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What We Do |
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Rock Foundations
Natural stone provides an ideal foundation for a sustainable structure. It is beautiful and functional. Rock stores a large amount of thermal mass and is an impermeable barrier between the ground and the wall. We prefer to use large 1000-2000 lb boulders placed next to each other along the perimeter of the building. This creates a wide and high base perfect for a cob, light clay straw or straw bale wall. The large irregular boulders ensure that every structure is beautiful and unique. |
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Cob
Cob is an ancient material that has been used for centuries all over the world. Cob is a mixture of sand, mineralized clay dirt and a little bit of straw. It is very strong, un-burnable, infinitely reusable, user friendly, attractive and completely non-toxic. Cob is a very good choice in the fire prone foothills of the Sierra Nevada where a rich reddish mineralized clay is abundant. |
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Light Clay Straw
Light clay straw is an old European technique that has been recently popularized in this country by Robert Laporte. It involves mixing loose straw with a clay slip and then packing it into a wide stud wall cavity. This mixture is rot and insect resistant, provides excellent insulation, and when plastered is highly fire resistant. Light clay straw is also relatively quick and easy to apply making it the most affordable of natural materials.; |
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Pole/timber frame
Small and medium sized trees are very common in the logged over forests of the Sierra Nevada. These trees are not so good for cutting up into boards but can be used in the round. Whole logs are very strong and capable of large spans. Poles can be easily combined with dimensional lumber or used exclusively to provide a functional and beautiful framework for a natural building. Poles are readily available on many sites. If your trees are large enough they can be milled with a portable sawmill. If no trees are available on site, sustainably harvested lumber can be provided by small family owned saw mills. |
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Finish Carpentry
Red Earth Building Services is a "foundation to finish" company. We are willing to provide finish plastering, earthen floors and all of the myriad of finish carpentry details involved in a natural building. |
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Bio-diesel Powered Kubota Service:
The use of the tractor is essential to making natural building affordable. While at your building site the Kubota would be available to assist in many of the site development tasks. |
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