Sod buster?
My great grandfather build a sod house in South Dakota in the 1930s. Initially, it had no indoor plumbing. He had to get water from a creek and had to use an outdoor pit toilet.
Eventually he built a cistern and had a hand pump in the house to get water. Had to heat the water in the stove for a bath. He and great grandmother lived in that house for 20 years. They finally bought a modern house with indoor plumbing. They both passed away in the 1960s. He had some great stories about his homestead days.
Brick is a much more durable product, and you can certainly incorporate all the modern conveniences into a brick house. A composite house is better. Wood frame with drywall interior and brick exterior makes for a great structure.
agreed. It is certainly possible to live like that, but it takes time to draw water and hew wood and wash clothes by hand. Time that could be spent doing something else.
curious....doing what though? seems like people use that time for 'entertainment' & an idle mind is the devil's playground.
the basic chores really put people in touch with nature & reality. think that's one reason South Dakota is so 'great' & President Trump keeps visiting Iowa; upper midwest is like heaven compared to the rest of the country. simple chores = people too busy to be dramatic.
Totally agree. Small towns especially, still follow ancient rules of pragmatism and getting 'life' done. But there is more to life than chores and drab existence.
Community Christmas pantos, for example, are real entertainment, when locals get involved. Fancy seeing your headmaster dressed as a fairy? All the kids love it. What about the local police-man singing a soppy love-song? hilarious. It is definitely a high point for all the family.
And there are times when people get together for a bit of nonsense, and should be allowed to let their hair down, complete with crude stage make-up, and lighting installed by a teenager. What is important is not the quality of production (you can watch Netflix for that), but getting together and laughing together.
For that matter, that is why Trump visiting the fly-over states is so popular. Trump is a highlight, and people all gather for it, as if it is a traditional fair.
Bricks are not the expensive bit. I'd rather buy them, delivered on a pallet, from someone who makes them for a living, than go through the learning curve of making bricks (and a sufficient number of molds to make them, and a space to do it, etc.) that won't fail. Believe me I tried, and I also witnessed people struggling with rammed-earth construction. It's messy.
In any case, It's all the systems that make a house expensive. The theory of solving homelessness was previously supposedly solved with tiny homes. The idea was : less materials - therefore affordable. But, what happens is people still need all the 'other stuff', i.e., well-made windows (double or triple glazed) and doors and locks, proper plumbing, electricity, ventilation, insulation that is installed properly, etc. etc. So, what happens is that the smaller dwellings are far more expensive per square foot. There is a sweet spot somewhere, however, and that is small three bedroom houses, built to standardized plans that construction companies already offer as 'affordable' or 'first homes'.
Similar to the make-your-own brick theory, in the early 2000s Germany stopped using building permits for residential housing up to three stories high 'to reduce costs', since they felt that builders knew how to build houses already. The problem was that once that happened, most people did not bother with geotechnical surveys. Three story houses were built on unstable ground. The homeowners ended up paying through the nose - so now it is the insurance companies who dictate what paperwork needs to be provided - not the building inspectors, and guess what? It is MOAR expensive.
Funny how most of the Tudor brick buildings in Britain (they had a construction boom) have not survived the Victorians (another costruction boom). Perhaps you are referring to megalithic construction (5000 yr old)?
My Dad built my childhood home himself in the 60’s. It was a modern house with innovations that you don’t even see nowadays. The only thing he contracted out was the cinder blocks for the basement walls. That is an art form. We even had one of the first microwaves. He also built a large garage and designed a 20 x 50 ft above ground pool.
It is a lot harder today because of all the inspection requirements. Back then the electrical system had to be signed off on and that was a union job. Luckily my uncle was an electrician.
I know 2 people who built their own homes themselves. I bought 1 of them. He built a garage then the home on top of it. Best part, he put in 'secret' rooms' and a look-out tower.
I think if you want to build a home out of bricks you make, the issue is the molds. Figure out how to make a quantity for your work then just do what you envision. But if there is any way you can build a straw bale house, or a combination of bales and your blocks, it would go a lot faster. Many people where I used to live, were doing straw bale. When done you can do the Santa Fe Adobe walls look, on the outside and the interior walls are plaster that can be waxxed or oiled to seal. So beautiful! Like bricks or cement blocks, the thick bale walls regulate temperature fantastically well.
Sod buster? My great grandfather build a sod house in South Dakota in the 1930s. Initially, it had no indoor plumbing. He had to get water from a creek and had to use an outdoor pit toilet.
Eventually he built a cistern and had a hand pump in the house to get water. Had to heat the water in the stove for a bath. He and great grandmother lived in that house for 20 years. They finally bought a modern house with indoor plumbing. They both passed away in the 1960s. He had some great stories about his homestead days.
