Stage-by-stage construction of a fox hole house. Fox hole (banked house, dugout)

Now I come directly to technological issues. I will write in as much detail as possible (everything I remember) so that those who want to build a dugout do not repeat my mistakes and learn from other people’s negative experiences (from mine). Everything related to technology must be very carefully thought out and executed. A small miscalculation at the initial stage turns into big problems at the final stage. Unfortunately, I was convinced of this in practice. All this led to additional costs: material, physical and nervous.

It is better to do the marking of the dugout area together, because... It is very important to set the size of the rectangle along the diagonals with an accuracy of 1 mm. Then the angles will be straight and the axes will not shift. It is also possible for one, but it is much more difficult and in this case it is better to have devices in the form of rectangles with large sides. Why is it important. An error in the diagonal of 1 cm can lead to a change in the size of the side by 5-7 cm. You need to mark two rectangles, one directly at the boundaries of the pit, the other at the boundaries of the slopes. As a result, two rectangles are obtained on the ground: the outer one marks the boundaries of the open pit along the top, the inner one - the boundaries of the bottom. The pit is first excavated along the internal boundaries of the layout to the full depth without slopes (vertically), and then the slopes are cut off along the boundaries of the outer layout. When setting the internal size of the dugout, you need to take into account that it will be lined inside.

Removing the turf using technology is necessary. It will go to the roof (if it survives) and, in my opinion, digging a pit with an excavator will be more accurate. So, along the perimeter of the border, at a minimum, removal of the turf is mandatory and as deep as possible - a shovel size is the minimum.

While digging a pit, the edge of the dugout collapsed: the turf turned out to be very strong and pulled a large layer of earth behind it, and the edge turned out torn. This will later become one of the reasons for the detachment of the earth layer and the subsidence of the rafters. The second reason is that the slopes were not made. As a result, there was a need to strengthen the rafters. Ideally, you need to dig with an excavator at a distance from the border and then use a shovel to level the walls. It will be more neat. After opening the pit and leveling the walls, they need to be strengthened. Because this was not done, this became the third reason for the detachment of the earth. To arrange clothing, stakes are driven vertically along the slopes along the boundaries corresponding to the internal dimensions of the room. The walls below are undermined a little so that clothes can fit behind the stakes. As the clothes are laid out, they press them against the stakes, knocking down the ground behind them. Instead of stakes, I have 50 timber (or better, probably 100), and as clothing I have a 25 board. But my cladding turned out to be more decorative than functional - it should hold the ground. And the fourth reason was the moisture of the earth - the result of a hasty embankment of the roof - as a result, the dugout dried very slowly. So slowly that at a critical moment (increasing load on the roof) the wall began to slide. I thought the main reason for the slippage was thick layer of ground at the base of the roof, it was approximately 70 cm. But, re-reading the technology of dugout construction by the military, I was convinced that the thickness range varies from 20 cm to 1 m.

When digging a pit, you need to take into account that the bucket goes in an arc and when deepened by 1 m in the middle of the pit it is approximately 1.5 m. Therefore, the floor will have to be leveled. There is enough earth after leveling the walls. For information: if the size of a rectangle is 3x4, its diagonal is 5, i.e. with a ratio of 3:4:5, you can very clearly set a right angle and the sizes of the sides can vary - the main thing is to maintain this proportion.

The foundation pit has been dug, the walls have been reinforced, and pillars can be erected. There are four of them, each 3m high. Those. The pillars require two six-meter beams. At each end of the post we nail a magpie board (height 4 cm) 50 cm long with 125 or 150 nails. This is the so-called heel, which increases the supporting area. We coat the heel and the post to a height of 60 cm with green "Senezh", namely green. It is just for such purposes. We dig a hole 50 cm deep under each pillar. We place the pillars, align them vertically in two planes, align all the pillars on the same line and bury them, compacting the earth. Everything is fine, if not for one “but”. All the tops of the pillars must be level. This is where “dancing around the pole, and then squatting with it” begins - “indescribable pleasure.” You have to pull out the pillars several times, adding or removing soil. You don’t have enough strength for the last post (again you remember someone else’s mother...) and you are preparing to put a plate under the purlin when it is installed. This is what was done later. But you are going the other way.

First, we install one pillar completely and irrevocably. This is the starting point. We dig the rest of the holes - in this case, it doesn’t matter how much we made a mistake by 1 cm or 5 cm. The holes need to be compacted - this is important because in the future both selection and adding soil are excluded. This technology allows. I would also like to take into account one circumstance - because. The pillars are usually longer than 6 m, so we simply cut them in half, and not strictly three meters. Second, we put all the pillars in the holes, strengthen them by aligning them on vertical planes, and using a “magic” hydraulic level (a hose and two glass tubes with markings) we make horizontal marks. Now the horizontal plane will be set. Third: we saw off the unnecessary part, having first pulled out the pillars in order to cut it off conveniently and accurately. It turns out that we pull out three pillars once, and not 5-6 times each.

In addition to the heel, two boards from the same forty and the same length on both sides need to be nailed onto the top of the pillars - these will be guides and holding planes against horizontal displacement of the purlin. They are nailed with the same nails as the support platforms. Now we install the run. The six-meter beam is quite heavy and it is better to install it (throw it up) not with two, but with three or four (if there are so many people). I wrote that I showed up on time, Slava and the beam were thrown. Do you think it's that simple? No matter how it is. Not all the pillars corresponded to the exact dimensions, and it had to be hammered into the guides with a sledgehammer, and then nailed to the pillars with 200 nails. Sergei did an excellent job with this. I, frankly, have the same height as YOU.

The pit has been dug, the walls have been reinforced, the pillars are standing, the purlin is in place - now you can install the rafters. You will need 18 of them. To do this, we take beam 15 in the amount of 9 pieces and cut it in half, and unevenly by three meters, as I did. It is easier to saw off the excess than to add what is missing - this is an axiom. We mark a place for beam 15, which will serve as a limiter for movement in the horizontal plane in the direction from the pit. We dig the timber into the ground, having previously treated it with Senezh. Because I have a slope, then part of the timber ended up lying on the ground, and in this place, opposite the rafters, additional birch poles were driven in. Now be sure to place a support board 6m long and 4cm thick under the rafters. It will protect them from being pressed into the ground and distribute the entire load evenly along the entire length. Because this was not done, which later led (as described above) to the detachment of the earth layer. At the top of the purlin, grooves are cut for the rafters; they do not allow them to move along horizontal axis. You can just nail the boards - it's easier. The angle of the groove is approximately 45 degrees. Ideally, it should definitely be 45 degrees, for me it’s about 40 degrees. At the top, it is better to fasten the rafters together to strengthen the structure. In my case this was not done, but in vain. Perhaps this also contributed to the detachment of the earth.

The distance between the rafters, where the pit is, is approximately 50 cm, and where the dressing room is 2 m.

Attention! When marking the distance, you must take into account the place where the stove will be located in the future. According to fire safety regulations, the distance from the pipe to the wooden structure is at least 25 cm. This means that if the pipe diameter is 10 cm, then the safe distance between the rafters is at least 60 cm. The data is taken from the instructions for the Teplodar stove. I'm 53cm. I had to treat it with a fire-fighting compound and cover the dangerous area with protective material and foil. Conclusion: you need to decide on the stove you want to install, read the instructions and, according to it, take into account the distance between the rafters. You also need to take into account the distance to the walls. They are lined with wood. True, if you put a brick protection between the stove and the wall, the distance is reduced by 3-4 times. Let's summarize.

The rafters at the top lie in grooves and are secured against horizontal displacement, secured to each other to strengthen the structure. They lie on a magpie support board, which protects against vertical displacement, and rest on a dug-in beam 15, which does not allow horizontal displacement. That seems to be it. But! To strengthen the structure at this stage, I would advise immediately embedding door frames for entering the dressing room (canopy - as you like) and for entering the living area. I haven't had this done. When the rafters crashed into the ground, the scraps from the boards were so crushed that they were impossible to get out. If there was a box in the living area, the load on the remaining rafters would clearly be reduced.

Indeed, “Live one century, learn two.” But I would like to “Live a century, but know for two.”

Good afternoon, Alexander!

Our settlement is truly famous for its fox holes. And even in addition to the “official” name Rodniki, the options Lisienorsk and Norouralsk were proposed. But we can boast more about the number of holes than about the creative originality of the projects (although in the future, convinced burrowers - I am sure - will show the wonders of architecture. Projects for 8-sided and round fox holes are already being hatched). It so happened historically that the three currently inhabited holes were built in order to get a finished home as soon as possible, spending little money.

In addition to these 3 inhabited heated holes (Nina Ivanovna Fetkulova, Nadya Rubtsova, Tanya Skomarokhova) there are 2 already filled in, but without interior decoration and without a stove, and (Volodya Simakhin and Andrei Beloborodov) 1 more small (2.5x2.5 m) adapted under summer house(Okulovsky). In the next couple of years, at least 4 more families promise to build fox holes for themselves.

Such popularity is associated with the advantages of such a home:

1. Construction speed. One of the holes (Nadia Rubtsova) was brought to a habitable state (with a stove and interior decoration) in 2 weeks from scratch (a hole dug by an excavator), of which it took 3 days to erect the frame, lining and backfill. Of course, with the help of neighbors.
2. Cheap. In almost all our projects, the main materials are round timber and unedged boards.
3. Low repair costs. Since the facade is reduced to a minimum and the roof is covered with earth, they do not need to be repaired.
4. Internal climate. In winter, newborns spend REALLY LESS firewood (at -30 they heat it once a day) than their neighbors in log houses. They can leave for a few days and not heat without the risk of freezing their home (although in practice we still heat each other’s stoves in the absence of the owners). In summer the house is pleasantly cool.
5. No official building permit is needed (an advantage for those who are afraid of guests from the land committee). Although Ukraine probably has its own specifics.

Disadvantages of fox holes:

1. The earth, like reinforced concrete slabs, has shielding properties, that is, it is an obstacle to natural cosmic radiation. People sensitive to subtle energy feel this as internal discomfort. Therefore, it is better for such people to build wooden houses, which are permeable to radiation.
2. The inability to look out the window, the desire to be on top of the earth are also serious psychological factors.
For me personally, these 2 disadvantages are very significant. That's why I live in a log house. For the same reasons, apparently, the inhabitants of all three inhabited burrows dream of moving to the surface in the future. While the settlers, who do not yet have any housing on the estate, dream of fox holes.

The oldest hole (house of Nina Ivanovna Fetkulova) was built in 2004, the other two in 2006. Backfill - from 0.5 m to 1 m. The experiment was a success: the owners are generally satisfied with their homes.

