An earth-sheltered, earth-roofed home has the least impact upon the land of all housing styles, leaving almost zero footprint on the planet.

Earth-Sheltered Houses is a practical guide for those who want to build their own underground home at moderate cost. It describes the benefits of sheltering a home with earth, including the added comfort and energy efficiency from the moderating influence of the earth on the home's temperature (keeping it warm in the winter and cool in the summer), along with the benefits of low maintenance and the protection against fire, sound, earthquake, and storm afforded by the earth. Extra benefits from adding an earth or other living roof option include greater longevity of the roof substrate, fine aesthetics, and environmental harmony.

The book covers all of the various construction techniques involved, including details on planning, excavation, footings, floor, walls, framing, roofing, waterproofing, insulation, and drainage. Specific methods appropriate for the inexperienced owner/builder are a particular focus and include:

Pouring one's own footings and/or floor

The use of dry-stacked (surface-bonded) concrete block walls

Post-and-beam framing

Plank-and-beam roofing

Drainage methods and self-adhesive waterproofing membranes

The time-tested, easy-to-learn construction techniques described in Earth-Sheltered Houses will enable readers to embark upon their own building projects with confidence, backed up by a comprehensive resources section that lists all the latest products such as waterproofing membranes, types of rigid insulation, and drainage products that will protect the building against water damage andheat loss.

Rob Roy is a former contractor with 27 years of experience and 12 previous books to his credit, including Cordwood Building and Timber Framing for the Rest of Us. An expert on underground building, he founded the Earthwood Building School in 1981 with his wife, Jaki, and is frequently a speaker at events throughout North America.

Roy (co-founder of the Earthwood Building School) details his knowledge and techniques for constructing energy-efficient earth- sheltered houses, accenting low to moderate cost methods that can be learned and practiced by the owner-builder. Illustrating the work with line drawings and black and white photographs showing the construction process of two of his projects, he includes chapters on earth-sheltered design principles; siting and excavation; foundations; the floor; external walls; timber framing; waterproofing, insulation, and drainage; the living roof; finishing the exterior; and interior considerations. He also presents an assessment of the performance of the two projects described. Distributed in the US by Consortium Books Sales and Distribution. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

A practical guide for those who want to build their own underground home at a moderate cost, this work covers all of the various construction techniques involved, including details on planning, excavation, footings, floor, walls, framing, roofing, waterproofing, insulation, and drainage.

Rob Roy is a former contractor with twelve previous books to his credit, including Cordwood Building and Timber Framing for the Rest of Us. An expert on underground building, he founded the Earthwood Building School in 1981 with his wife, Jaki, and is frequently a speaker at events throughout North America.