Earth Sheltered or Earth Bermed homes

[Edwardo]

A few years ago i was interested in earth sheltered houses but my wife kept telling me there no way she would live in a concrete bunker... so i dropped the subject, but lately tornados and other severe weather in our area has made me start thinking again about it. We have always a big difference in temperatures from summer to winter, +30c to -30c is common from mid summer to mid winter, it seems like the day after you turn the furnace off, you need to turn the a/c unit on..from the little time i researched these types of homes i read that they hardly vary in temperatures from summer to winter, so i wanted to start this thread for anyone else that may be interested in it, or if you have knowledge or experience with these types of home it would be greatly welcomed.

EDD

[Edwardo]

Just a photo i seen showing the strength of these types of structures, idealy in the past they mostly built these homes on hill sides, but they can be built anywhere if you have the space...

EDD

[Edwardo]

Interesting web site showing the construction of a earth sheltered house on level ground....

http://www.earthshelteredhome.com/photo-gal2.htm

EDD

[Afton]

In the business of building concrete homes. I live in one and only wish I had birmed. Very competitive to any other methods. Concrete walls with steel supported concrete roof and compost light weight soil. With solar you should not need to be on the grid.

[naomi105813]

You know the climate is more and more bad than before.

[Afton]

Some one write me about earth shelters? www.allenenterprises80.yolasite.com

[Edwardo]

Our climate in mid western Canada varies from -35c in winter to +35c in summer and it just seems like we turn the furnace off in the spring and a week later turn the a/c on, vice versa in the fall... so i think a earth sheltered home would be ideal for this climate...

EDD

[Afton]

Wish I could help you and build one some where. Think people need them for all kinds of protection

[UUU]

Although not fully earth sheltered, I had a house where the North side was earthed up on the bottom storey, and the windows on the upper storey were very small. On the South side, the windows were huge, but there was a generous overhang of the roof. In the winter the low sun shone straight into the house, and contributed to the heating. In summer, the overhanging roof provided shade, and reduced the heating effect. If I could afford to build a house from scratch, I'd want to incorporate these features.