About waterproofing. In all 5 cases (except for the Okulovsky summer micromink, I don’t know about it), roofing material or bicrost was used. It was placed under the bottom trim (for almost everyone, except Volodya Simakhin, it lies on the ground, and for him - on bricks), it was also used to cover the boards of the walls with outside. To be honest, I don’t really like this option: it interferes with the natural balance of humidity between the soil and the house (according to theory, loamy soil itself regulates humidity and maintains it at the optimal level). But I don't know any other options. Maybe I should plaster the outside walls with clay, dry it and fill it up? Clay plaster protects wood from rotting.
The humidity in the room probably depends on the type of soil and depth groundwater. We have loam, water at 5..7 m. Experience shows that dampness does not occur in a heated fox hole. Only Tanya Skomarokhova faced the problem of dampness: she has a cellar attached to her hole, and from there dampness comes through the door. She also noticed that the ceiling in the corner was getting wet and the boards were rotting: there was probably insufficient backfill and the roofing material was damaged somewhere. Or maybe condensation? It may well appear on the roofing felt from the side of the boards if the room is humid from the cellar.
Tanya was also the only one whose hole suffered from the load of the earth. After a year of use, the ridge beam showed a noticeable crack, and it was necessary to support it with a post in the center of the house. The length of the beam is 4 m, the diameter is about 16-18 cm, there is a large knot at the break point. It must be said that the logs were used from firewood, which also affected the strength. (Nadya Rubtsova’s ridge beam with exactly the same characteristics is working properly). The conclusions are as follows: use a log that is thicker and has a minimum of knots. And, most importantly, rest the rafters against each other in order to redistribute the load onto the walls. At the same time, it is worth paying attention to quality top harness walls Although, according to our standard design, numerous wall boards (perpendicular to the ridge), as well as the soil itself, should protect the walls (parallel to the ridge) from moving away.
It must be said that Tanya’s hole is a total phenomenon. Our settlers built there, but the work was poorly organized, no one knew the project. They did it, one might say, at random. Now I look and am surprised: the distance between the rafters is 133 cm and the sheathing is made of inch (!). The Thumbelina bent under the weight of the earth, but it held! Of course, all other holes are built more intelligently.
You're asking about racks. Everything is alright with them! They're not going anywhere.

Different smart people It was advised to do ventilation through two vertical pipes. However, it has not been implemented anywhere, and no one has ever suffered from it. Although it is possible that it would be even better with her, including in such “clinical” cases as Tanya Skomarokhova’s.
The windows in all our holes are from the facade, and the facade is from one of the gables.
In two more holes (Nadia Rubtsova and Nina Ivanovna) ceiling windows were made. Before installing the first one, we debated for a long time: is it worth it? Fears were told about lakes of condensation, about rainwater flowing under the glass, under the frame, about hail breaking the glass, about how it would be swept away in winter anyway... They did it and saw: WORTH IT!!! There was no leakage of water, hail did not damage it either (the top glass is tempered), snow does not cause any inconvenience and is easy to clean. True, Nadya still had some condensation. But this did not overshadow the satisfaction from the window: a bright, but soft, pleasant diffused light from above and from the side illuminates the house until sunset.
No condensation was noticed on the second window (at Nina Ivanovna’s).

I present a standard design according to which the three mentioned currently inhabited burrows were built (the other 3, placed under a roof, are also very similar in design). True, I only drew the initial stage. Further it will be clear from the description. Our burrow sizes range from 2.5x2.5 to 4x4.

1. The hole being dug is larger in size than the planned hole. For a 4x4 hole, we dug a 5x5 m hole. Our average depth is 1.5 m.
2. Roofing material is laid on the bottom along the perimeter of the future frame.
3. We place 4 logs of the lower trim on the roofing material, connect them into half a tree, level them (with some error possible), adjust them until the diagonals are equal and secure them with brackets. As an option, you can place the bottom trim on bricks. In our area, the main soil is loam, so it can be considered reliable, and the pillars should not be buried deep.
4. We install 4 pillars (length = 180..200 cm) on the corners of the lower frame: for a good fit, we trim either the frame logs or the posts. Of course, we check it plumb. We fix it with temporary cuts, from a slab, for example (not shown in the figure).
5. We install central pillars (length 250..300 cm) in the middle of sides A and C. We fasten them with a slab with corner posts.
6. Install the ridge and beams. It is recommended to take it longer than sides B and D according to the project in order to provide a canopy on the facade side.
7. Install the rafters. In our projects they rest on the ridge, but it’s probably better to rest them against each other. The distance between the rafters is 80..100 cm. When using a canopy from the facade, it is necessary that one pair of rafters be just above the logs and posts of side A.
8. Intermediate pillars are cut into each side. In the 4x4 project we had 2 of them on each side.
9. The walls of the resulting frame are sheathed on the outside with boards (25 mm) and roofing felt. The facade wall needs to be additionally insulated.
10. Lathing is placed on the rafters and roofing felt is placed. Our lathing is 25..30 mm, but it’s better to make it thicker, or make the rafters more frequent.
11. Well, there are windows, doors and all that. Then the interior finishing.

That's all.

All the best! Prosperity to your settlement!
Paul.

Saman is composite material, a mixture of earth, clay, sand, straw and water, placed by hand in the construction of monolithic earthen walls. Does not require forms, cement, compaction or equipment. Adobe is sun-dried earthen blocks. The term refers to both the material and the construction technique. The word adobe comes from an Old English root meaning "clump or rounded mass." The term refers to both the material and the houses made from it, as well as a traditional construction technique used for centuries in Europe and other rainy, cold and windy countries as far north as Alaska.

Adobe is one of many methods of building from raw earth, the most common building material throughout the world.
There is light adobe (straw soaked in a liquid clay solution) and heavy adobe (a mixture of sand, clay and straw).

Making light adobe

The point is that in a bath (pit, container) clay and water are soaked in such proportions as to form clay milk or loose clay - a fairly liquid clay solution. Straw is thrown in there, soaked in the solution for a minute to several minutes (there is an opinion - no more than a minute, so that the straw does not have time to soak in water). The straw from the solution is then thrown onto a tray where it is allowed to drain off excess water. In the meantime, a mobile formwork is formed near the wall that will be filled with straw. Next, this straw is stuffed into the formwork, where it is compacted with a masher or a board (you can use your hands/feet, whoever is comfortable with anything in general, the main thing is to compact it well, but you will have to compact a lot, so take care of the convenience of the tools). The clay coating on the straw stalks provides reliable connection fibers when straw is pressed into walls. After the wall has “set” a little, the formwork is moved and the next section of the frame is filled.

Since such material, unlike traditional adobe, cannot be load-bearing, it is simply a filler for the walls, and the load-bearing one is the frame of the future house, ideally double. And the straw must be rice or rye, otherwise rodents will choose such a house.

Houses made of adobe have a number of undeniable advantages:

1. High level thermal insulation. Buildings made from this material do not require additional heating in winter and retain coolness in summer. So, practical method is that heat or cold seeps through massive walls at a rate of 2.5 cm per hour. Therefore, on hot days, the walls of the building accumulate heat, and at night they return it back. It is beneficial to use adobe for houses with solar collectors. In areas with aggressive cold winds, streamlined houses are built. Thanks to this design, it is possible to reduce the level of heat transfer and the entry of cold air.

2. The walls of an adobe house practically do not allow noise from roads, railways, and runways to pass through.

3. The fire resistance of adobe makes it possible to use it in construction in fire-hazardous areas. The authorities of such regions require that clay or earth be used when constructing the roof. In this way, the entire structure can be protected from fire.

4. The hygroscopicity of clay ensures stable air humidity in the room.

5. Eco-friendly. All materials that are used for construction adobe houses- only of natural origin.

6. Cheapness and availability. Adobe does not require fuel for firing, and its source material is found almost everywhere.

7. The high strength of houses has been proven by centuries-old and even thousand-year-old buildings.

8. Adobe is safe for novice builders. No need to use during operation special tools, technology and chemicals, all materials are familiar and cannot be spoiled.

9. This material allows you to build any house, even with the most daring modern design.

10. You don’t need any special skills to build with adobe. You can easily learn everything “as you go.” Of course, if you have no experience in construction at all, it is better to first practice in a shed or bathhouse.

Here is an overview of beautiful adobe houses:

Disadvantages of lightweight adobe. Some become more or less critical depending on the region of application.

1. Requires the presence of a frame for the future house, because lightweight adobe is only a filler and wall insulation, unlike other adobe materials;

2. It takes time to dry walls that are open on both sides! (This is important because a draft is created through the wall, and the wall breathes while it dries. There have been cases when lightweight adobe was used as external insulation walls made of non-breathable material, such as aerated concrete. In this case, there is a risk of straw rotting due to insufficient moisture removal.) That is. We draw a rule - if we use light adobe, then we first build walls from it, and after drying we cover it with plaster, panels, etc. Instead of attaching the panels to the frame, and then filling them with light adobe. This is a common mistake! Based on the above, such material is more suitable for the southern regions. Light adobe is a mistake

3. This method does not allow the construction of thick walls (30-40 cm or more) due to the fact that they may not have time to dry before the process of rotting (and rotting) inside the wall begins. This means drying should be carried out as quickly as possible (which is also in favor of the construction method for the southern regions).
You can “sculpt” a house from heavy adobe in the same way as a sculpture is sculpted from clay, or you can use adobe blocks. Essentially the same adobe, only pre-formed and dried in the sun. The walls of the house are then built from such molded adobe, laying it like ordinary brick.

You can easily make an adobe block yourself; you just need to equip it with a special mold and hot summer days so that it has time to dry, after which it is immediately put into use.

In addition to the video, why some green builders do not build houses from lightweight adobe.

Disadvantages of heavy adobe. Ideal building materials(like nothing is perfect in our world), and adobe also has its disadvantages:

1. Adobe blocks do not have the highest water resistance. To remove such a defect in the finished building, it is necessary to carry out additional work on plastering or at least whitewashing the external walls with lime. This will help protect the room from exposure to precipitation.

2. If you purchase adobe bricks or blocks with a huge content of organic fillers, then be prepared for uninvited guests to settle there in the form of various insects or, even worse, mice. At the same time, such material becomes the least fireproof. Again, due to the growth of organic mass, which glows well.

3. A newly built house must stand and dry for a long time. This is typical for countries with temperate climates. In hot countries there is no such difficulty. If the house is not given this ability, then the materials may not gain full strength, and the organic filler may even rot. As a result, the local indoor climate will not be as pleasant as you expected. Therefore, you will not have a housewarming party in such a house any time soon.

4. Construction with adobe has limitations depending on the time of year. Best to build adobe houses in summer, in hot weather (the reason is clear from the above-mentioned shortcoming). In frosty, cool weather, such construction is difficult, and if it is carried out, it requires the presence of alkalis or at least salt in the water on which the composition is mixed.

