Building with Papercrete and Paper Adobe [Paperback]

Gordon Solberg (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1928627005 | ISBN-13: 978-1928627005 | Publication Date: April 15, 1999

This book describes papercrete, a mixture of Portland cement, sand, and recycled newspapers/magazines, which can be used as a building material. Papercrete is strong (compressive strength of 260 psi), lightweight, holds its shape even when wet, and has a high insulation value (R 2.8 per inch). It is very inexpensive. Paper adobe is even less expensive, since it is made of paper pulp and dirt. This book contains 224 photographs; descriptions of formulas, mixers, building techniques, and innovative ideas from the small but growing band of papercrete pioneers who are experimenting and building with this remarkable material.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gordon Solberg is a former planetary astronomer who has been a homesteader and beekeeper since 1970. An avid gardener, orchardist, and paper adobe experimenter, he is editor of Earth Quarterly.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Remedial Planet Communications (April 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1928627005
• ISBN-13: 978-1928627005
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,272,691 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Exciting New Material, Less Than Exciting Examples, August 22, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Building with Papercrete and Paper Adobe (Paperback)

The book's main strength is it introduces you to a new material to build inexpensively with. The main weakness is the fact that it is just an introduction, and doesn't give any real solid information or advice on which way to build. Even given the newness of this material, I felt more facts should have been given. The book gives you an brief overview of the ways different people have used this medium, and has many pictures where you can judge the results of their systems. Most of the example houses built using this material are not very inspiring. Mixer ideas are very good, but overall I didn't feel the book was worth what I paid for it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Turn your junk mail into a house, September 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Building with Papercrete and Paper Adobe (Paperback)

I heard about papercrete for the past year, but have only seen bits and pieces about it in emails and on the web. This book is an excellent compilation of all the ins and outs of papercrete. What's really great is the creativity of its developers in constructing low cost machines to make this material. While the paper used in the book was a dissappointment (newsprint), the information it contained was wonderful. If the book was printed on normal paper, I would rate it a 5 star.

Also, when your done reading the book, you can always turn it into a papercrete brick.

I can't wait for the papercrete video to come out.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An Introduction to an experimental material, February 8, 2000

By 

Bob Cook (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Building with Papercrete and Paper Adobe (Paperback)

Papercrete has that elusive scent of being a truly revolutionary material. It is both new and old (a new twist on paper machee). For alternative builders, it is the bigest thing since Fuller's dome. The book is crude and basic which is appropriate for a new material right out of the chute. It is enough to make aspiring architects drool. Forget those bulky space robbing haybales.