Earth Sheltered Log framed house

this is a few pics of the house we've been working on. I used Mike Oehler's book as well as PAHS by John Hait (and a bunch of other stuff) But it's basically what you're calling WOFATI. We mixed and poured our own concrete foundation.

What is on the floor, random tiles?
Did you build on the ground and push soil up to the walls?

Thanks John!    The floor is made of salvage granite counter top material which you can usually get for free it's an 1 1/4" thick - we've hand bombed 40 tons of it - it took quite awhile but it looks great. The house is built into the middle of a hill (8ft down) so it drains on all sides. The soil type is well drained sand. So far all waterproofing efforts have been 100% successful . which I can elaborate on if anyone is interested. We've done a lot of the work by hand so it's a long haul project but it maintains temp. so well we are very happy!

Mike Oehler had great design principles but I had to flesh out the technical details of building using a lot of stuff from Rob Roy's books. Passive annual heat storage - made the most sense to me for insulation technique - although if you follow it to the letter it can get a little pricey and it's labour intensive - especially when you are doing a lot of stuff by hand. I talked to Mike on several occasions and kind of gave him a hard time about some of the lack of technical specs. Now he's in that big underground house in the sky - RIP bud and thanks for the inspiration.

I can confirm this. I have a tiny tractor with a dumping trailer, but once my berm developed into a slope, they were of no use. I still have 45% of my berm left to complete, but I did get the other 55% completed, insulated and waterproofed this year. An excavator would have made the job easier, but more expensive.

Hey,

Please tell me as much as possible!!
I am very impressed and inspired!

I had never considered sourcing counter tops!
Its an amazing Idea and it adds Such a luxury which a lot of permaculture designs do not have!
Please tell me more!!!

Sincere,
Alex

Alex: the granite countertop salvage is great - it's so thick that we didn't have to use a subfloor(as per Oehler's original design)- we put down woven poly for a vapor barrier and then levelled out some crushed or pea rock and laid the tiles on top - I just chose random shapes and filled in as much as I could and then cut smaller shapes with an angle grinder to fill it in. Alternately you could rent or buy a wet saw and just cut everything into simpler shapes that would go together like conventional tiles. Then when the tiles are laid we pointed them with moistened sand and left about 1/4" and then just used regular grout - in the pics they are just pointed with sand but now a good portion has been grouted and it looks super! This is a material that usually gets crushed into gravel - we got pieces big enough to make smaller countertops and do 1800 sq. feet of flooring - and we have lots left. Don't use the polished side up in outdoor projects where it is slippery or you will break yourself.
And to Michael's comment : If I was doing it again and I wanted to get it done faster - I think a skid steer would be the thing to get. I rented one a few times and it was very useful for this build - but when I laid out my watershed umbrella I just had a shovel and a potato rake and a lot of gumption.
I am a big proponent of not burying the posts as I am making a house to last generations and in this part of the world there are not really rot resistant hardwoods. I can provide info on foundation design that you can make yourself - perhaps later if anyone would like that info.

The front wall is 2' thick cordwood masonry. I feel like this is also a good choice for this style of house because of the breathability of the wall system.

http://chamberslogscribers.com

If you are doing any kind of log work - this is the type to get - the pens can turn in any direction and they are always at the same distance you set them. A traditional log scribe can't do this and is basically useless for actual scribed log framing like I used on the beams to the girders. The girders are fastened to each other and the posts with home made metal fasteners and have corner braces made from old metal wheel rims. Info on home made metal fasteners can be found in Rob Roy's book "Timber Framing for the rest of us". Also used his books "Earth Sheltered Houses", which is where I learned about peel and stick membrane - and "Cordwood Masonry - the state of the art".

Another tip I have about joining the beams to the girders - I used 12" Lag bolts with compression springs - These are 2" steel springs sandwiched between washers that you tighten right down and as the wood shrinks (or swells ) the spring tightens or loosens the lag bolt so your framing is tight like a tiger! I got the compression springs from a log home builder.

If yer not skatin' yer roof yer blowing' it!