5. Insufficiently compacted adobe walls will result in enormous linear shrinkage over time. Its dimensions can reach 1/20 of the wall height.

6. The so-called heavy adobe (with a low content of organic fillers) requires additional measures to insulate the room. In this case, it is better to use pressed grass, which is later plastered with clay or a clay-lime composition.

An example of the construction of a house made of monolithic adobe in the settlement of Veselaya Slobodka, Chepuryshkin estate, 2011:

Earthbag house)

The walls are erected from bags of pressed clay, loam, and earth. The technology has wide application in the Middle East. The outside can be plastered, painted, or attached to panel structures, boards, or covered with earth, as in the first option.

In the eighties of the last century, the fashion for adobe houses came to America. Enthusiasts of earthen construction traveled to England, where adobe houses built 500 years ago have been preserved and, despite their advanced age, are still in use.

The example of the British inspired the Americans so much that they began not only to build, but also to develop new methods of adobe construction. The product of this increased interest is Cal-Earth, a Southern California institute dedicated to the development and training of earth building systems. Its founder and leader was the American architect of Iranian origin Nader Khalili.

The most notable development of the institute was the Earthbags, or “Supersaman” technology. Actually, Earthbags are bags filled with earth, from which houses can be folded in a certain way. Instead of bags, fabric pipes are sometimes used. Building using this method is very easy and much faster than using traditional adobe. The only thing that can confuse the builder is that straight walls using this technology are much more difficult to build than curved or domed ones.

A house made from bags of earth is a way out when you need housing and there is no money for construction. Despite their cheapness, such houses are quite strong and durable.

Walls made from bags are plastered, whitewashed, and painted, which gives such houses an aesthetic and original look. Earthbags allow you to realize any shape of the house and domed ceilings, which eliminates the need to cover roofs. Even heavy downpours do not weaken the domes of such houses, although many simply re-cover the domes with ordinary film.

Advantages of houses made from earthbags:

1. Low cost of construction. Soil is used - a material that literally lies underfoot everywhere. Also for construction they use ordinary bags, which are simply collected from landfills, or bought in stores, the price of such bags is low, and a lot of bags accumulate in stores after unpacking goods. Bags are also purchased from packaging companies. For large volumes of construction, whole rolls of sack fabric are purchased, which are used for packaging raw materials at enterprises.

2. Ease of construction.

3. Relatively fast construction method

4. Eco-friendly.

5. Unlike simple adobe structures, they can be installed in areas inundated by flood waters. After all, bags of earth are traditionally used to control floods and install dams.

6. Strength and durability of houses made of earthbags. The round shape of sack houses balances external loads in all directions. In addition, the load taken by the dome creates normal membrane stresses in it with the influence of bending on relatively small areas of the surface. Naturally, a house built from bags of earth with your own hands will not always have an ideal shape, but the magic is that the dome, even if not ideal, is still quite reliable. Khalili himself claims that a traditional square house with vertical walls is almost doomed to fall one day, but nothing can ever happen to the arch (the base of the dome). In addition, to strengthen the structure in soil mixture sometimes cement is added.

Another technology developed by the architect is houses made of baked clay. dome house It is laid out from water, earth and clay, dried and fired in much the same way as a ceramic pot.

Disadvantages of building with earthbags:

1. Construction from bags of earth is a very labor-intensive (although less labor-intensive than construction from heavy adobe) and physically difficult process, since the bags weigh quite a lot. When erecting a structure from bags of earth, it is almost impossible to do it alone, since the weight of one bag is approximately 120 kg. Therefore, either a crane is used, or several people work.

2. It is almost impossible to build two-story and wide buildings. However, these shortcomings are easily eliminated by building additional companies next to the main one and connecting them with corridors.

3. The main enemy of technology is rain and dampness. The entire structure can slide if plastering is neglected. In very damp areas, constructing a roof over the house from bags is mandatory.

4. Propylene bags are afraid of active solar radiation, so either protect the structure during construction or build the building very quickly. Ideally, of course, it is better to use bags made from natural materials.

5. It’s better to build from bags of earth when you already live on the land, and when you already have a circle of like-minded people around you who can help you in construction

6. Building a house out of bags of earth during weekend visits is very time-consuming and impractical (more time is spent on providing for household needs and arranging a temporary tent camp for living).

Here are some videos about building houses from earthbags:

House "Fox Hole" (buried dwelling)

"Foxy burrow"- a house cut into a hill, or embanked with earth and looking like a separate hill. You can sow a hill with flowers, plant shrubs, grapes, etc. Please do not confuse this building with a dugout, as they are not the same thing. "Fox Hole" is an earthen hill. Depending on the wishes of the owner, it can be built with any depth or even be located at the level of an ordinary house.

If the angle of inclination of the walls is 45 degrees, then it will practically not create a shadow, because... The angle of the summer solstice at the latitude of Moscow is approximately equal to this. A slight shadow is created in the morning and evening hours from the west and east of the building.

Foxhole house built in Mexico:

Advantages of the fox hole house

1. Environmental friendliness.

2. Construction speed.

3. Cheap construction. Earth is the cheapest building material - free. For floors, you can use round timber and unedged boards.

4. The house takes up almost no space. The earthen embankment of the house can be used for planting on all sides and on top (strawberries, raspberries, shrubs, flower beds, etc.). It is even possible to plant small trees if certain conditions are met, which, in general, creates unlimited possibilities when decorating the external design of your building and quickly and cheaply changing it according to your wishes. Imagine: a flowerbed house, it can be different every year. This is where there is unplowed field for imagination.

5. Reliability of a bunded house. It becomes stronger every year, because every year the earth becomes more compacted, and the roots of grasses and shrubs so hold the surface layer together that even if all the internal supports are removed, it will still support itself. Go out into an unplowed meadow. After all, its entire space is pitted with holes of moles, mice, and worms, but the ground does not collapse under you. There is no need to be afraid of the penetration of the root system of plants into the house, there is a simple protection against this...

6. Internal climate. In winter, such a house becomes even warmer, as it is covered with snow blankets, and snow load does not create additional weight due to freezing of the upper soil layer. An example of this is ice on rivers. Inside such a house, at any external temperature, the temperature remains above zero, even without heating, which means that heating the structure requires a minimum of energy expenditure. Its walls are always breathing. It is cool in summer. Residents of fox holes spend REALLY LESS firewood (at -30°C they heat it once a day) than their neighbors in log cabins. They can leave for several days and not heat without the risk of freezing their home.

With properly constructed ventilation, there is no dampness in it, but there is also no dryness that happens in apartments in winter, and humidity and cold when the heat is turned off, which is mainly the cause of damage to furniture, dampness of wallpaper and clothing, and cracks in the walls. , jamming and drying out of doors and windows.

The interior decoration of a house can be made from any materials, even wood, since there are cheap, well-forgotten ways to protect it from external conditions. You can also make walls inside from available materials: clay, willow, reeds, straw, cattails, wild stone, etc.

7. Unusual appearance. The unusual appearance is, of course, a weighty argument, but let’s look around and ask ourselves what is more pleasant to see: a house with rickety walls or chipped plaster, covered with “wonderful” inscriptions, with a dilapidated roof, etc. or a flowerbed, or a neat lawn, or a dwarf garden with a pergola or gazebo covered with grapes, hops, etc. Of course, a beautifully executed facade of a house with fashionable architecture is also a pleasant sight, but for how long? After all, fashion is architectural styles It changes so quickly, in just 20-30 years, the style becomes obsolete. Try changing the façade of a stone or wooden structure... In addition, time brings its destruction, and with it concerns about restoration. Another thing is an alpine hill, or a flower garden, or a lawn. You can change it at your discretion at least every year, and small trees or shrubs with a creeping root system (juniper, lilac, jasmine, fir trees, etc.) against the background of a hill will create a stable landscape.

8. No official building permit is needed (an advantage for those who are afraid of guests from the land committee). Although Ukraine probably has its own specifics.

9. Also among the advantages of the “Fox Hole” it can be noted that such a house cannot be “carried away”, disassembled for parts, burned, painted, etc.

10. Low costs (almost no costs) for maintaining the house, since the facade is reduced to a minimum and the roof is covered with earth, they do not need to be repaired every year.

Disadvantages of the Fox Hole house:

2. The inability to look out the window, the desire to be on top of the earth are also serious psychological factors.

Houses made of firewood (clay, woodpile, cordwood)

- a method of masonry used in eco-construction, in which dry logs or logs, cleared of bark, are laid across the wall together with cement mortar or clay, sometimes with the addition of straw (in the construction of adobe walls) or pine needles.

The wall is erected in such a way that the edges of the logs protrude from it by 2-3 cm. The thickness reaches in cold climates an average of 40-60 cm, sometimes 90 cm.

Wood usually makes up 40-60% of the total volume of the wall, and the rest is mortar and insulating filler. There are two types of construction: Through and Lime Insulation.

The end-to-end method assumes that mortar contains insulating material, usually sawdust, shredded paper, newspapers in a proportion of 80% filler to 20% solution.

With the lime-insulating method, unlike through and brick masonry, the mortar is not laid to the entire depth of the wall. It is placed 5-10 cm from the outer and inside walls, ensuring the stability of the connection, and the insulating material remains in the middle.

Advantages of building houses from wood:

1. Low cost of building the house itself. Available materials can be used - dead wood from the forest, clay.

2. Excellent energy-saving indicators - the house is extremely warm. The houses can easily withstand extreme Yakut winters with temperatures below -50°C, and in summer and in the off-season they perfectly preserved the microclimate even with daily fluctuations from +42°C during the day to 0° - 2°C at night.

3. These houses do not burn and they are long-lived: some of them are more than 200 years old! The walls of houses made of clay are not inferior in strength brickwork on a cement base. Houses made from firewood can be built not only as one-story ones, but also as a 2-3-story house.

4. Clay and wood are best friends. They have similar moisture capture and release. Wood conveys the structure, and clay solves the issue of microclimate: in such a house it is cool in summer and warm in winter. There is no excess moisture, because the walls instantly absorb it and slowly release it.

5. A house from clay pots can be built in any shape. There is room for imagination.

6. No complex heavy foundation required. The house turns out to be relatively light compared to brick house, For example.

7. The house is built without special construction skills.

8. Unusual decorative look, especially when the house is not sheathed and the firewood is not covered. The house resembles masonry made of natural stone, which cannot but please the eye.

Disadvantages of a house made of clay:

1. You need to build only from well-dried lumps. That is, they need to be prepared a year or two before the start of construction. Otherwise, the logs will dry while they are already in the wall, and this will lead to the formation of through cracks around them.

