posted 7 years ago
Our property in Oklahoma has a dry creek bed & there is a significant grade variance between my side and the other. Consequently, there is an 8 -10 drop from the top of my property to the bottom of the creek, that is about 30 feet long. The other side of the creek has a slowly increasing grade, no erosion is evident.
So, here's the question. Could I situate a Walipini in such a way that the front was flush with the 8 foot earth wall, and the other three sides were covered with earth? Or would the whole thing eventually slide into the creek?
I would go down a depth of five feet, which would have the greenhouse 3-5 feet from the bottom so it won't flood. I would also setup a french drain system so water can pass through it easily.
As for walls, I would like to use post & board; cedar posts every four feet, cemented into the floor & boards with some sort of waterproofing membrane on the side that faces the dirt. the boards would be attached to the dirt side of the posts, so the walls would be pressing against the posts once all the dirt was put in. Will that stand up to the pressure from the earth/water? I don't want to use earthbags because I am concerned about the need to eventually replace them. If they fail in 10-15 years, IDK if I'd be up to a reconstruction when I'm in my late 60s, lol.
Any help much appreciated.
Cori
