Steve Gagnon wrote:
#3 Concrete has an average vacancy of 20%. Translation---it will be actively trying to rot your post by leaching. This can be mitigated through several means, not the least of which is by adding volcanic ash, wood ash,steel dust,and others. A higher bag ratio helps a lot also. These particulates should be in the 2 micron class. Sloping the concrete away from the post and good drainage are of course needful as well.
I see Paul agree in this thread also.
Do we have good data on using Limecrete, Lime cob, Lime plaster or Lime based earth blocks in direct contact with wood. We know that wood and concrete don't mix. at least not for long. If so what's the best way to go about this?
Enrique Ramirez wrote:My wife and I have practiced natural birth control for the three years that we have been married and have had no problems (kids) yet. We took the class from the "Couple to Couple Leage" Called "The Art of Natural Family Planning". I highly recommend it.
http://www.ccli.org/
It's been a while but I am pretty sure this is what I used to avoid pregnancy for 6 years after my first two and before husband decided we could have more.
And I was VERY fertile, conceiving on one or two tries otherwise.
The key is using all three indicators - basal body temp, mucus and cervix, keeping good records and following the signs.
Adding in a barrier method would make it even more effective if choosing to press your luck.
It taught me so much about my body as well.
All it requires (after learning) is a thermometer and paper for recording.
The "rhythym method" doesn't work because it is based solely on average cycles/timing.
It will only hedge your bets, not recommended.
Nothing will guarantee success while doing extended breastfeeding as it throws the signs off, just FYI.
I have seen articles on the net about blokes putting magnets on their cars fuel lines and getting improved performance and economy. There are also plenty of articles debunking Fuel Magnets referring to placebo effects.
I have been told about farmers putting magnets on the fuel lines of their tractors to increase the pulling power with noticeable success.
Well after talking to a bloke who is adamant that they do work as long as they are installed correctly, I decided to give it a go.
I collected the following...
4 doughnut magnets out of microwave ovens. Look for late model high power ovens.
4 steel plates to sit at the back of each magnet and drilled to take zip ties.
4 spacers made of wood and slightly thinner than the diameter of the fuel line.
I assembled 2 sets of magnets with the South pole facing in and mounted them on the fuel line just in front of the air-filter at 90 degrees to each other as per the photos.
The result?
I have a "test track" which I use to compare vehicle performance. On the way home there is a railway crossing with a Stop sign. Then there is a 380m run to the top of the 9m high ridge where a 132kv power pole sits beside the road. For the last 37 years I have tested every vehicle that I have had, checking the speed on a GPS as I pass the power pole. Results varied between 75km/h and 132km/h.
When I was younger I owned some very fast vehicles but economy is now my main focus. Despite this I still like a responsive vehicle.
I own 8 Suzuki Carry vans that I have driven and the best time that I have been able to get was 95km/h when still relatively new and low mileage. Currently I have a 2004 Van with 240,000kms and is standard apart from a sports exhaust. Recently 90km/h was the best speed I could get until fitting the magnets. My first run after fitting the magnets was 97km/h. I have never been able to do that.
The van definitely is better to drive with more torque especially at 2000rpm and lower. The exhaust has a different, milder sound especially when the motor is under load.
I have been enjoying the extra go and can report that fuel economy is at least 10% better. When the van was newer, I could easily get 400km before looking for a servo. Recently I did 442kms between filling.
At work we use river water for a couple of different operations, but of course need to filter the water. To initial filter the water we use string filters, and while they are cheap to buy, they look incredibly easy to make... just wind up string into a ball.
I could see where that would be an easy DIY filter to knock down the initial sediment. That is what we use them for. But the commercial ones go down to 1 micron.
We wash our dishes in a dish tub, save the water and put it on the plants in the garden– mostly on non-edibles, but sometimes on edibles if it's been really dry. We aren't concerned with germs. We believe the more you're exposed to the stronger your immune system will be.
We use non-scented, biodegradable, Azure brand dish liquid highly diluted (we're strict vegetarians so no animal grease to remove) with just a tiny bit of a scented safe dish liquid for a nice smell.
I can't stand using straight dish liquid because it suds way too much and takes so much water to rinse off. Especially I could never use Dawn (we do use it to clean paintbrushes, but don't put that water on the garden) because it's hell to rinse out.
We use very little water and doing dishes this way we've never had a problem with getting sick. We use a sponge and periodically soak it in hydrogen peroxide, wash it in the washer & dry it in the sun. We do go through a lot of cellulose sponges, but I prefer them to rags and they're compostable, too.
We put the dishes to dry in a metal dish rack near the sink. We use the space where the dishwasher was as a cupboard for cleaning supplies.
We are in the midst of completing our earthen floor over wood. Our natural build is a little different from the norm. (Is there a norm in natural building?)
For a variety of reasons our structure consists of (12) hardwood round piers 10-14" in diameter, charred in the Yakisugi method, supporting (3) hardwood round sills 9-12" in diameter, upon which rough sawn (true dimension) Eastern Hemlock joists of 2x10 or 2x12 span 11.5-12'. 2x6 hemlock boards run diagonally and comprise the subfloor. The earthen floor is as follows:
1) (3) layers of red rosin paper "float" on the subfloor. The pieces are taped at any seams, but are not attached to the floor or walls.