2. You can build a house using dead trees from the nearest forest. You can build with them right away, since they are already dry. But what does this entail? Deadwood by its nature is a tree devoid of life energy, which was supposed to wither, fall and rot, providing food, shelter and nutrition for the forest community. That is, it was initially rotten, and houses were never built from dead wood. A house made of such chocks will not last even 10 years. The ends will instantly react to changes in environmental conditions, and, like a sponge, absorb moisture from the air and dry at high temperatures. All this will destroy them.

3. If you build a house from clay pots, then from denser types of wood, for example, oak (?). But again there is a nuance here: due to their high density, oak logs dry for a long time and unevenly, as a result, almost 100% of the stumps will develop a longitudinal-radial crack, which cannot be repaired in any way. The whole house will resemble passages for flies, ants, wind and cold from the outside, and heat from the inside. But here there is an option to cut round whole logs into several small pieces. In any case, you need to approach the choice of wood species responsibly.

4. Freezing of wood along the grain is 4-5 times greater than across it. This means that if a wall thickness of 15 cm is sufficient for a log house (for the Yaroslavl region), then such a house will require 60-75 cm. This is worth paying special attention to.

Construction of a round clay house in north Wales:

House made of straw blocks (bales).

The bales are coated with clay and they become fireproof.

A straw block is a rectangular bale of various sizes made from plant stems held together by two or three wire ties or twine, weighing 18...43 kg.

Such bales are usually made of straw (the dry, dead stems left over after grain has been removed from the harvested cereal).

It is annually renewable cheap by-product grain production.

For construction, the bale must be very dry, grain-free, well compacted, consistent in size and shape, and twice as long as it is wide.
By working directly with the manufacturer, you can get bales that are close to ideal in their characteristics.

Such blocks, when laid in the wall, will form the correct bandage.

Straw round house Evgeniy Ivanovich Shirokov in Belarus:

Advantages of a straw house:

1. Oddly enough, it is very difficult to set fire to a house made of straw. Despite the fact that a heap of dry straw flares up like gunpowder, the compressed straw block still needs to be able to be set on fire. The fact is that a well-pressed building block only chars, but does not burn. And if we take into account the fact that the walls of the future building will also be plastered, then setting a straw house on fire will be much more difficult than a house made of timber.

2. The cost of a straw block is at an indecently low level, much lower. There is more than enough raw material for the production of straw blocks, it is inexpensive, and in some cases it is given away for nothing.

3. The thermal conductivity of straw is low - 0.050-0.065 W/mK, while for wood (the closest competitor) it is 0.09-0.18 W/mK, for brick - 0.2-0.7 W/mK. The average energy consumption of a thatched house usually does not exceed 35-40 kWh/m2 per year.

4. The low cost of building a house is another advantage of a thatched house. A light foundation is required, usually a columnar one. Block walls can be erected quickly, without special equipment or specialists. There is also no need for a solution to hold the blocks together.

5. The technique of building walls from straw blocks is so simple that almost anyone can master it, and in a very short time. This makes it possible to independently carry out the bulk of the work without resorting to hiring qualified workers.

6. Eco-friendly. In such a house you will be alone with nature, like in a haystack, only much more comfortable.

Disadvantages of a straw bale house:

1. Rodents.

2. If the straw moisture content exceeds 18-20%, then rot and mold may appear.

But this can be solved, so it’s difficult to call them shortcomings. To solve these two problems, proceed as follows: the blocks are pressed to a density of 250-300 kg/m3, and lime is added to the plaster solution. In addition, when laying walls, the blocks spill slaked lime. But keep in mind that by increasing the density of the block, you also increase its weight.

Wooden house (log house)

An example of the construction of straw bale houses in Germany:

is a wall system that consists of interconnected horizontally laid logs.

Advantages of wooden houses (log houses):

1. Short time construction.

2. Structural strength.

3. The log house does not require mandatory internal and external finishing.

4. Wood is a living material. Gives a person additional energy. Positively affects the nervous system.

5. Because of its lightness, it is possible to install a simple columnar, strip-column or shallow strip foundation under the house and it is not at all necessary to install an expensive and massive foundation.

6. If we talk about humidity, there is no need to install additional humidity control devices and air conditioning in such a house. The walls do an excellent job of this function, sending all excess moisture through themselves, thereby creating a comfortable atmosphere. And such houses have very good sound insulation.

Disadvantages of wooden houses (log houses):

1. A more expensive construction method compared to those listed above (unless, of course, you use free timber for construction).

2. Less environmentally friendly than the above construction methods, as it involves cutting down trees that have been growing for decades.

3. Quite a long period of shrinkage, ranging from 1 to 3 years, which does not allow immediately proceeding to finishing work upon completion of construction.
In addition, when building a log house you may need additional funds for insulation of seams and elimination of blowing gaps.

4. Low fire resistance and susceptibility to moisture and insects are another disadvantage of log houses.
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Many people were enthusiastic about the hobbit dwellings in The Lord of the Ring after watching the famous film. And most of us would not refuse to live in such places, even if not all the time, then at least sometimes to come.

Why not make a fairy tale come true? - thought one family from Wales. And now the house can be seen not only in movies, but also in life!

“My father and I built it, of course, with the help of friends and acquaintances. Now we live here and it's great! Not only we think so, but everyone who helped us or just comes to visit,” says the youngest “hobbit.”

It took 3 months to build it, and it all cost $5,825, which is not much at all, because this is a real house from a real fairy tale!

Who would refuse to work like a hobbit for 3 months, and then, at least sometimes, come to such a house and feel like a part of the surrounding nature? Perhaps, over time, a family of elves will settle in the neighboring forest...

The idea of the Fox Hole as a family estate

The idea of a family estate. Who is it aimed at? For people with different capabilities, but united by one goal: “I can’t be unhappy anymore.” Those who consider themselves happy already in this world may not finish reading. Many people are already ready to live simply in harmony with the surrounding world and nature. Others would like to combine the natural with the familiar in their family estate, i.e. the benefits of civilization. For these two fundamentally different categories of people who want to realize the idea of a family estate, we offer two fundamentally different approaches to designing “fox hole” type houses. We do not provide designs for luxury houses (although such are possible, and we already have them), because... in this case, the very idea of a family estate is lost: the merging of man with nature, with himself.

Garden houses "fox hole"

Is it possible to build a house inexpensively? Yes, if you build a small garden house. Garden houses They are small houses that are built quickly and at the same time with high quality. If you are planning to build country house inexpensively, spending a minimum of time, then read this article. In it we will talk about a very interesting version of garden houses, about houses built on the principle of a fox hole. After reading the article, you will learn what kind of houses these are and how to properly build a “fox hole” garden house.

What is a fox hole garden house? Most of you have probably watched the film “The Lord of the Rings”, so, remember the homes of the magical hobbits. They just lived in the “fox hole” houses. The fox hole house is very similar in principle to ordinary dugouts. It is worth noting that dugouts are a very good shelter from any bad weather, be it wind, heavy rain or cold. And if you are thinking about how to build a house cheaply, then the fox hole house option is just for you.

Fox hole house - all the pros and cons...

What advantages do they have? garden houses like a fox hole?

Advantages:

speed of construction. You can build a fox hole garden house yourself with full finishing in 2 weeks
If you want to build a country house inexpensively, then this option of a garden house is for you.
“Fox Hole” garden houses require minimal repairs, since the entire roof is covered with earth, the façade of the house is reduced to a minimum
favorable climate inside the garden house. In summer it remains pleasantly cool, and in winter the houses keep warm for a long time
saving energy when heating a room. Garden houses based on the fox hole principle retain heat for a long time; even at -30, they can be heated only once a day

Inexpensive garden houses- this is real, but in addition to its advantages, any construction has its disadvantages.

The disadvantages of such inexpensive garden houses include only psychological factors. The desire to feel sunlight in the daytime, the desire to hit from above, on the ground, and not underground, desires can be listed more and more, each person can experience his own special needs. Therefore, before construction, weigh all the pros and cons and only after that make a decision.

Waterproofing in garden houses

The humidity inside the garden house will depend on the depth of the groundwater and the quality of the soil. For waterproofing, bikrost or roofing material is placed under the bottom trim. Over time, waterproofing may be damaged in areas where roofing material is damaged. Also, poor waterproofing is often found in houses that have a cellar attached.

When building a garden house, it is very important to use as thick, even logs as possible with a minimum number of knots. Because over time, logs can break under load. Most often, logs break in places where there are knots.

How to build a house cheaply

Let us describe the construction of the fox hole house step by step:

1. a hole is dug around the perimeter 1 meter larger than the planned garden house
2. roofing felt is placed on the bottom
3. Four logs are placed on top, leveling. These logs will serve as the lowest frame for the house. You can place the logs of the bottom trim on bricks
4. Logs are placed at the corners of the lower trim
5. Place pillars in the middle of sides A and C, securing them with corner brackets
6. attach beams and ridge
7. install rafters

8. Intermediate pillars are cut into each side
9. The resulting walls of the garden house are sheathed with roofing felt or 25 mm boards
10. additionally insulate the facade walls of the garden house
11. lathing is nailed to the rafters and the roof is covered with roofing felt.
12. windows can be made if desired
13. Next they are working on the interior decoration of the garden house
14. Finally, you can begin decorative exterior decoration of the garden house

Garden houses can be built using different construction technologies. In this article we told you how to build a house cheaply. Good luck with your construction!

Traditional house and fox hole

What does a traditional house consist of?

A solid, good foundation is the basis of any house that is built to last. Then the basement, walls, ceilings, roof. A few auxiliary little things, such as: trays for water drainage, drainage pipes, gables, hems, light and ventilation windows, blind areas, window frames, etc. - which, by the way, requires far from small costs, money and time, periodic repairs. In regions with a large snow cover in the spring, the problem of snow avalanches from roofs or their pressing through due to the weight of the snow increases. And the roof itself is an expensive pleasure. A good one, made of galvanized iron or glazed tiles, is not affordable for everyone.

What do we have in the fox hole?

Just walls and ceilings, which themselves serve as a roof. Note that the walls are much thinner, since they only serve as a restraining factor from the collapse of the earth (with the thickness of the embankment being one and a half meters, there is no need to worry about heat capacity: up to the seventieth parallel, they practically withstand any frost). Roof waterproofing can be made of ordinary roofing felt in 2 layers (the most cheap material), but it is possible without it if you have a good clay castle (made of well-mixed clay) 15-20 cm thick or birch bark, which does not rot in the ground for hundreds of years and is not afraid of fires, and at the same time retains heat perfectly (yes, yes, this is not typo: there are such ancient technologies). A year after installation, a one-meter thick layer of earth on the roof cannot be wetted by even a single rainstorm. Snow waters melt more evenly, and the ground under the snow is always slightly frozen, which perfectly prevents water from penetrating deeper. No lower ice crusts form, which means there is no chance of an avalanche (and there is practically nowhere to go). All you need are good drainage ditches around the entire building with a slope in one direction, seeded with good grass (instead of concrete, iron or other trays), for example, bentgrass, wheatgrass, etc. Foundations are also not needed or are needed purely symbolically for supports, since there is nothing to freeze, and therefore there is no swelling of the soil. And if this house is made of red baked brick with walls half a brick thick, concrete reinforced with mesh, branches, etc. 5-7 cm thick, made of boards with load-bearing beams arched structure, then it is able to withstand colossal loads (examples of this are bridges).

