What are the drawbacks of rammed earth?
In locations with limited building area the thick earth walls will reduce the available living space, although in Perth, rammed earth houses are regularly built on small city lots. There is some cement in the walls. Cement has a high-embodied energy. The impacts of the small amount that we use are amortized over hundreds of years. Initial cost is higher than a stickframe house however to build a stickframe house that has all the benefits of a SIREWALL™ would cost more than double what SIREWALL™ would cost. It’s a question of how much value is placed on health, comfort, and durability.