2) ~0.5" of raw earth
3) ~0.5-1.0" of wet cob applied over dampened earth layer; radiant piping installed.
4) ~0.5-0.75" of wet cob
5) ~0.25" grit-heavy (sandy) cob mix top coat. Very little fiber in this mix. We anticipate some cracking.
6) 4 coats of raw linseed oil
Total thickness = 2"
We have completed the dining room and hallway and will be connecting those with the kitchen later this week. I will try to get some decent pictures.
Initial thoughts: cracks are small and add to the rustic aesthetic, as do the goat hoof prints (when they snuck in), the cat's and dog's foot prints, and a certain little girl drawing in the moist top coat. These all create a custom unique floor. It is not hard like concrete, but gives a little. We are trying to be careful with chairs. For now we are not planning to do any more coats of oil or adding wax. Those two small sections soaked up 2 gallons of raw linseed oil at $45 each. We have not thinned the oil, but applied at full strength, after having it warmed in the greenhouse.
He Everyone, I received a heads up from a friend who used to keep bees. Her heart is still in it and she's been sending me all sort of articles about the sad plight of our bee population nowdays. Today she sent me info about a course in Beekeeping that I want to share on Permies. I hope those who can will benefit from this. Here is the message:
Rutgers Online Course
Online Beekeeping Courses & Webinars with Rutgers University
Make a beeline to Rutgers University for online beekeeping courses and webinars this spring and summer! From disease and mite prevention to honey production and harvesting, Bee-ginner Beekeeping will cover everything you need to know to further your hobby or get your business off the ground! Topics include:
Bee Biology
Queen Bee Purchasing
Disease and Mite Prevention
Hive Assembly and Management
Honey Extraction
Rules and Regulations
And Much More!
Our instructors are Mike Haberland, an Associate Professor and County Environmental Agent with Rutgers Cooperative Extension, and Debbie Haberland, a teacher, marine biologist, and owner of Working Girls Meadows apiary. They will be on hand every step of the way to answer your questions and guide your learning. Complete the 15 – 17 hours of online course work at your own pace and attend a live review and Q&A session with our instructors. Certificates will be issued for successful completion of this course. Three-week sessions are available in March and May 2022.
Add on to your Bee-ginner course with topical, live webinars in April and June 2022! Further your learning with the following offerings:
Sustainable Beekeeping – Minimize losses through management, use local bee stocks (your own or a local beekeeper), and create resource hives
The Ins and Outs of Treating Your Colony – Review recommendations for detecting and treating colonies for parasites and pathogens in a sustainable way
Take Note of Your Hive: Recordkeeping for Beekeepers – Reduce bee losses, increase honey production, and raise better brood with recordkeeping best practices
Discounts are available when you register for any of our webinars alongside the beginner class!
Potted cacti on windy third floor balcony. Pedestrians below. The first (and only!) to fall bounced off the canopy of a baby stroller. No one was hurt but I nearly had a heart attack. Oh, the shame!
Peter in Georgia, framing is mostly yellow pine. i grew up in Colorado where it was douglas fir, which is stronger and heavier then most conifers. just a note not disputing any other info you are providing.
I woke up in the night last night going: Why would you not fill a timber framed wall with gravel? If you have stone foundation and then lathe and fill it. Next plaster it. Then build larsen trusses on the exterior. Plaster that. Then insulate it with Rockwool wouldn't this be an awesome way to incorporate thermal mass into a house? If it's plastered then water vapor would have the ability to come and go. Thoughts?
Someone in this thread mentioned permethrin. That is an unnaturally concentrated chrysanthemum extract that only works if you apply it onto your clothes. It is a contact killer, not a deterrent. It is extremely potent and kills insects the second they touch it.
It is equally lethal to pet cats. Don't ask me how I know.
its more in line with NEV (neighborhood electric vehicle) concept but I love that its considered a 'bicycle' (no license required) and is also weather enclosed. Sorry it won't go your required 55 MPH, but it sure does go a LONG way - if one has time ;-) Plus NO fossil fuel required.
Dale Hodgins wrote:It's an awkward material to separate into exact quantities. The stringy nature ties it together well, but this makes it difficult to confine in a small space unless the materials are reduced in size. Block making would be a time consuming exercise that would result in an inferior finished product, lacking the strength of a monolithic wall.
This was well before my time, but some 60 years ago my Grandfather needed a light weight concrete for the floors of his chicken barn. He contacted the University of Maine and they came out with Sawdust Concrete. I am not sure what the exact ratios of sawdust to concrete were, but he poured it on top of wooden floors to make them impervious to water and manure and it lasted the 27 years he had chickens, being scraped down every 6 weeks.
The reason he needed something light weight was the barn was a 5 floor 1800 New England Timber Frame barn and he did not want to overweigh the structure using traditional rock aggregate.