The interior decoration is the same as that of a regular house, although there are also many ways to save money and time, not counting durability. For example, floors that can be left earthen by covering them with mats (a rug made from a natural material). Or lay it out of tiles, placing it on a screed made of light and warm concrete (there are such), or make it out of wood, placing it on small spacers, or the same concrete using the “floating parquet” principle. In any case, this does not require floor slabs or massive wooden transfers.

Next, we will consider the main reasons for distrust of the Fox Hole structure:
- unusual appearance
- fear of flooding
- fear of dampness indoors
- penetration of rodents and insects
- illumination
- collapse of the structure

Unusual appearance- the argument is certainly weighty, but let's look around and ask ourselves what is more pleasant to see: a house with rickety walls or chipped plaster covered with “wonderful” inscriptions, with a dilapidated roof, etc. or a flowerbed, or a neat lawn, or a dwarf garden with a pergola or gazebo covered with grapes, hops, etc.

Of course, a beautifully executed facade of a house with fashionable architecture is also a pleasant sight, but for how long? After all, the fashion for architectural styles changes so quickly, in just 20-30 years the style becomes obsolete. Try changing the façade of a stone or wooden building... Besides, time brings its destruction, and with it the worries about restoration. Another thing is an alpine hill, or a flower garden, or a lawn. You can change it at your discretion at least every year, and small trees or shrubs with a creeping root system (juniper, lilac, jasmine, fir trees, etc.) against the background of a hill will create a stable landscape.

Fear of flooding- a very serious thing, but nowhere does it say that this structure should be built in a swamp, or in a floodplain, or in a pit. Even if your site is relatively damp, you can build drainage ditches. A thick layer of soil around the embankment of the house and an elevation of 50-60 cm from the general ground level of the entrance to the room will save you from the penetration of spring upper waters.
The depth of the house itself depends on the level of groundwater and the desire of the owner (either bury yourself under the ceiling or don’t bury yourself at all).

Dampness in the room occurs mainly due to poor ventilation, or low heat capacity of the walls, or an incorrectly located heating system. The thermal capacity of the walls with a 1.5 meter embankment will not raise any doubts, but the ventilation and heating system is in your hands. Probably, many people have had to observe moldy walls, falling wallpaper and plaster in quite good-looking multi-storey buildings, planned and built by professionals in their field.

When asked aboutpenetration of rodents, moles and other unwanted neighbors, you can only add a few words. Our high-rise buildings are no less infested with mice and rats, despite the fact that they are made of brick and concrete, a material supposedly inaccessible to rodents. I had to meet rats and mice on the 14th floor. Ants and cockroaches have become an integral part of our everyday life(those who don’t have one can see in stores an abundance of chemical means of protection against these cohabitants). Moles do not dig their tunnels to such a depth, as they hunt for worms, which feed on the remains of vegetation and are found in the fertile upper layer of 30-50 cm. And he prefers to go around walls rather than crack them. For ants to make passages in a one and a half meter wall, what for us is to dig a three-kilometer tunnel underground to a bread store located opposite your house. All these neighbors need a home and food. Moreover, they set up a house only next to the food base. There is no food and they don’t need a home. So keep food supplies in special rooms and live peacefully without all these worries.

Fear of roof collapse is also not justified. Dugouts covered with earth can even withstand bombing. I don't think this is a threat to us. A layer of earth 1-1.5 m thick can easily withstand even 15 cm thick logs protected from moisture, but even better is an arched structure made of any materials on a sand cushion (not even worth talking about floor slabs). In a year or two, the roots of the plants will hold everything together so that the soils will support themselves.

The question of illumination remains. We will cover this issue more widely, since it has many options.

Let's start with traditional windows in the walls at our usual level of 80-90 cm from the floor level. This is quite possible, you just need to provide small “loggias” around the window when laying the walls, since there is an earthen rampart on the sides and above the window. The earthen rampart can reach almost to the level of the window from below, but this is not scary. It can be covered with tiles, bricks, wood and anything else, or you can simply plant it with flowers or arrange a mini-greenhouse for fresh herbs. Heat leakage will serve the cause of “prosperity” (greenery in our case). If you don’t like the ground with a flower bed at window level, we’ll resolve this issue. It is enough to insulate the space under the window from the outside by thickening the walls or glass wool, cattails, straw, etc.

Traditional windows with a loggia with earthen filling. It is possible to glaze the outside and get a mini-greenhouse.

It is advisable to make one window per room, albeit a large one, and insert triple glazing(albeit expensive) or glaze them from the outside like an ordinary loggia or greenhouse. If heating is introduced there, then you will get a mini-greenhouse or a “winter garden” (depending on the wishes of the owners). And in order to get an impression of of this type windows, look at the world from the window of an apartment that has a loggia. And you will agree that you do not see what is on the sides of the loggia: an earthen rampart or a neighbor’s loggia, as well as above it: a neighbor’s loggia or a growing tree.

The next type of windows is skylights.

They can be located in the walls at ceiling level or in the ceiling itself and have different shape(see Fig. 2, 3, 4). This is where there is room for imagination. Can you imagine a living room or dining room where you, sitting in your favorite rocking chair by the fireplace or an aquarium with fish, can simultaneously admire the starry sky, or views of clouds at sunset, or the flight of butterflies over flowers or hanging bunches of grapes, while in a cozy bedroom . Or “sleep under your own star.”

All this is possible with a dome-type skylight window. Technically, the implementation of these windows is not particularly difficult. The fear of snowfall is also unfounded. After all, the window is located above an earthen hill, and even a child is able to remove snow with a broom or brush after the snowfall ends. The second and third glazing can be provided from the room at ceiling level (even with stained glass). Or put a mini-greenhouse outside, where, again, heat leaks will serve the cause of prosperity. Or you can simply install attic double-glazed windows.

Also among the advantages of the “Fox Hole” it can be noted that such a house cannot be “carried away”, disassembled for parts, burned, painted, etc. But it also has two significant drawbacks: the first is that it is unusual, and the second is that this house is not intended for workaholics: it will not have to be repaired every year and there is too little maintenance work.

Design of "fox hole" type houses.

Approach one combines: simplicity, functionality, practicality, maximum fusion with the surrounding space with minimal material costs and time for maintaining the structure.

Approach two combines the principles of the former with modern amenities and appliances, architecture and landscaping. In this case, you choose the degree of merging with nature yourself - the most acceptable for you at a given moment in time, up to the complete transfer of all the amenities of the city to the settlement.

Now, using the first approach, we will describe one of the simplest and affordable houses“fox hole” type (see Fig. 1). (Note: the pictures show house designs that are closest to modern ones, which, of course, is not at all necessary. The houses themselves look quite large and look like cottages. This is not so: simply due to the embankment, the house seems larger than it actually is. Its living area is the same as that of an ordinary house).

It is worth immediately noting that the internal layout of any “fox hole” type house is not at all tied to the external shape and design of your home. Also distinctive feature is that you are not at all obliged to place the rooms close together; you can remove them from each other at any distance by connecting them with corridors.

This gives unlimited possibilities when planning a house, reducing heat loss between rooms (it’s hot in the kitchen: they’re preparing dinner, it’s cool in the next room) and high sound insulation, which is very important for large families, with minimal material costs. And also the ability to add additional space if the family grows without losing the external design, the so-called “growing” house.

In the second approach, we will consider the two most significant types of houses for “settlers”. These are complex houses, or gallery houses. The first type is a horseshoe house, the second is a closed house - a gallery. Let's look at the first one

The peculiarity of the horseshoe-shaped house is that its front part (patio) is made in a modern way, and the front part completely merges with nature. The house has two main entrances on opposite sides. At the front entrance you invite business partners, city relatives who do not accept anything other than modern conveniences, and important guests. And to the backyard - your real friends, like-minded people. Here you are in the “city” (being in the front yard), you did some work, took a few steps, and you are in the virgin forest, or your garden, or vegetable garden, etc. And no one may even know that your house here is an ordinary “hill.” They think you have a normal house or even a cottage. And you spend your time so modestly, looking at the blooming garden, which, by the way, very few rich people can afford. After all, the garden was grown by you. This is your success, dear, that’s why you are so happy. But here it was planted by professionals: beautiful, but dead. That's why rich people change their dachas so quickly. After all, this is not their success, this is the designer’s success. And he doesn’t bring them joy... That’s the secret.

The second house, along with all the advantages of the first, also has its own distinctive ones. If you want to live in a modern house, but at the same time its appearance should not spoil the natural landscape - this is for you (see Fig. 7). This can be a house - a gallery of any shape (circle, oval, square, triangle, hexagon, etc.) with a courtyard. It is convenient in that it is possible to access all rooms both from inside the house and through the yard along the shortest route. In the overall landscape of the site, it does not visually stick out and does not absorb the surrounding space.
For those who find it difficult to move from “civilized” architecture to nature and simplicity, the patio is a real find. You can organize a pool or a fountain in it, or you can do it all together. Concrete paths or lawn. You can even glaze the entire upper space of the patio.
The walls facing the courtyard can be made “classic”, i.e. leave open, from the building materials from which the house is built, clad with tiles, wild stone, marble, clapboard, etc. In a word, whatever you want. You can also make an embankment, sod it, turning it into a lawn or flowerbed and arrange a mini-garden inside the courtyard with grapes, cherries, Christmas trees... Organize a decorative pond without fear that water and tree roots will get into the house (don’t forget about drainage ditches or gutters). People around you won’t even think that everything is like that with you! External embankment can be simple.

On the top of such a house-complex you can put a gazebo with an all-round view, or an unheated summer room. Summer kitchen, but you can also place it inside the yard. You can display hives, and if the hives are decks, then you can arrange them into a fabulous ensemble. You can even install greenhouses (they will not block out much light) or simply organize a mini-garden. Your possibilities are endless!
As you can see, all these houses are characterized by one thing - a combination of opposites: civilized and natural. Moreover, you can freely choose the ratio of living and dying elements in your home! In addition to everything, we can say that this project can be completely autonomous: water supply, sewerage, etc.

Construction of a fox hole.

1 - description of the fox hole

It is unlikely that anywhere else you can feel such a sense of security as in a bunded building.

