They may look like something straight from the movie The Hobbit, but sod houses are unique earth homes with their own definition of curb appeal. Sod houses made their mark on multiple continents throughout the last few centuries, providing shelter to America’s early pioneers and Canadian prairie dwellers. At the time, trees were unavailable to construct sturdy shelter, so pioneers had to result to the turf of the land and literally build their homes using the ground.
Sod homes have advanced since the pioneer days, and they are still used today, specifically in Iceland. Today’s advanced sod homes are intriguing to say the least; they’re built with modern materials while using centuries-old foundation.
Sod roofing may arguably be the cheapest form of modern day roofing available. Since the home is literally built into the ground, there’s no shingling and no roof tar. You can scratch that phone call to your local roofer; mother nature has you covered.
The internal foundation of sod houses varies, but the primary resource comes from the earth. Some construction uses stone, beams from nearby trees, and in some cases, volcanic rock. A modern sod house in Chile made internet-famous thanks to social media platforms like Pinterest, documented the construction of their home from a hole in the ground to tip of the grassy roof. Five hundred tons of earth was removed to lay the foundation of the home. The sod house sits in a valley with a pristine view of mountains and a large river. You can read the entire documented experience over at Earthbag Building.
The theme of sod houses is undeniably green. Modern sod home owners are likely energy conscious, and triple pane windows are the perfect fit. Unfortunately, there isn’t a big market of sod homes in the United States. It’s likely that you aren’t reading this blog post in your cozy earth home, but if you are, send us a picture. And if you’re looking for energy efficient windows to match your earth-sheltered house, you know who to contact.
