WHAT WAS I THINKING ?????
What was I thinking 4 years ago when I decided to get involved with papercrete?
I knew I wanted to build a house for myself – and I do mean by myself – with my own body, mind, heart and soul.
I was thinking that I needed to find a medium and method that could be easily carried out by a person of little physical strength with few tools and very little money.
After looking into many things such as straw bale, cob, adobe, earthbag, rammed earth, and several others I settled on papercrete. Of all the things out there papercrete met all of my criteria.
It is environmentaly friendly (uses recycled paper), simple to do (just throw all the ingredients into the mixer and take off), provide excellent insulation (3+ R value per inch), requires the use of a few basic tools, can be done without assistance, and results in an aesthetically pleasing, comfortable and beautiful building.
I was also thinking that along the way I could share what I was learning and doing with other people who were looking for an inexpensive and practical way to put up a building for themselves.
Now, four+ years later I am still enthralled by papercrete. I have made over 1000 blocks and have the walls of a 900 square foot building up about 8 feet. I also have a the walls of a basic 12 x16 shed up and have started the roof, also of papercrete.
I never stop thinking, planning, dreaming, eating and sleeping papercrete. It’s the best thing I’ve found to build with and now I want to share it with all who have the dream of building a house for themselves.
Papercrete blocks are easy to make and are light weight.
About The Author
I am impressed by your attitude and the results you got after 4 years of (highly probable) trial and error. You make sense of “why and how” of discovering your building blocks. After reading about you and your experience, I definitely know that I can also do it.
I look forward to taking your class and learning all about papercrete.
Thank you for sharing,
Cheryl Erb
Thanks Cheryl. Yes there has been a lot of trial and error. If anyone who is building anything tells you there is none of that then they are not telling the truth.
Judith, I jsut found this and low n behold, I’m wondering if it is possible to make a yurt type house with this. I’ve a perfect place to put one. am not shy of working with it, either.
cyndy
Yes Cyndy, I believe you are on to something! Have you seen Yurts, Living in the Round by Becky Kemery? I thought when I first read it how great it would be to make a frame panel yurt using papercete as the filler for the frames. It’s sort of like the structural insulated panels they make but using papercrete in stead of rigid foam. There is no reason you couldn’t do this. Please keep in touch with me so I can know how you are doing. I’m very interested in doing something like this. And I would love it if you could come and do a workshop with me. I’m sure you would learn a lot.