The secret is simple - the energy and spirit of the earth literally permeate the structure under the turf dome. Natural grounding of the building relieves stress and removes electromagnetic fields caused by stray currents, which is typical for multi-story reinforced concrete structures.

There are no fears of heating power outages and power outages here, since a simple wood-burning fireplace is enough to maintain a comfortable temperature.

As usual, holiday villages flash monotonously outside the window of the electric train. Booths, huts, houses, houses, houses...

And behind all this pile of buildings, the main thing is not visible - the beauty of the cultivated land. And the houses themselves (or rather, the cases) are empty most of the year. In cold weather, warming them up for the night (+15...+ 16°C) is problematic: until the walls warm up, it’s time to get ready for the city.

In a diked house, the water in the pipes or in the kettle will never freeze, and with a minimum of costs it is not difficult to create comfortable living conditions. The lack of natural light can be compensated by installing transparent roof elements (skylights), the efficiency of which is much higher than traditional windows.

Modern bunded structures can be used for a variety of purposes: housing for livestock, garages for agricultural machinery, etc. Houses built using simple materials (expanded clay concrete blocks, sandbags, logs, soil blocks) can help solve the acute housing problem of many categories population - refugees, migrants, etc.

This type of bunded houses received the code name “Fox Hole”.

2 - production of work
At the first stage, a common pit is dug with a depth of 0.5-0.8 m and dimensions 0.5 m larger than the dimensions of the future building. The soil is piled up around the perimeter of the embankment.

At the bottom of the pit they make strip foundation 400 mm thick and 250 mm deep, made of M300 concrete, reinforced with ZF6A-1 mesh. A 150 mm thick preparation of sand and gravel mixture is laid under the strip foundation. On the top of the foundation there is waterproofing made of two layers of roofing felt on bitumen.

The walls of the house are erected from red brick M100 on cement-sand mortar M50: up to the 0.00 mark - 380 mm thick, above - 250 mm thick. Walls can be made from other materials, for example, from concrete blocks, or made from monolithic expanded clay concrete. The outer surfaces of the walls in contact with the ground must be insulated by coating with hot bitumen (two or three times) or roofing felt.

The ceiling is made from hollow reinforced concrete slabs type PK63-15-8, on top of which a leveling screed is made. The ceiling is insulated polystyrene foam boards 50-70 mm thick, which are laid on cold bitumen mastic. The insulation layer is covered with two or three layers of roofing felt (waterproofing) on bitumen mastic with waterproofing of the junction points with the walls.
On top of the structure is a clay castle with a layer of 10-15 cm, followed by embankment with soil removed from the pit. Subsequently, ornamental grass can be sown in this place, a flower garden can be arranged, etc.

1 - veranda (14.0 m2);
2 - kitchen (12.0 m2);
3 - room (20.0 m2);
4 - vegetable storage (18.0 m2);
5 - greenhouse (18.0 m2);
6 - pantry (1.3 m2);
7 - bench-locker;
8 - water absorber pit

3 - what is needed and what is obtained

1 - three layers of roofing felt on bitumen mastic (40 mm);
2 - reinforced concrete slabs;
3 - expanded polystyrene (plates 50mm thick);
4 - clay (100 mm);
5 - bulk soil with turf;
6 - galvanized iron;
7 - reinforced concrete lintel;
8 - metal carcass greenhouses;
9 - drainage around the perimeter;
10 - foundation blocks FBS-3;
11 – linoleum on a heat-insulating basis;
12 – waterproofing;
13 – cement-sand screed (20 mm);
14 – expanded clay concrete M75 (50 mm);
15 – compacted soil;
16 – brick M100.

Ventilation

1. When we turn on the oven, air from the room begins to be taken in and thrown out (I think this is clear to everyone, I won’t explain). This results in active ventilation when a person is present.

2. At first we thought this if the stove pipe was located at the bottom, then let the air enter the room through it and do not make a “suction” pipe. Well, after this “experiment” they lit the stove and lay down on the floor of the bed. It wasn't like that. It became somehow uncomfortable to sleep, I was sweating, there wasn’t enough air... that’s when I started talking about the suction and suction.
In general, the final conclusion is this: it is imperative to have two pipes for passive ventilation (suction-exhaust).

When you flood the stove, it turns out that one pipe works for inflow (suction) and two for exhaust (suction + stove)

When you leave, you get two pipes for inflow (suction + furnace) and one for exhaust

3. There is a “suction” on the pipe- installed a damper to regulate the supply of incoming air. If you thought that I sit there all day long at these two pipes and control their suction and exhaust, then you were wrong to think so. Because they are all always completely open, and I sometimes close the damper when it’s cool in the room (for example, we just arrived and haven’t lit the stove yet)

4. An interesting effect began to be observed: At night, a decent amount of water flowed from our ventilation pipes. Well, let's look at this matter:

We hung decorative “condensation collectors” (in common parlance, salad bowls) and this water now flowed not past the basin, but into the “right place”. Well, of course, you need to drain the water every three days...
IF YOU THOUGHT, WHAT WILL IT BE, WHEN THE PERSON IS NOT IN THE HOLE, IT WILL BE ALL FLOODED WITH CONDENSATE.... Here's what I'll tell you in response to this.

The whole project" Foxy burrow" can be called a "Living House" and, as is customary in nature, many problems (from our heads) are solved there automatically.

Look: I left Norka, The stove can’t be lit, the man can’t breathe...
Damn, condensation stopped forming... strange Yes?
And it’s not a fool for condensation to form everywhere. He is also a “human being” and must be respected. So, condensation forms only when the stove is lit in the room (it’s very warm inside), and at night it’s relatively cold outside, so all the water vapors (breath, fresh log house, etc.) began to come out into the chimney, and it’s cold outside, so it and the native condensate flowed back inside. And we immediately collected it (in saucepans, basins, jars, salad bowls, etc.). All that remains is to do it all beautifully. Which is what was done.
Moreover, on the basis of this, Gekov came up with a unique idea to obtain water for the estate based on these properties. There he offered me such a thing, which I’m still afraid to talk about here. But there it comes out to 200 liters. You can get water a day...

5. Checking the functionality of such a system: well that means so. I varnished the floors, sealed the Burrow (my windows are good and the doors too, and the walls are already covered from the outside) and left for the city.
Arriving in the city, I was sick for half a day from this painting - I exhaled directly from the paint... Well, in general, they painted it with soul." Arriving a day later at the hole, I discovered that not only was the entire painted floor dry, but there wasn’t even a smell left, and so it didn’t remain that he even slept on the floor (there was no furniture then). Since then, I have observed this more than once (painted the crib, windows, doors, etc.) and it’s always such garbage
WHICH CONFIRMS THE EXCELLENT OPERATION OF VENTILATION.
AND THE ROOM IS ALWAYS DRY, WARM AND COMFORTABLE.

In order to maintain normal temperature and humidity, good supply and exhaust ventilation must be provided. To do this, it is better to install two pipes in different places in the building. The inlet of the exhaust pipe is located under the ceiling, and the supply pipe is located at a height of 0.5-0.6 m from the floor. The movement of air through the pipes occurs as a result of the temperature difference in the lower and upper parts of the room. The draft increases with increasing height of the exhaust pipe, which is installed above the “ridge of the roof”.

The cross-section of ventilation pipes is selected taking into account the area. So, with an area of 6-8 m2, the cross-section is taken equal to 120X120 mm. If only one ventilation pipe is made, its cross-section must be at least 150X150 mm. Pipes located within the attic must be insulated.

Pipes can be made from well-fitted boards 30-40 mm thick. Although it can be made of plastic. They are equipped with valves to regulate air exchange.

Rice. Valve design for draft control:
1 - ventilation pipe; 2 - gate valve (valve)

In small rooms, you can install one ventilation pipe divided into two channels. One channel (exhaust) starts higher, the other (supply) starts lower.

As for heating and power supply, today in Russia there are sufficiently developed electrical installations of wind and other types. It is especially worth noting the YUSMAR installation, developed and already produced in Russia, which is capable of heating, supplying hot water and even electricity to individual houses around the clock. Its efficiency is 150% (may physicists forgive us, but this is true, there are no errors or any contradictions with science).

DIY house » Useful tips » Building a “Fox Hole” type house

13-04-2011, 21:19

It is unlikely that anywhere else you can feel such a sense of security as in a bunded building. The secret is simple and I learned this secret on the pages of the website www.ibrus.ru - the energy and spirit of the earth literally permeate the structure under the turf dome. Natural grounding of the building relieves stress and removes electromagnetic fields caused by stray currents, which is typical for multi-story reinforced concrete structures.

There are no fears of heating power outages and power outages here, since a simple wood-burning fireplace is enough to maintain a comfortable temperature. As usual, holiday villages flash monotonously outside the window of the electric train. Booths, huts, houses, houses, houses... And behind all this pile of buildings, the main thing is not visible - the beauty of the cultivated land. And the houses themselves (or rather, the cases) are empty most of the year. In cold weather, warming them up for the night (15-16°C) is problematic: until the walls warm up, it’s time to get ready for the city.

Fig. 1 Plan of a “Fox Hole” type house for a small area:
1 - veranda (14.0 m2);
2 - kitchen (12.0 m2);
3 - room (20.0m2);
4 - vegetable storage (18.0 m2);
5 - greenhouse (18.0m2);
6 - pantry (1.3 m2);
7 - bench-locker;
8 - water absorber pit

Modern bunded structures can be used for a variety of purposes: housing for livestock, garages for agricultural machinery, etc.

Dugouts of the third millennium - from elite mansions to a hobbit hole

e. Houses built using simple materials (expanded clay concrete blocks, sandbags, logs, soil blocks) can help solve the acute housing problem of many categories of the population - refugees, displaced people, etc.

This type of bunded houses received the code name “Fox Hole”. Our architectural studio is ready to help develop projects for both small buildings and entire public complexes (sports, cultural, etc.). Let's see how you can build a small house, lined with earth, for a small garden plot.

Manufacturing jobs. At the first stage, a common pit is dug with a depth of 0.5-0.8 m and dimensions 0.5 m larger than the dimensions of the future building. The soil is piled up along the perimeter of the embankment. Along the bottom of the pit, a strip foundation 400 mm thick and 250 mm deep is made of M300 concrete, reinforced with a mesh of ZF6A-1. A 150 mm thick preparation of sand and gravel mixture is laid under the strip foundation. On the top of the foundation there is waterproofing made of two layers of roofing felt on bitumen.

The walls of the house are erected from red brick Ml00 on cement-sand mortar M50: up to the 0.00 mark - 380 mm thick, above - 250 mm thick.

Walls can be made from other materials, for example, from concrete blocks, or made from monolithic expanded clay concrete. The outer surfaces of the walls in contact with the ground must be insulated by coating with hot bitumen (two to three times) or roofing felt.

