Talk:Tin can wall

Two questions
Two things the article doesn't make clear; are the cans filled with earth before they're added to the wall, or are they hollow? If the builder has access to cement, why bother with the cans? 80.99.56.84 (talk) 20:33, 11 March 2015 (UTC)


 * No, the cans are left hollow. Cement is expensive, whereas cans are waste.  Furthermore, the air space in the cans insulates, whereas cement is a poor insulator.  Thus, tin cans are both cheaper and better insulating than cement, while retaining significant rigidity along their axis.  As the article notes, however, they're not suitable for supporting more than their own form.  You would not want to build a tin can wall for the bottom story of a two-story house.  Furthermore, because aluminum conducts heat quite well, they are not very good insulators, despite the air space they create.Clepsydrae (talk) 05:42, 11 December 2018 (UTC)