Cheap housing in the tropics, A New idea, apparently.

**jandajoy** · 21-11-2009, 08:23 AM

Remote Housing - Home

It's worth checking the link.

Firm sets trend for cheap remote housing

Posted 17 minutes ago

Map: Alice Springs 0870

A company that has been able to build a house in a remote Indigenous community in Queensland, at a third of the usual cost, says it has been inundated with calls - including from the Northern Territory Government.
Remote Housing Australia showed off its first house a week ago which was built in north Queensland in 15 days using mostly local Indigenous workers.
The Territory Government has been under immense pressure over its $672 million remote Indigenous housing program, which had a budget blowout and is yet to deliver a house.
But Remote Housing Australia's Bob Stephens says he is thrilled that people are showing interest.
"We're very keen to ensure that the maximum amount of labour is engaged on projects within communities and are drawn from those communities," he said.
"That way the skills are retained in the community and those people can go on to continue building homes in their own communities or others."
He says there is no reason it could not be done in the Northern Territory too.
Mr Stephens says his company is able to build much more cheaply because it spent 12 years developing a building material that combines bamboo and concrete.
He says the materials are made to fit together, which means local labor can be used to build the houses.
"The Territory has large needs for what we're doing," he said.
"We're producing a house at a third of the cost that they're being produced at the moment and we're able to deliver a four-bedroom home with unskilled people under our supervision in under a month."
"Our product was tested by the CSIRO. They in fact rang us after the tests to say they could not understand how the termites hadn't touched our board - it'd been tested for six or eight months up in the Northern Territory."

THey use this stuff

EzeBoard™

This new patented composite board (patent pending) contains:-

Bamboo fibre
Expanded perlite
Bagrasse (sugar cane waste)

and is produced at varying densities. EzeBoard™ produced at 0.7 density is:-

Load bearing
Termite resistant
Fire resistant
Easily workable
Environmentally sustainable
Water resistant
Cyclone rated
Cost efficient

**blackgang** · 21-11-2009, 10:06 AM

OK, good.
But you still need for someone to spend that 1/3 of the money for this
house than the full price for the other house on building a house instead of spending the money on booze and living under a tree.
If it was made out of local gathered material that cost nothing then maybe
you would have something that would work, but when drunks have to spend money for something, it is going to be booze first.

It has been tried with American Indians in the US, they build homes for them and then the indians tear em up before they even get em finisher, or move in and spend money for booze and not a dime goes on maintaining the home and it turns to shit in a hurry, and soon they can't live in the torn up house and move back under a tree.

Now this shit ain't something NEW that is going on, But has been going on all my lifetime, and it has never worked and never will until they want to have a nice house and live in a nice house, then it might work, but something for nothing just don't get it and something cheap will not work at all because you can buy booze one bottle at a time and do not need the large amount of cash for a case all at once.

**jandajoy** · 21-11-2009, 10:40 AM

You know anything about this "EZE BOARD" stuff ?

**blackgang** · 21-11-2009, 10:56 AM

Not really, it appears to be just another particle board made from waste products, at home they make it out of sawdust and chips, depending on the binder used it can be quite water/weather proof, but being short fiber it is not as strong and more rigid than lumber with it's long grain.
A friend in the Madeira business in Mexico made some with corn stalks and sugar cane waste, that was back in the early 60's when I was working down there and it was OK I guess, but still particle board.

**jandajoy** · 21-11-2009, 01:17 PM

Looks like interesting stuff though. I wonder if they make similar in LOS. THey've certainly got the ingrediants.

**Norton** · 21-11-2009, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by jandajoy

I wonder if they make similar in LOS.

Knew a guy who was promoting it in Thailand. He spent a lot of time and money but it didn't catch on so was unsuccessful and went broke. Was made from rice stalks. Don't know of anyone currently manufacturing in Thailand but sure there must be some.

**jandajoy** · 21-11-2009, 01:35 PM

Originally Posted by jandajoy

EzeBoard™ This new patented composite board (patent pending) contains:- * Bamboo fibre * Expanded perlite * Bagrasse (sugar cane waste) and is produced at varying densities. EzeBoard™ produced at 0.7 density is:- * Load bearing * Termite resistant * Fire resistant * Easily workable * Environmentally sustainable * Water resistant * Cyclone rated * Cost efficient

Sounds pretty usefull.