The ceiling is made of hollow reinforced concrete slabs of type PK63-15-8, on top of which a leveling screed is made. The ceiling is insulated with polystyrene foam boards 50-70 mm thick, which are laid on cold bitumen mastic. The insulation layer is covered with two to three layers of roofing material (waterproofing) on bitumen mastic with waterproofing of the junction points with the walls.

On top of the structure- clay castle with a layer of 10-15 cm, followed by embankment with soil removed from the pit. Subsequently, ornamental grass can be sown in this place, a flower garden can be arranged, etc.

House protected by land

A modern underground house bears little resemblance to a bunker, cellar or dugout. It is beautiful, comfortable and environmentally friendly. The construction of such unusual housing is a bold experiment, but it is completely justified.

Underground houses look like a hill or hole in a slope and look like an element of the natural landscape. The growing interest in dwellings in which the walls and roof are covered with earth, as a result of which they are often called “fox holes,” is explained not only by the desire for originality and maximum unity with nature, but also by rational considerations - the desire to obtain economic benefits during construction and operation. Underground construction is accessible to everyone, and adherence to technology guarantees high quality environment in the house. There is a wide choice of options for the depth of the structure into the ground: from completely underground to completely above-ground, embanked with earth (embankment, fenced with berms - from the German berme - an element of an embankment slope). Construction methods are also varied: from simple ones, suitable for building a house with your own hands, to complex ones based on avant-garde architectural and engineering ideas. Therefore, the houses are different - from low-budget buildings to luxurious underground villas.

Temperature underground

Soil temperature - important factor energy saving at home. The soil conducts heat poorly and accumulates it well (in a dry state, these qualities are approximately the same as those of a brick), therefore temperature fluctuations that occur on the surface of the earth spread in it slowly, reaching depths with a great delay. Measurements have shown that at a depth of 2-3 m the warmest moment of the year comes 2-3 months later. The soil is coldest in the spring. In the climatic conditions of Ukraine at a depth of 2 m in winter the temperature will be 6-8 °C, in summer - 15-18 °C.

Benefits of construction

Living below the surface of the earth in past times was considered the lot of the poor. To dig a space in the ground for one or several rooms, no funds are required; enclosing structures do not need to be erected - the earth serves as them. However, the disadvantages of such a home were dampness, lack of sunlight, and difficulty in ventilation, so it could not be considered healthy and environmentally friendly.

The view of a house underground began to change in the late 60s of the last century. Over time, solutions have been developed to manage living in such structures to healthy standards.

But this affected the cost of housing: when using high-quality materials, which are preferably used in underground construction, it may turn out to be no less than a similar area located on the surface.

But on the right site, you can take full advantage of the unique benefits that land protection provides:

Energy saving. Since the earth does not conduct heat well and can be very thick, such dwellings are characterized by stable internal temperatures: heat is well retained in winter and air conditioning is not required in summer. In extreme climates with long, cold, windy winters and hot summers, maintaining a comfortable temperature will not be energy-intensive;

High sound insulation. The earth perfectly protects from sounds of any frequency; there will always be peace and quiet in the premises. The penetration of sounds outside is also limited. Therefore, underground houses are comfortable in noisy areas, near highways;

Safety. An underground house is safe in areas with increased seismic activity, is not afraid of hurricanes, and is protected from the outside from fires. It is difficult for thieves to get into your home, since the number of places for entry is limited. In the event of hostilities, an underground structure becomes a comfortable personal bomb shelter and provides reliable camouflage;

Landscape conservation. The natural landscape of the area will change minimally after the construction of the house, the area of green cover of the site, environmental and aesthetic value places; the opportunity to build on inconvenience. An attractive, but difficult to develop slope, hilly area can be turned into an advantage and can be easily developed;

Reducing labor costs during construction. In rough terrain you can reduce the volume earthworks. No labor-intensive façade and roofing. This will reduce the cost and time of building a house; minimal costs for maintaining the building in safety. When using high-quality waterproofing, walls and roofs overgrown with grass will require maintenance only in terms of landscape design, as part of the site.

A well-built underground house will have no disadvantages, except that the view of the area from the windows may be limited. However, its features and construction costs significantly depend on natural conditions plot. Sometimes it is advantageous to bury a house in the ground, in other cases it is rational to build it above the ground and embank it. An analysis of the site will show how complex and expensive measures will be needed during construction so that the house does not suffer from water penetration, soil shifts, or lack of lighting.

House on top of the hill

A convenient place for construction is on the top of a hill. The location at the highest point of the relief helps to maximally protect the premises from water penetration, orient them to any cardinal direction, and provide excellent lighting and visibility from the windows. During construction, the top of the hill is torn down, and after the structures are erected, they are filled up again.

Site requirements

To determine the feasibility of building an underground house, it is necessary to take into account the features of the site in the complex:

RELIEF. Relief with elevation changes is preferable - sloping or hilly. On such a site there is room for a harmonious placement of a house while saving on excavation work. In any building on a slope, a floor is formed, at least partially located underground, and its expansion and deepening will make it possible to make all the premises underground. In hilly areas, a dwelling can be placed on a horizontal platform, while being partially built into one of the elevations of the relief, which will act as a natural embankment of the walls. Therefore, most underground buildings are built on topography. Owners of a hilly plot that is difficult to construct standard house, it is worth thinking about building underground housing.

It is also important that surface water drains quickly from sloping areas and the soil remains dry. An underground house should not be located in a lowland, ravine or thalweg where water from the surrounding area collects.

ORIENTATION. The southern orientation of the slope is ideal, providing the premises with sunlight for most of the day. The northern slope, although it will provide coolness in a hot climate, is still unacceptable for an underground house from a hygienic point of view, since the premises require insolation. In hot climates, a good orientation is eastern. On a flat area, you should also orient the entrance and windows to the sunny sides.

PRIMING. It is best if the site contains soils that allow water to pass through well - sand, sandy loam and loam. They dry quickly and are suitable for natural and artificial embankment (which is done with soil taken from the pit). Clay is an unfavorable type of soil because it retains moisture and erodes when wet. However, it can be used as an additional waterproofing lock in layers adjacent to the load-bearing underground structures of the house. A fertile layer of soil is used as a top covering, which is removed and preserved during construction.

GROUND WATER LEVEL. The best area would be one where groundwater lies at great depth. This will allow the house to be lowered as much as possible and integrated into the terrain. Housing cannot be located below the groundwater level; you should also make sure that there is no underground flow at the construction site - in these cases it is difficult to prevent water from penetrating into the house. Modern technologies allow reliable protection against moisture seepage through structures, but the cost of the work will be unreasonably high.

MICROCLIMATE. The drier the area, the better for building an underground house. A humid microclimate is contraindicated for it: to combat dampness, it will be necessary to increase ventilation and constantly monitor the condition of structures, which will cause costs and discomfort.

House types

There are two main types of houses protected by earth - underground and bunded. Underground is a structure that is located entirely or mostly below ground level. A bunded house can be located above ground level or partially below it, while the upper part of its walls and roof is covered with soil. The earthen roof directly goes into the surface of the site (which distinguishes an underground dwelling from a ground dwelling with a green roof).

Each house protected by earth is individual, but several common solutions can be identified depending on the appearance, location on the terrain, and method of construction.

1. DUTCH HOUSE. The traditional and simplest version of an underground house. The most suitable terrain for construction is with a slight slope or flat, and the building can also be adjacent to a hill. Only the roof covered with soil is visible above the ground surface. With a rectangular plan, it is usually gable, but can be flat or vaulted. The entrance is arranged in the end wall, in front of which there is a pit with a canopy and steps leading down. Windows are built into the gables on the end walls; sometimes (for example, if the rear end is adjacent to a hill) windows are used built into the roof in the form of skylights or lucarnes. The house can only be one-story (with a higher number of floors, you get a regular building with a basement), its width usually does not exceed 6 m (this is determined by the possibilities of covering the span), and the length is arbitrary. The room can be divided into rooms, providing them with windows.

When constructing a dugout, a foundation pit is torn out, walls are installed around its perimeter to protect it from damp earth, as well as support structures for the roof, then the room is covered and the roof is covered with earth.

2. BEDED HOUSE. An option suitable for any type of terrain - flat area, slope, hilly area. The house can be slightly recessed, including completely above ground or combining underground and bunded parts. For example, a ground one can be “attached” to a hill, which will serve as a natural fence for part of the walls, and the remaining walls can be embanked (this is economical, since the volume of excavation work is reduced). It is possible to make a house of any shape in plan, multi-room, two-story, with windows oriented to several cardinal directions.

When building a bunded house, first, walls and a roof are erected in a pit of the required depth or on the surface of the ground. Enclosing structures must not only separate the premises from the ground, but also withstand soil pressure. Then the building is covered with earth, leaving vertical sections of walls with windows and an entrance open.

3. HOUSE BUILT INTO A SLOPE. The parameters of such a dwelling depend on the steepness of the relief and the orientation of the slope. The steeper the slope, the higher the number of storeys.

Cheap, eco-friendly, fabulous... DIY house

Living spaces are usually illuminated from the side of the slope, while it is advisable to make the light front of the house as long as possible. During construction, as a rule, part of the slope is removed, building structures are erected and the landscape is returned to its previous state. If the stability of the soil allows, construction work can be carried out directly in the soil.

When the site is located near the top of a hill, the house can be a through tunnel with exits to opposite sides of the slope, which will expand the possibilities of lighting and ventilation of the premises. It can be constructed by directly penetrating the soil layer or by removing and refilling the top of the topography.

Architecture and interior

The architectural appearance of underground and bunded houses is significantly different from above-ground ones.

In addition to green walls and roofs, many of them are characterized by plastic, streamlined shapes of volumes. The structures that form them are often made of reinforced concrete, since it is able to withstand high pressure created by the mass of soil and effectively protect against water.

There are also differences in layout. Houses built into a slope often have an extended plan with a shallow depth of rooms - up to 6 m. Rooms that do not require daylight (bathrooms, storage rooms) can be located deeper underground, but their area will be small. Underground construction is characterized by the use of overhead lights, as well as light guides equipped with mirrors that launch deep into the earth Sun rays. External walls are sometimes completely glazed. Large windows oriented to the south help not only better illuminate the house, but also accumulate heat. In order to improve lighting in the interior, translucent partitions are sometimes used to separate rooms, and surfaces are painted in light colors.

Walled houses can have a completely traditional plan. But there is another possibility - the rooms can be made not adjacent to each other, but connected by corridors (“underground passages”), which will increase the resemblance of the house to a “fox hole”. This is important if you need to isolate the premises as much as possible. In addition, you can form interior parts (tables, beds, etc.) from soil, finishing their surface with tiles, wood or other material, depending on the style of the interior.

