What is Rammed Earth Construction?
If you are thinking about building a home in the Methow Valley, you are starting to imagine the possibilities. Allow me to introduce you to a unique and little know construction technique that is starting to gain notice.
Stabilized Rammed Earth (SRE) is damp engineered soil, stabilized with minimal cement that is mechanically compacted into handcrafted custom formwork. What is left is sandstone like wall; completely unique from any other. The design possibilities are truly endless.
Stabilized-insulated rammed earth can be used to build the exterior shell of custom homes, usually coupled with a few interior feature walls. SRE can also be utilized as fences, retaining walls, artistic landscape features and street lighting features. SRE is a structural-load bearing wall system, where all our structures are engineered to meet building code requirements.
SRE is a blend of gravel, sand and clays with no organics, mixed with minimal Portland cement as a stabilizer. Iron oxides are added to the mix to achieve desired colours. The walls are formed with re-usable aluminum formwork, greatly reducing our construction waste. The soil is mixed and delivered to the wall with a loader where it is hand shovelled into the forms in 6 to 8 inch lifts, each lift is pneumatically tamped as we work our way up to the full wall height. This is what creates the sedimentary rock look. The wall is finished inside and out after the forms are stripped off; no need for toxic paints, drywall or siding thus greatly reducing the ecological footprint of your project.
Curious? Check out SOLUM Rammed Earth's website for yourself. http://www.solumbuilders.ca
Let them know Heather Marrone sent you.