**nedwalk** · 21-11-2009, 01:39 PM

Originally Posted by Norton

Knew a guy who was promoting it in Thailand. He spent a lot of time and money but it didn't catch on so was unsuccessful and went broke. Was made from rice stalks. Don't know of anyone currently manufacturing in Thailand but sure there must be some

how long ago? the world has changed, maybe now there is opportunity?

**jandajoy** · 21-11-2009, 01:40 PM

Originally Posted by nedwalk

how long ago? the world has changed, maybe now there is opportunity?

Me thinking same same.

**jandajoy** · 21-11-2009, 01:45 PM

Up my way they have mountains of .... what would you call it, corn husks?

Machine rips all the shit off of the cobs of corn.

Anyway, they just burn it.

I was wondering if this fibrous material could be used to make the boards?

**Norton** · 21-11-2009, 01:45 PM

Originally Posted by nedwalk

how long ago? the world has changed, maybe now there is opportunity?

4 or 5 years ago so things may have changed. Many of these innovative products fail because they typically come from small companies who don't have the market power to compete against the entrenched big guys who have no desire to see the new product succeed. If someone has a patent on a new product, far more lucrative to court the big boys to purchase the patent.

**Norton** · 21-11-2009, 01:50 PM

Originally Posted by jandajoy

I was wondering if this fibrous material could be used to make the boards?

Virtually any vegetable fiber should work. Here in Thailand, something termite resistant is desirable. I have seen fiber board used here but comes in relatively thin sheets used mainly as ceiling, wall or under eaves cover.

**jandajoy** · 21-11-2009, 01:56 PM

Originally Posted by Norton

Virtually any vegetable fiber should work.

Velly interlesting.

Methinks I want more info.

**Norton** · 21-11-2009, 02:00 PM

Lots of stuff on Google.

http://www.allbusiness.com/agricultu...4498172-1.html

**Nawty** · 21-11-2009, 02:03 PM

Need a scarecrow but...

**jandajoy** · 21-11-2009, 02:04 PM

Originally Posted by Norton

Lots of stuff on Google. http://www.allbusiness.com/agricultu...4498172-1.html

Cheers, I'll follow it up.

I love the idea of making something usefull out of waste.

**jandajoy** · 21-11-2009, 02:05 PM

Originally Posted by Nawty

Need a scarecrow but...

You volunteering ?

**Norton** · 21-11-2009, 02:06 PM

Originally Posted by Nawty

Need a scarecrow but...

Just hang a cow hide on a pole. Birds hate cows.

**jandajoy** · 21-11-2009, 02:13 PM

Thing is, we've got loads of the raw vegetable fibre.

Loads of cheapish labour.

I don't know what "expanded perlite" is, but it can't be that hard to find.

There's more bamboo than you can..... er. there's lots of bamboo.

Gotta be be doable.

The fact that it could be

Load bearing
Termite resistant
Fire resistant
Easily workable
Environmentally sustainable
Water resistant
Cyclone rated
Cost efficient

should be good.

If anyone's interested PM me.

**Nawty** · 21-11-2009, 02:18 PM

Best tell that to the little birds that sit on the back of the cows looking for dinner...

**jandajoy** · 21-11-2009, 02:23 PM

Originally Posted by Nawty

Best tell that to the little birds that sit on the back of the cows looking for dinner...

Is that some kind of metaphysical statement. Far too profound for me. I'm drinking Guinness

**Norton** · 21-11-2009, 02:28 PM

Originally Posted by Nawty

Best tell that to the little birds that sit on the back of the cows looking for dinner...

They do indeed but will just wait there for a few bugs to show up and ignore the crop.

BTW did you find the cowhide? Saw an ad for a tanning factory in Bangkok who specialize in cow hides.

**jandajoy** · 21-11-2009, 02:34 PM

Originally Posted by Norton

BTW did you find the cowhide?

Good point. Has "she who will be obeyed" sent you anything yet?

**Nawty** · 21-11-2009, 02:40 PM

Originally Posted by Norton

BTW did you find the cowhide? Saw an ad for a tanning factory in Bangkok who specialize in cow hides.

Not yet.....can you send me the details please ?

Originally Posted by jandajoy

Has "she who will be obeyed" sent you anything yet?

Not yet...you said smell bad and cannot send.

**jandajoy** · 21-11-2009, 02:42 PM

Originally Posted by Nawty

Not yet...you said smell bad and cannot send.

That was the hide she was talking about, right?

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