What is a cheap way to build a house?

Course Code: ASS103

Course Duration: 100 hours (approximation, self paced study, commonly 3 to 6 months, longer if you need)

How do you build a house using mud-bricks?

How do you make mud-bricks?

If you've thought of building a mud brick building, this course can be an excellent starting point. Its very practical, with some hands on work to get you started; helping you begin experimenting and planning ongoing projects, whether they are a modest garden wall, or more complex buildings. Learn to test soil suitability for mud building, how to make a quality brick & how to test its strength. The course takes you step by step through the building process, showing how to plan a building, sorting through permits and other legalities, doing the site works & foundations, different construction techniques, laying bricks, frames & roofs, installing services, wall finishes and more.

Learn about earth construction, for any type of building: from house to garden shed; garden wall to community hall

Mud Brick Construction aims to develop an understanding of how to approach building with mud bricks. Mud brick building is also known by the alternative name 'adobe'. There are other ways of building with mud brick apart from 'adobe'. These will be covered briefly in this course. For the novice, there is not a lot which can go wrong if you choose to build with mud brick.

COURSE STRUCTURE AND CONTENTS

The content of each of the ten lessons is outlined below:

1. Scope of Mud Brick

• What is Mud Construction (Adobe, Pise)
• Advantages of Earth Construction (Cost savings, Self satisfaction, Aesthetics, Eco friendliness, Health benefits)
• History of earth construction
• Pise (Rammed Earth)
• Mud Brick
• Wattle and Daub
• Cob
• Cinva Ram
• Cement Stabilisation
• Bituminous stabilisation
• Mortar
• Variations in Earth Building Techniques
• Appropriate Soils for Earth Construction
• Finding Resources
  
  

2. How to make a mud brick

• Testing and working with different soils
• Soil Tests
• Steps in making a brick
• Plasticity Soil Test
• Cake Soil Test
• Compression Tests
• Brick Size
• Brick Weights
• Moulds
• Binding Materials
• Mixing Mud
• Treating Bricks after they are Cast
• Stacking Bricks
• Troubleshooting
  
  

3. Planning and Site Works

• Choosing Building Materials
• Timber (Characteristics, Selection)
• Adhesives
• Plastics
• Masonry, Bricks and Concrete
• Insulation Materials
• Selecting a Building Site
• Solar House Design
• General Principles of Building Design
• Impact of Buildings on Health
• Dangerous Building Materials (Awareness and factors)
  
  

4. Legal Considerations

• Building Regulations (Variations between jurisdictions)
• What might be regulated
• Types of Permits
• Building Codes
  
  

5. Foundations

• Strip Foundations
• Slab Foundations
• Specialist Engineering Advice
• Rock and Rubble Foundations
• Problems to Avoid
• Sealing Foundations
• Other Options (Masonry pillars, timber pylons)
• Earth Floors
  
  

6. Laying Bricks

• Damp Proof Course
• Methods for laying bricks
• Making mud mortar
• Laying mortar
• Bonding
• Reinforcing Walls
  
  

7. Doors, Windows and Roofs

• Roofing Options
• Thatching
• Bark (for sheds)
• Tiles
• Fibreglass sheet
• Shingles (timber or slate)
• Mud brick domes
• Steel sheet
• Hessian soaked in concrete
• Earth/sod
• Roof Pitch
• Roof Weight
• Roof Gardens
• Doors and Windows
• Lintels
• Fixing, Joinery and Plugs
• Ceilings
• Timber Finishes
• Slab Floors
• Supported Floors
• Floor Surfaces
  
  

8. Finishes

• Wall Finishes
• Whitewash
• Bondcrete
• Dagga
• Linseed Oil
• House Paints
• Natural Loam Render
• Cement Render (Plaster)
• Latex Paint Render
• Other Options
• Floor Finishes
• Applying Paints and Renders
• Natural Healthy Paints
• Making Lime Wash Paints
• Problems with Lime Wash
• Aly’s Clay Paint
• Tallow and Lime Based Coating
• Using Commercial Paints
• Timber Treatments
  
  

9. Services/ Utilities

• Electricity
• Water
• Gas
• Toilet
• Working with Earth Walls
• Plumbing
• Electricity Supply Systems (Turbines, generators, batteries, Solar Cells, etc)
• Safety with Electricity
• Electro Magnetic Radiation (Managing EMR)
• Terminology
  
  

10. Other types of Earth Building

• Making Rammed Earth Walls
• How to Build Forms
• Tampers (Hand and air)
• Rammed Earth Construction
• Wattle and Daub
• Sod Buildings
• Cob