Later in the day, I had to drop her off at her son's to grab a quick shower and then run to Home Depot for a load of building supplies. By that time, my gut was cramping big time from a lack of food and an excess of acid.
Not a good day.
Still, nothing happens without reason. I believe that firmly. In this case, one result of the fallen walls was a major wall design change. Instead of continuing to stack more and more earthbags until reaching maximum wall height, the last fifteen inches or so would be done in wood, what I came to term top-framing.
Long before the top-framing was completed, I had a plan which would produce astoundingly strong walls. Earthbags or no earthbags, nothing would ever knock those walls down again! The plan involved utilizing the roof trusses to "top-anchor" wall studs for a most unusual studwall that would run inside the earthbag walls themselves.
First, a sill board needed to be anchored to the concrete perimeter foundation blocks. Once this was done and trusses installed across the wall tops, it was time to break the rules.
Step 1: A stud was cut on an angle parallel to the top of the truss and long enough to go not just to the ceiling (like a "normal" stud would do) but actually through the ceiling.
Step 2: Two angle braces were nailed to the sides of the stud at the base.
Step 3: The stud was then nailed directly to the truss at the top and via the angle braces to the sill board at the bottom.
Overbuilding
Step 4: Add two hurricane ties linking the stud to the top-framing. While this is probably, overkill, so be it. Better a few extra dollars worth of hardware than more walls going horizontal...especially after we're living inside those walls.
Step 5: Double up on studs if you have a particularly vulnerable spot in the wall. This was needed at a location right next to the south facing window in what will become my bedroom. My own carelessness during construction resulted in an inward bulge that really needed help. In fact, the studs could not be installed "straight up", the lean was so pronounced. I'll cover this "canted wall" later by building my wardrobe right there: When the door is opened, it will be possible to see that the back inside wall of the wardrobe isn't vertical. But other than me, who'll be shoving shirts and jackets aside to notice?
The Overall Plan
When all is said and done--especially done--everything about these walls will look and will be hunky-dory. Inside, the added studwall will be filled with standard R-11 insulation. Outside, concrete stucco will be applied and used to fill in the gaps. The overall effect will be monolithic in nature, able to laugh at wind and weather.
CommentsLoading...
Very neat idea. God Bless
Ralwus and Stars439, thanks for the good will. The problem is definitely fixed. As time goes on, there'll be more and more reinforcement happening to secure those walls super-firmly, but even now they'll NOT fall again...even if we happen to get those monster winds prior to the finishing touches.
looking forward to next installment.
Thanks, Sylvia. Got the last of the trusses up today, and tomorrow requires a trip to town for supplies. About to run out of 8d nails which are used up by the pound during sheathing installation (minimum of 40 nails per 4' x 8' board). Hope to have the sheathing done by the end of the weekend and will do a hub about that.
well, since you've got to go into town, i'll give you the rest of the day off... but you've got to double-up on thursday. :)
Good thing you said "Thursday". Guess you must be on the other side of the International Dateline; it's still Tuesday here. AND tomorrow is shot--Pam's right ear "blew up" today (leaking psoriasis sores), gotta go BACK to town in the morning, take her to the doctor. Etc.
But since that's WEDNESDAY here, I can still meet your double-up deadline on Thursday...:)
Did get another 4 boxes of 8d nails today, at least.
ghost, i hope all goes well for you and your wife. i know she is really looking forward to the completion of the earth house.
n.b. eastern standard time here
hope you had a really productive day, today
I did have a productive day, but not one lick got done on the house. As of last night, we "imported" a new "family" member, a 25 year old man named Justin, who has been a close friend to both Pam and her son for years. Justin pitched his tent behind our camp trailer, but the winds are so high here right now that it would not have made another night without help. So he and I spent most of the day building a sort of low "corral" made of surplus lumber left over from top-framing the house. The structure provides a three foot high windbreak around the tent and also a series of uprights for extra securement. By the time the spare boards were used up, it looked (and so far still looks) like the tent will now hold, which is good.
Justin is truly wonderful at helping Pam, even with such sensitive details as applying ointment to the psoriasis sores on her face, and he helps me when he's not helping her. How long this will last, who knows? But for now it's all good.
Tomorrow he and I will be working on another building entirely--actually a mobile home Pam's ex-husband's girlfriend will be moving into very shortly when the sheriff shows up at her present home to throw her out on the street.
Don't ask! :)
you're everyone's best friend, ghost :)
Thanks, Sylvia, but not really--just ask any pro-Obama Democrat.
:) i'm definitely pro Obama, and i do not withdraw my statement :)
Well, all righty then! Now let's see if the weather here will finally let me get back to work on the house tomorrow--been high wind and cold rain for several days. I need to be a friend to a bunch of roof sheathing boards, but sliding tail-first off the roof and into the mud didn't sound like a really fun contact sport....:)
...need/s you! safety first!
:)
Always safety first, yes. Had a day I could work on the house today. Other stuff going on, but still got 5 more sheathing boards added to the roof. 25 down, 20 to go. Busy "town" day tomorrow, heavy rain predicted Tuesday.
Great work. Have been following your project for the past couple months and love what you're doing.
Question: What's the green stuff on the bags? Regular paint? .. I might have missed that hub.
Thanks.
Yup, the green stuff is just regular latex paint. It's only on one wall so far, having been put there to (a) protect the bags from UV damage and (b) keep moisture on the surface when we later mist prior to doing the stucco. The other sides need to be done soon (or risk bag deterioration), and our new household member, Justin, will be tackling that on the first non-rainy day we get.
That could have wound up being the final exterior wall color, but Pam hated it on sight. At least it won't go to waste this way!
YA I VOTED FOR OBAMA, I KNOW, WHAT A IDIOT! DID'NT CARE
MUCH FOR THE OTHER GUY AT THE TIME, I DONT THINK IT MATTERS MUCH ANY MORE WHO WE VOTE FOR WE'RE SCREWD! THERE ALL A BUNCH OF CROOKS, WE JUST HAVE TO LEARN TO BEND OVER AND TAKE IT...
Uh...Rob? Love ya, dude, but I'm thinking the Obamapoison might be curdling your bloodstream.
Or maybe not. Political rant on a DIY Hub might actually be seen by more folks than if left on one of my OWN anti-Obama pages....
About the "bend over" part: Nah. Oh, we could do that, were we so inclined, but Sarah Palin's still my gal. They're not all crooks.
Just a lot of 'em...and the tough part is sorting the wheat from the chaff.
YA, YOU'RE PROBABLY RIGHT,IT'S JUST GETTING TUFF TO SEE
WITH ALL THE CRAP THATS GOING ON IN THE WORLD TODAY'BUT YOU GOT MY VOTE. STAY COOL!
Staying cool! You too, eh?
ralwus 2 years ago
I think you may have fixed that problem. I certainly hope so.