Construction rules

When constructing underground and bunded houses, preference should be given to moisture-resistant materials. You can use ceramics, treated wood, suitable material is monolithic reinforced concrete. Aerated concrete, which absorbs moisture abundantly, should not be used. It is important to use high-quality waterproofing (the material depends on the specific conditions and construction technology). The embankment of the building is carried out with soil selected from the pit. To cover an above-ground house, you will need to bring a large amount of soil to the site.

The simplest and most common technology involves the construction of a house (both underground and bunded) open method. A foundation pit of the required depth and shape is dug 0.5-1 m larger than the dimensions of the building. Along the perimeter of the walls that will form the shell of the house, a shallow foundation is made (its thickness depends on the size of the building, the design and material of the walls, and the planned thickness of the soil layer). The walls are made of brick, wooden logs, concrete blocks, monolithic concrete. They may be thinner than those of a ground-based house, but when bunded they must withstand the pressure of the earth (half a brick or up to 10 cm of concrete). The supporting structure of the roof can be mounted in the form rafter system with a frequent arrangement of rafters (for increased strength) and plank rolling. For brick or concrete walls, it is worth making a monolithic reinforced concrete floor and giving the ceiling, which will become the roof of the house, a vaulted shape, the most effective for supporting the mass of the earth.

The outer shell of the house and the floor are waterproofed in a continuous loop. Thermal insulation is not required if the thickness of the soil layer protecting the structure is more than 1 m. As a rule, in the roof area the soil is laid in a smaller layer, so additional insulation has to be installed in the upper part of the house (preferably with extruded polystyrene foam, resistant to interaction with wet soil). Floors are made on the ground, as in an ordinary house, sequentially laying waterproofing, insulation, screed and topcoat.

To drain water from the walls, it is necessary to organize drainage. Drainage ditches are located around the perimeter of the building (on a slope Special attention paying attention to the area above the house) and are taken to the area below the house. A drainage layer is also required in the thickness of the soil covering the house. It helps reduce water pressure on underground structures.

A more complex technology - closed construction - is used for the construction of underground houses on a steep slope. It involves creating a cavity in the earth and carrying out work completely underground and requires the participation of specialists with experience in underground construction, the use of special equipment, and the creation of a soil-strengthening structure.

Engineering

The energy and water supply systems for bunded and underground houses are the same as in above-ground ones. There are differences in the ventilation device. It is necessary to take into account the vapor tightness of the walls and the risk of dampness (especially if there were errors in the installation of waterproofing - for example, the material turned out to be fragile and cracks formed). Therefore, in both bunded and underground houses (especially those oriented only to one side of the world and deprived of cross ventilation), it is necessary to provide pressure forced supply and exhaust ventilation. The exhaust pipe openings are located under the ceiling, raising the pipe above the roof (if the house is large, there may be several of them). The inflow is made through special holes left in the entrance area at a height of half a meter from the floor. The volume of air exchange and the cross-section of the holes must be calculated by a specialist, and the first indicator is increased if appliances with an open flame, such as a stove, are used in the house. Fans are installed not only for exhaust, but also on the supply openings, providing a forced flow of air. The exhaust and supply must be equipped with dampers to regulate air exchange. It is also desirable that the windows can be opened. They will provide additional air flow, and when placed in the upper part of the house, for example on the roof, an exhaust hood.

In an underground house it is better to use electrical systems heating and water heating, it is beneficial to equip the house with solar collectors. Furnaces and boilers running on solid fuel are also possible (however, they increase the load on ventilation system). Using gas is dangerous.

When an underground recessed house is located on a flat terrain, difficulties may arise with the installation of a sewer system. If wastewater is generated at depth, it is not always possible to organize its gravity flow to the point of accumulation and the use of a pump will be required. It is advisable to avoid such a situation as it places residents seriously dependent on the electricity supply.

Therefore, the issue of sewerage installation should be taken into account when determining the depth level of the house. It should be deepened only to a level that allows gravity drainage to be installed.

Selection of waterproofing

The waterproofing option depends on a number of factors:

Material of walls and roof. When using stone materials, coating, roll, or plaster waterproofing is used. For concrete, the most effective is penetrating (injection) waterproofing, which creates a water-impenetrable barrier inside the wall.

Soil moisture. For dry soils, painting with two layers of hot bitumen is sufficient; for wet soils, it is better to use rolled materials in several layers (their quantity should be greater, the higher the water pressure on the surface).

Mechanical effects on waterproofing. In the presence of shear forces (for example, on inclined surfaces) you should not use bitumen and synthetic waterproofing materials, which are prone to creep. For walls experiencing shear, tensile or high compressive stresses, as well as seismic loads, plaster waterproofing is most reliable.

Ground cover installation

The comfort and durability of an underground house largely depend on a correctly executed multi-layer soil system, which is actually its final enclosing structure.

The load-bearing horizontal part of the house (floor slab, roof) must have a slope to avoid stagnation of water in the soil and its further soaking. To protect the interior of the home and structures from hypothermia, install thermal insulation, and then waterproofing, which has a long service life (20-50 years) and high strength. A drainage layer (made of expanded clay, fine gravel, coarse sand) is placed on top and protected from erosion by filter material (geotextile). For large slopes, it is convenient to use special synthetic mats or profiled membranes for drainage.

The soil above the house is poured in a layer of at least 30 cm, which is enough to create a lawn and flower bed. On inclined surfaces, overgrown roots will reliably hold the soil, but in order to immediately protect it from sliding, a rolled lawn is usually used, and for slopes of more than 45° the surface is reinforced with a special mesh. The more massive the soil layer, the larger the plants can be planted, but you should always choose specimens with a surface rather than a tap root system.

It is also important to consider the irrigation system.

Fox hole (banked house, dugout)

The design and construction of in-ground dwellings is currently developing at a rapid pace, as it is one of the ways to reduce the dependence of residential buildings on a continuous supply of fuel. Previously, it was believed that mention of the possibility of building underground or buried dwellings could, due to a negative psychological reaction, cause a negative attitude towards any other similar ideas.

In fact, man has always turned to the earth to protect himself from the effects of unfavorable and extreme climatic conditions. Only the historically short era of accessible and cheap fuels has allowed us to build climate-independent homes and supply those homes with the energy we need to create comfortable conditions. Now that the availability of fossil fuels is dwindling and their prices are rising rapidly, it is time to reconsider the possibilities that the earth offers us.

We collect information on the site about the construction of fox holes and dugouts.

Basements and cellars: how to build

Outside the city you can’t do without a cellar and basement. Especially if you have your own vegetable garden (and you almost always have one on the site). I would like to preserve vegetables, pickles, and apples for the winter... A good basement (cellar) is very important, and therefore you need to approach its construction wisely.

To everyone who is facing a problem long-term storage large quantities of fresh fruits and vegetables, you need to build a cellar.

Methods for storing fruits and vegetables outside the home: in earthen pits, piles, ice storage, cellars various types, and so on.
Bounded house

The exceptionally hot summer of 2010 caused a lot of trouble for Russians. There was simply nowhere to escape from the heat. Personally, I took refuge in the basement own home, where was quite comfortable temperature, which allowed me to sleep normally in a pleasant coolness. True, you won’t live in a semi-basement. Thoughts involuntarily came to mind: how to combine this comfortable temperature regime a semi-basement that is cool in summer and warm in winter, with the usual convenience of natural light in an ordinary home. Here, by the way, I remembered the project of the bunded house Fox Hole by B. Novoselov (House No. 10, 1999). The most significant shortcomings This project is due to the lack of natural light and the need to ensure high-quality waterproofing of the house. Both are quite difficult to do using the proposed methods. By slightly changing the specified design and using modern materials, we were able to solve these problems.

I note that this is just a project, but I also used my personal experience when choosing some design solutions.
Photo of the house and interior of the fox hole

Photo sent by Dmitry Dorogov.
Two solutions to the fox hole

We will illustrate the design solutions for bunded buildings with two examples. These buildings are simple and economical. They can be compared to well-made, carefully insulated conventional buildings, although they cannot be considered perfect. The examples of solutions provided should not be considered optimal. Attention is drawn to the main features of the projects, which consider: firstly, architectural and planning solutions; secondly, issues of energy conservation; thirdly, economic characteristics according to local designers. Capital and operating cost issues are of paramount importance for the construction of in-ground dwellings.
Bunkers

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia says that a bunker is a shelter in German military terminology. Ours has a storage container. And when you see a modern American-style bunker, you begin to get lost in terms.

Company: U.S. Bunkers (“American Bunkers”). Location: Miami, Florida. Occupation: “production of portable, aerodynamic, monolithic concrete structures for one single purpose - protecting and saving lives.”

hobbit house

Description: “You must see this.”
Turf roof

Photo of a turf roof, Norway. The technology is as follows: galvanized sheets, a mesh on top of them (to prevent the soil from rolling), then the top fertile layer (torn from the ground) or simply bulk soil, which is sown with anything.
Fox hole in Altai region

I built this structure this summer in the suburbs of Barnaul, Altai Territory.

I haven’t finished the interior yet, so I’d like to know the latest developments in ventilation and heating.

I also want to make a turf roof (I currently have roofing felt there).

I would like to communicate with like-minded people.
Fox holes around the world
Earth houses by Peter Vetsch

Information about this site (photos from which are presented below) was sent to us by Marina Zheleznaya.

Very interesting projects of earthen houses. Some of the photos are in the photo gallery below.

All of them are located in Switzerland and some in Germany.
Dugout and the problem of spring floods

The most serious test for the dugouts was the spring flood. They could not stand this test - they were flooded. The presence of a slope and drainage did not guarantee dry dugouts. The conclusion is simple, to correct the situation you need to do drainage to the depth of the dug pit or raise the earthen floor. Neither the slope nor the hole under the pond saved the dugout from flooding. We had to raise the floor to ground level. At the moment this is a “roof on the ground”.

Stage-by-stage construction of a fox hole house. Fox hole (banked house, dugout)

Earthbag house)

House "Fox Hole" (buried dwelling)

Houses made of firewood (clay, woodpile, cordwood)

House made of straw blocks (bales).

Wooden house (log house)

Garden houses "fox hole"

Fox hole house - all the pros and cons...

Waterproofing in garden houses

How to build a house cheaply

Dugouts of the third millennium - from elite mansions to a hobbit hole

Cheap, eco-friendly, fabulous... DIY house

Fox hole (banked house, dugout)

Basements and cellars: how to build

Bounded house

Photo of the house and interior of the fox hole

Two solutions to the fox hole

Bunkers

hobbit house

Turf roof

Fox hole in Altai region

Fox holes around the world

Earth houses by Peter Vetsch

Dugout and the problem of spring floods

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