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Product Description
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"Simply put, this is the most comprehensive and most useful introduction to natural building systems and practices available. A book that anyone setting out to build a home of natural materials should read--cover to cover."--Alex Wilson, executive editor and publisher, "Environmental Building News"
Product Description
The Natural House is a tour of the construction, costs, and pros and cons of fourteen natural building methods. Straw Bale, Rammed Earth, Cob, Cordwood, Adobe, Earthbags, Papercrete, Earthships...whatever the method, the common goal is to create a house that is economical, energy efficient, nontoxic, soothing to the soul, kind to the environment, and pleasing to behold. This comprehensive sourcebook offers in-depth information that will guide your search for the perfect sustainable dream home. It is a must for home builders, contractors, and architects. Author Dan Chiras shows how you can gain energy independence and reduce your environmental impact through passive solar heating and cooling techniques, solar electricity, wind power, and micro-hydropower. He also explains safe, economical ways to obtain clean drinking water and treat wastewater, and discusses affordable green products. While he's an unabashed advocate of natural building techniques, Chiras takes care not to romanticize and to alert readers to avoidable pitfalls. His detailed, practical, and ecologically sound advice can save tens of thousands of dollars, whether you are buying, building, or renovating a natural home.
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Most helpful customer reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good Introduction,
By
This review is from: The Natural House: A Complete Guide to Health Energy-Efficient Environmental Homes (Paperback)
Being an architect already, I found that the book was an excellent introduction, even for me, to the various alternative building techniques emerging. It gave the author's honest opinion about many of the techniques, which was very appreciated. Don't expect it to be a precise how-to guide for any of the methods. It is an excellent overview, though, that can help you evaluate which building techniques you would like to explore further. The references at the end are vast and helpful.However, I found that for a book about the "Natural House", it often suggested many un-green building materials (OSB, polypropylene bags). Sometimes their "ungreeness" was mentioned, sometimes not.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Primer on Natural Building,
By
This review is from: The Natural House: A Complete Guide to Health Energy-Efficient Environmental Homes (Paperback)
If you're interested in building a natural home (cob, rammed earth, straw-bale, earthship, whatever), this is your primer. The author has done his homework and presents the description, pros/cons and pitfalls of each type of construction. He is very honest about just how "do-it-yourself" each type can be, and how much it will cost you. He also covers passive and active solar design, natural water capture and other alternative technologies to go with your natural home. This is an excellent overview on all these subjects.The best thing about this book is that he refers you to other sources for more detail - books, videos, newsletters and organizations that will support you, give you a workshop or just give you more detailed information than belonged in this primer book. I highly recommend this as the first book you read on the subject. Once you know which type of house you are interested in, you can pick up some of the other books he suggests on that building type.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
The most comprehensive intro to natural building,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Natural House: A Complete Guide to Health Energy-Efficient Environmental Homes (Paperback)
After reading The Natural House, I not only regretted not having been able to have drawn on it's extensive resources during the (just finished) construction of my own house (a passive solar straw bale in VT) but actually got enticed to think about a new building project (yes it was more work, took longer and cost more than planned!) but with the help, ideas and guidlines Dan Chiras provides, I feel refreshed enough to tackle the next project (maybe an earthbag foundation with a light-clay wall). Appetizing and compelling, informative and inspiring. Well done.
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