Underground Home Roof Construction

Foundation when completed the owner of this underground dome home will have a living area of 2 729 square feet.

Underground home roof construction.

A living roof made of soil and vegetation can provide even more protection from the elements as much of the rain that falls from above or washes over the top of the home will be absorbed by the roots of the roof s plant life before it can seep in deeper and cause. Underneath the poured concrete foundation of an earth sheltered home a layer of sand at least four inches deep for the purposes of drainage should be put in place so that water cannot work its way into the home from below. Your house will sit in a deep foundation and once you have completed the construction of the building you can push the dirt up the sides and on top of the house to create the berm look. With this type of earth sheltered home a central courtyard is usually located to allow access to air and light.

Any impervious sheet material heavy duty polyethylene rubber membrane rigid insulation at least 3 feet wide is placed along the foundation about 8 to 12 inches below grade and sloped at anywhere from a 2 12 to a 4 12 pitch. The domes and floor of our underground house are built from poured concrete reinforced with rebar. Out front an atrium can be accessed by a staircase that is just the width of the driveway from the street. The home was designed and built by architect don metz in 1971 a pioneer in green home design and construction.

One of the most common issues with underground homes is controlling the water that can adversely affect the home s structure and livability. Download our brochure for ideas on how we can design and build your ideal green roof home. A berm house is a house that is covered by soil but still has windows and doorways to the outside. Rubberized asphalt combines a small amount of synthetic rubber with asphalt and is coated with a polyethylene layer to form sheets.

Five interconnected airforms the five domes will encompass three bedrooms two baths office kitchen and areas for entertaining relaxing dining laundry and storage. The roof may or may not be covered by earth. It can be applied directly to walls and roofs and has a long life expectancy. Moisture in underground homes every single water source and everyplace in the home where water might end up will need individual attention to make sure that your home is watertight.

Plastic and vulcanized sheets are among the most common types of underground waterproofing. An underground roof is a deflecting surface just below grade that slopes away from the building and directs all that roof water away from the foundation. The north side of the house is built into the hillside creating a green roof through the use of earth sheltered building techniques. Please feel free to email or call with any questions.