   I sheathed the log frame in 2x material all of which came with the farm (my grandpa had it cut and milled) and was cut from the land where the house resides. I then made the decision to sheath the whole thing again with 1/2" fir plywood and put a liberal coating of linseed oil between the layers. I did this for strength and to accommodate the peel and stick membrane which is the primary waterproof layer. The advantage of this style of waterproofing is how tightly it bonds to your wall and roof (when you do a good job that is). I was able to completely wrap it around the wall system and join it to the vapour barrier on the inside on the floor.
    I also wanted to show this gable which comes out the north. If you follow Mike Oehler's plans he shows how you can open up any side of your house or put a gable in just by raising a log girder on a higher post. The only thing with that is now you have a curved shape and you are putting rectilinear material on it. When it came time to sheathe the gable I phoned up Mike and told him the situation:
"It's like I'm building the front of ship in the middle of the roof!" I said "What do I do Mike?"
"I don't know man - I hired a carpenter to do that part." was his reply.
As I saw it I had two options - soak the boards in the river and bend them over the structure or cut them to match the span between each beam and chisel  the opposing corner out on every piece to math the curve. I had to go with latter because it was getting cold and the river was already starting to ice up! It turned out well but took as long to sheathe the gable as it did the whole rest of the roof. It was worth it though for light, ventilation and architectural splendour!

Wow. You had us all fooled with your earth-sheltered home that was really a skateboard ramp.  

Do you have a seller/source for the peel and stick waterproofing membrane?

Mark Brunnr wrote:do you have a seller/source for the peel and stick waterproofing membrane?

I used "Carlisle" with a water based primer - I bought mine from Wallace construction in Saskatoon SK.  Wallace usually deals with more industrial type contractors - the manager took an interest in my project. I got it from those guys at slightly less than half price from what it was at the typical hardware store which was selling "Resisto" brand. It's worth shopping around for sure - on every big order on anything I phoned for prices. I also used a dimple seal membrane on my walls so when we backfilled it kept the peel and stick protected from any rocks in the backfill. The dimple seal also acts as a drain tile in case any water gets through the water shed umbrella.

Michael Helmersson wrote:

If yer not skatin' yer roof yer blowing' it!

Wow. You had us all fooled with your earth-sheltered home that was really a skateboard ramp.  

It's the Swiss Army knife of houses! Too much dirt and grass on there now so I built this monstrosity.

The strength of Mike Oehler's book to me was definitely in the design. The "light, air and views" in an underground house is super appealing and we followed it to the letter. We have light and ventilation from all directions. When you factor in the earth tubes from PAHS and the cordwood front wall you have a more efficient, well ventilated and brighter home than a conventional home. That said you could take the principals  and use more pre-made materials and still end up with something far more efficient that the majority of homes produced currently. I have two family members who have bought new conventional homes built by "professionals" and have had all kinds of problems with them and they are not comfortable to be in without full HVAC systems; it is a failure at the design level. I would recommend two more books for anyone building any kind of house: "Building Green" - Snell and Callahan  - "Do-It-Yourself housebuilding" by George Nash

I read Mike's book when I was still a kid and it was hugely exciting for me to know that you could still build "forts" if you were an adult.

Your home is awesome. I'm envious, but not to the point of bitterness or spitefulness.

This build is just outstanding.  You just got added to my list of real-life superheroes.

Thanks so much to everyone for the compliments! They are very energizing. I feel like being a homesteader has given me my highest highs and sometimes plunged me into despair. It's super cool to share things with people who have similar interests.

Very impressive.  Can you tell me more about your foundation?  What is the house sitting on?

Tim Siemens wrote:Very impressive.  Can you tell me more about your foundation?  What is the house sitting on?

Mike Oehler mentions in his book how when he tried to make a pier foundation with rebar in the centre lateral thrust pushed it off. So I dug a 3 to 4 foot hole with an 8" post hole auger (4 ft. in the corners) and then made a 16" square form out of 1x6 which gave me space to install angle iron brackets on each side of the posts. Between the post hole and the square form I tapered it out a bit for strength. These brackets were secured with J-bolts around the perimeter and wedge anchors in the centre posts. The frost wall at the entrances is a rubble trench with an 8" slab. We mixed our own concrete cuz at the time a truck wouldn't have been able to make it through the low level crossing on the way to our house. Mixing your own 'Crete takes a long time but we were able to do the rubble trench slabs without cold seams and we added weld bond to every batch.

