Being an engineer, I just couldn’t bring myself to accept that the classic roof washer concept was the BEST way to insure that only clean rainwater gets into the storage tank… The usual first flush roofwasher idea is to collect some predetermined number of gallons from the beginning of the gutter flow (which contains the […]
Category: Housing
Low Cost Stress Skin Construction… w/ Foam and Surface Bonding Cement
We’ve been experimenting with it since 1981, when we built our house from 6″ concrete blocks and insulated it on the outside with 4″ of blue SM. We used 2 coat cement plaster over stucco mesh on that. A lot of work, also expensive for the mesh. CMHC published an interesting “Building Research Bulletin” on […]
Cooling Without Air Conditioning In the Deep South
It is not only feasible, it can be far more economical than building a conventional home. Alright…First, when your average daily temperature is uncomfortably high, you do not want to build with massive materials which will only make it hot and miserable 24 hours a day, instead of just in the afternoon. For hot humid […]
What Do Ladybugs Mean?
What do Ladybugs mean? Signify? Indicate? Where do they come from? What attracts them to one place and not to another? And this is why I ask: At our previous house (1918 – old sloppy windows, empty walls, etc) from within a few months of moving in the second floor bathroom window had ladybugs all […]
Solar Wall/FireScreen Hybrid Idea
I had taken some landscape bricks the former owners decided was a good idea for flooring beneath the fireplace..ugly gray sqare 8″x8″x2″ very thick very exterior-type bricks.. anyway I pulled some of them from behind the fireplace up and had stacked them flush against the back of Cast Iron Franklin.. thinking about it I decided […]
Onebone’s Concrete Mixer – Instructions to Build Your Own!
The “Onebone” cement mixer uses a five gallon plastic bucket, a powerful portable drill, and the mixer blade. Caution: this mixer will burn up most mortal drills very quickly. Either use the recommended drill or try an air-powered drill (those little suckers are incredibly torguey and usually long- lived IF you keep them oiled properly). […]
Crawlspace Strategy… The PlenWood System
If you are going to have a crawlspace, then consider using some variation on what it called the “Plenwood System” This was promoted by most of the big wood producer associations around the US. It is really a good system, but it didn’t go over well, because 1) they didn’t really promote it hardly at […]
Interior Water Wall to Balance Heat/Cool Cycles?
I have an idea i wanted to get some feedback on…nothing groundshaking or new i am sure, just want to find out if anyone else has tried this and how it worked out… We are getting ready to move to 40 acres north of Kingman,Az. Remote land with no power. It will be solar PV,wind,generator […]
Solar Windows… Direct Gain Solar Heating
If you have a way to insulate a window at night, and on overcast days, but leave it free to let in the sun when it is shining, your windows will collect way more heat, than they lose, and won’t threaten to freeze you out on cold nights. If you are going to be there, […]
Will Wind Energy Work For You?
There are a lot of factors that effect you access to wind energy. Much of it has to do with your particular site. Trees, hills, buildings, etc, all effect the microclimate. You need to get a minimum of about 30ft, and preferably 70ft above close features, to avoid turbulence, which will rob you of your […]