“Thinking about buying or building an underground
home?"
Building an underground home properly, could be the
wisest and most gratifying decision you make for the
largest investment in your life.
There are many names for an earth home: Green home,
earth integrated home, earth contact home,
earth-sheltered home, hobbit house and many more. I am
sure like me, your interest in earth homes have
generated many questions;
· What defines an earth home?
· Are they comfortable?
· Will they save money on heating, cooling and
maintenance?
· Why are underground homes, considered Green
Homes?
· What do they cost compared to conventional
construction?
· Are they safe from extreme weather?
· What about financing?
· What about insurance?
· What about resale value?
Over the years I have researched these questions. If
you stick with me over the next few minutes, I will
share the results of that research.
I have gathered a lot of information please bookmark
this site so you can find me later.
Now, we’re ready to “dig into” the facts about the
earth home!
What defines an earth home?
Many types of structures are called underground or
earth homes. Usually if the house is constructed with
one or more walls below the grounds surface it is
called an earth home.
The earliest of all true underground homes were
naturally occurring caves or shelters made by digging
into a hill side and placing timbers or stones to form
a door, across the opening. Some very elaborate homes
are still constructed using natural caves.
Today people adapt a wide variety of abandoned
missile silos, mine shafts, tunnels, concrete culverts
and boxes into underground living spaces. Concrete
culverts and boxes are usually buried using a process
called, “cut and cover” where a bulldozer or track-hoe
digs a trench that is covered after the culverts or
boxes are lowered into it by a crane.
Concrete reinforced with steel is widely used in
earth berm homes. These are usually designed much like
conventional homes then covered with earth.
Steel and shotcrete in large quantities is being used
by some companies for dome homes that get covered with
earth.
The latest Leading edge technology for underground
green homes is a modular construction system,
manufactured with composites, designed to be covered
with earth. These homes are 100% water proof, easy and
fast to assemble, highly tornado and earthquake
resistant all with an interior that features a smooth
clean futuristic appearance.
SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF EARTH HOME ENVIRONMENTAL
PROPERTIES
Click the “Green Home” button on the left to learn
more about these State of the Art homes.
Are they comfortable?
Underground
homes built in Charlotte NC are not subject to
rapid temperature change. Even in winter, unheated
they will not drop below 50 degrees. By their very
nature, being covered with earth, they are easy to
heat and easy to cool.
They are very quiet from outside noise and safe from
tornadoes, earthquakes and hurricanes. Your home
should be a safe comfortable shelter. A place you go
to, not run from in case of an emergency.
Will they save money on heating, cooling and
maintenance?
Properly constructed underground homes will save
85-90% on heating and cooling costs compared to
conventional construction.
This is big! Do the math for your situation and see
how big. Whether you heat with oil, propane, natural
gas or electricity your cost per unit has continued to
increase and will continue to increase. Most of these
energy sources have increased over 100% in the last
ten years.
I see recommendations to lower your thermostat by a
few degrees in the winter and raise it by a few
degrees in the summer to reduce your energy costs. The
people I talk with do not want to bundle up in the
winter to stay warm in their own home. One lady told
me she, “reduces her thermostat, bundles up and is
still uncomfortable, while spending ¼ of her monthly
income on fuel”, in her conventional home.
Click the “Green Home” button on the left if this
sounds like your situation or will be when energy
prices double again.
Why are underground homes, considered Green Homes?
There are many factors that are considered when
building a green home but lets’ just look at the two
with the largest impact, heating and cooling. Aside
from the financial costs of buying the fuel or
electricity to heat and cool your home there are
staggering ecological costs.
According to researchers at National Geographic's The
Green Guide, you will probably consume more energy
heating your home than cooling it.
In colder states, heating can account for up to
two-thirds of your annual energy bills, according to
the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). And,
on average, heating an American home with natural gas
produces about 6,400 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2, a
major warming gas). Use electricity, and CO2 emissions
average about 4,700 pounds. In a cold state like
Minnesota, the numbers jump to 8,000 pounds of CO2 for
natural gas and 9,900 pounds for electric heat.
In hot parts of the country, the calculation changes:
Air conditioners become the bigger energy users. A
typical centrally air conditioned home in Florida, for
instance, produces about 6,600 pounds of CO2.
There are a lot of little things we can do to make
our homes more Green but none have more positive
impact than building a green home.
Click the “Green Home” button on the left to start
planning your Green Home.
What do they cost compared to conventional
construction?
Homes vary widely in total costs according to how
home owners have them finished out. That means the
type of roofing, siding, windows, doors, flooring,
cabinetry, counter tops, trim, wall coverings,
lightening and plumbing fixtures, etc. When going
Green some people are choosing to go “Off Grid” and
retain rain water for household and garden usage.
The cost of underground construction can vary greatly
according to construction technique. Concrete
structures are labor intensive and involve costly
heavy equipment not readily available in rural areas.
Click the “Green Home” button on the left to see how
our Green Home solutions are suitable even for the Do
it Yourselfer.
Are they safe from extreme weather?
Yes! Underground homes are places people run to not
from in extreme weather. Click the "Safe Room" button
for more information.
What about financing?
Unlike many owner designed earth homes built from a
variety of re-purposed and recycled materials our
homes are professional engineered and constructed of
high quality materials.
Loan officers I have contracted are happy to loan
money for construction of our homes, if the borrower
meets the standard financial requirements expected of
home loan requester. As a bonus savings from reduced
energy costs from heating and cooling make a limited
budget easier to manage!
What about insurance?
Insurance companies are quickly adjusting to a new
mind set when they see the benefits of not having
roofs to incur hail damage or entire structures blown
away by tornadoes and hurricanes. I predict in the
near future underground homes will enjoy a special
discounted rate because of their resistance to extreme
weather.
What about resale value?
Huge energy savings, increased ecological awareness,
safety from more frequent extreme weather and comfort
will soon make underground homes in high demand. Do
you want to rest well at night, safe from extreme
weather, reducing your carbon footprint and saving
dollars on heating and cooling costs?
- Eagle
Valley Green Homes
- We are Eagle Valley Green Homes, a company committed
to environmental awareness and dedicated to making a
difference in the world by being good stewards of the
earths natural resources.
- Green
Prefab Homes
- If you are a contractor or a DIY'er building green
prefab homes just got easier.
- Building
A Green Home
- Building a green home provides energy savings by
advanced engineering and twenty-first century
architecture. Interior designs with a touch of magic
at a cost far less than conventional structures.
- Underground
Green Home Blog
- The Underground home Blog, provides information for
those interested in underground or earth sheltered
homes. Subscribe here.
- Green
Home Plans and technical discription
- If Green Home Plans are in your future and green
living is important in your life then an underground
home is a must.
- Is
your safe room or tornado shelter really safe?
- Before installing a safe room or tornado shelter is
the time to decide if it actually give you the biggest
bang for your bucks.
- Frequently
Asked Questions
- Frequently Asked Green Home Questions
- Videos
of Earth Sheltered Homes Being Built
- Building Earth Sheltered Homes does not take heavy
machinery or an engineering degree. Watch and learn
how to build easy fast low-cost buildings.
- Technical
Information on Earth Homes
- Technical information on Earth Homes. Specific
information on why a earth contact home provides
comfort, safety and security with huge savings.