In my area, a "shed" does not require any building permits. You can build a shed 10x10 or 12x24, same difference. They don't call it a "garage" until you park a car in it. They don't call it a "barn" until you keep animals in it.
There is a guy in town with an empty property, just a shed, and he's got an electric meter hooked up to it. I'm not sure if he needed an electric permit or not... but no building permit, no zoning permit, and no occupancy permit.
The shed is gone now. The entire garden is being redeveloped. It was on borrowed land. The final cob structure on public display, is deteriorating quickly.
Cob in this climate, needs a good roof. To do otherwise, is to turn the project into raw material for one of my cautionary tales.
Betty Clarke wrote:I'd like to hear about retrofitting existing kitchen. Recently my neighbour did renovations in her kitchen. They chose Brooke Avenue transitional kitchen design model of Davisville Kitchens, Toronto. I need an expert advice whether I can incorporate transition kitchen design along with retrofitting my existing home.
Hi Betty,
I own a little restoration company that specializes in updating historic homes with modern amenities while using natural and traditional materials and methods.
To be honest, I don't really like those latex painted fiberboard kitchens with lots of modern glues, resins and finishes outgassing for another 25 years. If you would like to remodel your home naturally, please post more photos and information so that myself and others may assist you in this noble endeavor.
There is a link on my signature so you can check out some of our work.
I know this is an old post...but...my friend has a roof top garden, with an epdm roof. Rubber roofing and pointy things dont mix. They wanted chairs to hang out, took them forever to find, but something such as,
What about a slate flagstone roof, or making one's own slate tiles from a load of flagstone? I love the concept of a stone roof, but the weight can' t be ignored.
Water tanks and battery banks work as ballast. Anything that high and only 8 feet wide, is at risk of being blown over. Large awnings and flip down overhangs can increase the risk. In many areas, you would have to choose the right day or time of day to move the house, since wind is the enemy of such a structure.
Compressed Earth Block if you have an open source, automated Compressed Earth Block Press. https://vimeo.com/49864277. We aim to produce a construction set for the most replicated brick presses in the world.
The most common logical fallacy that I am personally witness to is " confirmation bias ". If people expect to observe something, they often interpret various data as proof that their hypothesis is correct. I expect most smokers to litter. I see it every day. I may not see many of them put the butt into a container for later disposal. My ex-wife is waiting for a miracle which would see her getting a visa to visit India. If they suddenly change their policy toward those born in Pakistan, she will claim devine intervention.
We often see what we want to see or what we expect to see.
I did a thatched roof on a composting toilet...the Spiral Chamber, a wattle and daub spiral. It is pretty sweet.
January 2014 there are some great 1 day workshops at the Strawbale Studio: Rocket Stove, Round Pole Framing, Thatching & Reed Collection and Earth Plaster & Sculpting.
Also there is a 1 month Wintership Jan 5 - Feb 2014 which includes all the these workshops and more. Internship and worktrade available. Low fees, check out strawbalestudio.org
Calendar !
I've always dreamed of a hobbit home style place and done a bit of research on green roofs, etc. one day I will build a green roof but for now I'd stick with a high quality metal system. For me it's a question of climate and how I expect my home to be when I walk in the door. In the olden days people put up with what we would today consider less then ideal living conditions. Where I live with a hight water table the engineering required to make it work is much more complex then other areas. So as always knowing your climate dictates outcome.
Well aware of cave in risk. Oehler 's recommendation to cut vertical cliff faces rather than tapered raised all sorts of flags for me.
We average 18" of precipitation annually and it's spread over a long "wet" season. People still talk about the 3" of rain we got in one night a few years ago. Soil saturation is very rare here. That said, anything is possible and I want to include safeguards for that possibility. I may dig the entire thing out with a spoon but I'm not planning to do it recklessly. (c:
Electrician and plumber here.
For diy, PEX with sharkbites could be a good choice.
The low cost of the pipe can make up for the cost of the fittings.
PVC leaches, it just does.
Copper is king
Looks like a spammer dug up an old thread. I also think that the pic is a simplified visual aid and doesnt represent a real life scenario. But as James and others points out, check valves and other controls are needed.
Solar thermal is not for the faint of heart. They can be expensive, trouble prone and require maintenance. Unless one is doing most of the labor themselves its tough to make a system pay back the upfront investements. Steven Winter and associates studies on existing DHW systems is pretty disheartening for this technology although I feel more research is needed. Pools are a different story.
There are two things I dislike about the pictured system other than the lack of freeze protection. It appears the circulating pump is connected to the grid or main house power. These AC pumps can have short lives and usually have a big parasitic energy load on the system. I think a better solution is to use a DC pump (El Sid being most popular) connected to a small PV panel. Those pumps are much hardier and it doesnt require a control panel to tell it to come on (which can be tricky to set up and seem to fail often). When its bright enough to heat water the DC pump is doing its thing on its own.
I also dislike tankless water heaters in general. I think the newer models are getting better but tankless water heaters do not handle pre-heated water very well at all.
If one has the proper location and climate, Heat Pump Water Heaters are a tough technology to beat. They are arguably much more cost effective than solar hot water.
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