Rice Hulls
A Class I Building Material

Rice grows on every continent except Antarctica. Every ton of rice that comes out of a rice mill generates a quarter ton of rice hulls, which are mostly treated as agricultural waste.

We do not consider them waste. They have amazing properties as a building material. They meet all the criteria of a Class I building insulation material.

As insulation, rice hulls have a thermal resistance of about R-3 per inch. Unlike other forms of insulation, they are virtually fireproof, and they do not support insects, rodents, molds, mildew, or fungus.

Rice hulls make an great vapor buffer. They will absorb excess moisture, if needed, then give it back off to the air as soon as possible. Typically, they only hold about 10% of their weight in moisture.

Special Appreciation to Paul Olivier

Paul Olivier, a recycling engineer with a background in building straw bale buildings built the first modern house using rice hulls as insulation. He has written a great article about them. He also had some extensive mechanical engineering testing done on rice hulls, and has made the test results available to the public.

We are very grateful to Paul, his work, and his generous sharing of his wisdom. It is only by standing on his shoulders that we were able to have the vision to do our work in this field.

Come Build with Recycled Rice

Get hands on experience building with rice hulls.

Come do an internship at the HeartLand Aramaic Mission in Missouri.

Come Build an Earthbag Tipi with us on the Pine Ridge Reservation

Get hands on experience building with earthbags while helping those in need.

In conjunction with Nature's Compassion, we are planning on building an earthbag tipi and an Eco-dome on the Pine Ridge Reservation beginning June 14, 2009. Come join us.