Rico Loma

Hugo, I didn't know about a balm like that, root only involved, correct?  Which specific species of comfrey?

John , I concur , at 25 a dead car was merely motivation to practice my well honed hitchhiking skills

Good vehicle choice, it seems  You would have been a crafty horse trader in the 1800s
( I love my used Honda fit, as you like hojr Trax,, over my latest 7000 mile test, mix of city and highway, I got 46mpg, very basic 1.5liter model)

From cave dwellers of ancient times, up to some modern houses underground .......   Which design are you aspiring to  build ?

Hello Mike, were you able to take a ground level pipe , maybe pex, across the walkway.  I hope the bottom watering might work for you.

Tiffany, I did read about one tile afficiando who swore by using construction adhesive.  I have not tried it.  She eschewed the mortar bed and grout, she claimed to only adhere tile to a strong subfloor, then carefully used tiny amounts of high quality silicone between 0.3 m tiles.  Tile was snugged up tightly, no grout needed.  
I am not sure if it suits your situation well,  just another idea.

Thanks for the correction,  I forgot your doors were hand crafted at your home.  Respect!  

Chestnut is a super hard wood , just be sure about proper installation and finishing

Grout can be sand free and well sealed, and then it won't  need that scrubbing.  

One observation for you Adam, you mention being out of the US, after tony gave advice.  But try to follow up on his build, I believe he is Ireland based and ordered plans and doors from the folks at Firespeaking.  You can do this.  

The OP  had my mind in gear, moving towards an answer in tune with Nature.   Human Nature, as experienced by my friend and companion Leo Tolstoy.
He can help with this complex  life balance.  
After reading all his work, I remain awed by the man and his life.  Especially his lesser known short stories.  Born wealthy while serfs were often starving, he changed his life focus, to humble work on poor farms and giving away almost every ruble he possessed.  One short is indelibly seared into my soul, please take a minute to see why I was deeply moved....

"How Much Land Does a Man Need?"
(1886):
A famous parable about the balanc of life

Jay has the crucial suggestion, I think. Certain rotating can change the dynamics.  To promote fertilization or otherwise.   friend John Warren , a mighty captain/ mate /crewman on circumnavigating  sailboats,  swore  that rotation can change internal egg activity. He was sailing around the globe, so healthy protein was  quite important for food supply.

Please correct me. There are tales of  room temperature eggs  lasting  for months in off grid situations. Rotation was also part of that regiment , but I wasn't observing. Are there any pirates here for corroboration?  I am curious

Off grid folks might benefit from these  ideas