Brick is a much more durable product, and you can certainly incorporate all the modern conveniences into a brick house. A composite house is better. Wood frame with drywall interior and brick exterior makes for a great structure.
agreed. It is certainly possible to live like that, but it takes time to draw water and hew wood and wash clothes by hand. Time that could be spent doing something else.
curious....doing what though? seems like people use that time for 'entertainment' & an idle mind is the devil's playground.
the basic chores really put people in touch with nature & reality. think that's one reason South Dakota is so 'great' & President Trump keeps visiting Iowa; upper midwest is like heaven compared to the rest of the country. simple chores = people too busy to be dramatic.
Totally agree. Small towns especially, still follow ancient rules of pragmatism and getting 'life' done. But there is more to life than chores and drab existence.
Community Christmas pantos, for example, are real entertainment, when locals get involved. Fancy seeing your headmaster dressed as a fairy? All the kids love it. What about the local police-man singing a soppy love-song? hilarious. It is definitely a high point for all the family.
And there are times when people get together for a bit of nonsense, and should be allowed to let their hair down, complete with crude stage make-up, and lighting installed by a teenager. What is important is not the quality of production (you can watch Netflix for that), but getting together and laughing together.
For that matter, that is why Trump visiting the fly-over states is so popular. Trump is a highlight, and people all gather for it, as if it is a traditional fair.
It does take time to cook from scratch. Even when you take a day or two to prep out ingredients for the week.
Bricks are not the expensive bit. I'd rather buy them, delivered on a pallet, from someone who makes them for a living, than go through the learning curve of making bricks (and a sufficient number of molds to make them, and a space to do it, etc.) that won't fail. Believe me I tried, and I also witnessed people struggling with rammed-earth construction. It's messy.
In any case, It's all the systems that make a house expensive. The theory of solving homelessness was previously supposedly solved with tiny homes. The idea was : less materials - therefore affordable. But, what happens is people still need all the 'other stuff', i.e., well-made windows (double or triple glazed) and doors and locks, proper plumbing, electricity, ventilation, insulation that is installed properly, etc. etc. So, what happens is that the smaller dwellings are far more expensive per square foot. There is a sweet spot somewhere, however, and that is small three bedroom houses, built to standardized plans that construction companies already offer as 'affordable' or 'first homes'.
Similar to the make-your-own brick theory, in the early 2000s Germany stopped using building permits for residential housing up to three stories high 'to reduce costs', since they felt that builders knew how to build houses already. The problem was that once that happened, most people did not bother with geotechnical surveys. Three story houses were built on unstable ground. The homeowners ended up paying through the nose - so now it is the insurance companies who dictate what paperwork needs to be provided - not the building inspectors, and guess what? It is MOAR expensive.
Lay bricks quick with something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmmXqVfNZM4
Or produce a brick factory wherever natural resources exist.
Brick buildings have survived 5,000 years. Much stronger than our wooden cardboard houses.
Funny how most of the Tudor brick buildings in Britain (they had a construction boom) have not survived the Victorians (another costruction boom). Perhaps you are referring to megalithic construction (5000 yr old)?
Built using Cob. Straw, earth and sand mixed with water, when It gets to be unlivable in a few hundred years it can be pulled down and reused.
My Dad built my childhood home himself in the 60’s. It was a modern house with innovations that you don’t even see nowadays. The only thing he contracted out was the cinder blocks for the basement walls. That is an art form. We even had one of the first microwaves. He also built a large garage and designed a 20 x 50 ft above ground pool.
It is a lot harder today because of all the inspection requirements. Back then the electrical system had to be signed off on and that was a union job. Luckily my uncle was an electrician.
Bottom line: great house and no mortgage.
I know 2 people who built their own homes themselves. I bought 1 of them. He built a garage then the home on top of it. Best part, he put in 'secret' rooms' and a look-out tower.
This seems interesting: https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/hurricane-proof-homes-made-from-lego-like-bricks-launch-new-era-of-housing-it-will-outlast-any-building-system-today/ar-AA1lwi3l
I think if you want to build a home out of bricks you make, the issue is the molds. Figure out how to make a quantity for your work then just do what you envision. But if there is any way you can build a straw bale house, or a combination of bales and your blocks, it would go a lot faster. Many people where I used to live, were doing straw bale. When done you can do the Santa Fe Adobe walls look, on the outside and the interior walls are plaster that can be waxxed or oiled to seal. So beautiful! Like bricks or cement blocks, the thick bale walls regulate temperature fantastically well.
Just make sure to go with blue roofing and walls. ;)