Listen Online 
Download 
Get all of the Podcasts in convenient, giant zip files 
Subscribe on iTunes
Summary
part 1 of a 2 part podcast
Paul talks about the 2024 PTJ and the projects that were done.
First up, Beau talks about the pumphouse, which supplies
water to the lab. This needed earth backfill, which
should be kept dry for better insulation. Due to the bedrock the pump couldn't be deep
enough underground to prevent freezing so they've been building wofati-like walls around it. It has an insulated roof and they included some large boulders as thermal mass, also an
incandescent light to add a heat when it's cold.
Next they talk about the roundwood pavilion which was
led by Mike Haasl who had an awesome log peeling tool. They built a tripod to hoist poles and the area is much improved and will get better later with a roof.
The ladder rack was removed from Ranger Doug, and rebuilt extensively to fit on Roy the new pickup bought by the benefactor.
Another Beau
project was mycelium insulation blocks. The idea is to use spent substrate from
mushroom farming to form insulating blocks to build with.
Mushroom farming tends to be a wasteful process and finding a good way to use the spent substrate would be good. There's a
local mushroom farm which is keen to work with Paul on this. Various ways of forming blocks were tried with varying levels of success. The project has much potential and gives R values between 2.7 and 4 depending on what substrate is used etc. Beau also thinks the blocks could be moistened when building with them and the mycelium might then link up and bind them together.
Lastly for this half, J-R and Paul discuss the
Sepp Holzer root cellar. They think Sepp's hours are probably longer than regular hours! Also, if you start with all the
wood ready, an excavator on hand and an experienced team it goes much faster. That said the root cellar is now mostly done.
Relevant Threads
Well Pumphouse Progress at the 2024 PTJ
Heating a Below-Grade Pump House
Homegrown Mushroom Mycelium Insulation Panels
Mycelium Lego Blocks
Root Cellar Build
Support the Empire
Help support the empire and get all of the podcasts in a bundle
here in the digital market at permies.
To support production of these podcasts, make a donation
here at Paul's Patreon page.
This podcast was made possible thanks to:
Dr. Hugh Gill Kultur
Kyle Neath
Bill Crim
anonymous
Chris Sugg
Kerry JustTooLazy
Jocelyn Campbell
Bill Erickson
Sasquatch
G Cooper
Dominic Crolius
Penny McLoughlin
Mehron Kugler
Pasquale DeAngelis
havokeachday
Julia Winter, world's slowest mosaic artist
Greg Martin
Mark
Sean Benedict
Rita Bliden
Dana Martin
Candace Dahlk
Keith Kuhnsman
Leanne
Eric Tolbert
Nick DePuy
Nathan Hale
Opalyn
Rose
Polly Jayne Smyth
Todd Gerardot
Katie Young
Ivar Vasara
Brent Lawson
Weston prestage
Candice Crawford
Chris Holtslag
Song Zheng
4