Oh yeah, and don't forget to burn the bottom of your posts or any wood that's sitting on the vapour barrier. I poured little connecting footers all around the perimeter  just to have something for the wall framing to sit on.

Wow, just amazing! What a beautiful house! Impressive. Thanks so much for sharing your experience with this project, and the great pictures.

Oh yeah, follow your heart and everything works out - that was the point of that last post.

One thing leads to another... this year was my first year as a 100% self employed person - a climbing arborist specializing in tree removal. And guess where I learned to use a chainsaw at height? So homesteading led to a career that can actually produce enough income to keep homesteading. We bought our first house because Meg and I were in a rock band and we needed a place to jam - then we fixed 'er up sold it and it gave us a grubstake to start the new project. So being a punk rocker led to being a farmer - it's the ultimate DIY! So I was thinking if someone wanted to build an underground house and you used some of your money to buy a skid steer you could go into business and it could pay for itself as well as help you get the project done way quicker. There's so many things you can do with a skid steer year round - and you could use screw piles for foundations for your posts. This is also the first year we have an actual truck and a tractor - and this has been helping a lot. There is something to be said for good old physical labor. Use it or lose it.

Thank you for sharing your story. I love it - from punk rocker to farmer. And just WOW - your chainsaw carving is very cool. Hope you keep posting pictures.

And thank you for your thoughts on skid steers. I've had so many people recommend different things - a guy who we talked to a lot when we first started looking for land told us we needed a 12.5 tonne excavator. We originally thought we would buy a mini excavator, and realized quickly that would not do what we needed - Too small. We look at RB Auctions and Kijiji for equipment in our price range - 12.5 tonne excavators are expensive...I was thinking a backhoe could work. What I've seen skid steers do, seems like that also could work.

So glad you're loving the self employed gig. I clung on to a "job" for a long time, thinking that was the only way to support my four kids. It did that, and when I lost my job in May 2021 I worried about it for about 3 seconds, and then realized that life was better without that job. I only have one child left at home and he's almost 18. Life is good! Soon I will be living on an acreage and building my self reliant dream, like you're building yours. Your posts inspire me further.

Thanks!

Lana,
You're welcome! Thanks for your feedback.

Wall Framing: I framed the walls with 2x10's on 1 foot centres and then used 2x10 scraps to connect them into a shelving system that also adds strength. You can see in the picture that the wall is framed off a base of two 2x10's the bottom being burnt and coated with linseed oil. The flooring then sits on top of the level foundation piers which locks the bottom 2x10 in place bracing against the granite floor tiles.

Wow great work it looks amazing.

I was recently granted "apple authority" ... I would've given you all the apples in the basket, but something limits me to one ... at least one more is now in your pile.

The carved statue alone deserves more!

Skateboarding on the roof (and not dying) deserves more!

This is "underground homes" book material, v2.0 ... just to get at all the knowledge in your head! Thanks so much for sharing it!

That last picture of the interior ceiling is right on what I’m planning- beams on posts with cross beams every 2 feet, and dimensional lumber to cap it off. Then I’ll be putting the membrane on the 2-by lumber, then a few inches of soil followed by insulation and another membrane. Then the top 2 feet of soil.

For those cross beams did you notch them only and pin them, notch only the main beams, or did you notch both like using a butter pat joint as I think Ben Law named it?

Mark Brunnr wrote:that last picture of the interior ceiling is right on what I’m planning- beams on posts with cross beams every 2 feet, and dimensional lumber to cap it off. Then I’ll be putting the membrane on the 2-by lumber, then a few inches of soil followed by insulation and another membrane. Then the top 2 feet of soil.

For those cross beams did you notch them only and pin them, notch only the main beams, or did you notch both like using a butter pat joint as I think Ben Law named it?

Mark:
Just for clarity the primary framing members that sit on the posts I will call "Girders" and the secondary framing members I will call "Beams". So to answer your question simply I did all three depending on the situation.

 The framing of the beams to the girders I based on my engineering minimums - I basically said I want beams that are no less than 7.5"and girders that are no less than 12"  - Now that doesn't mean all my wood is that size exactly - It means when I have a big beam meeting a slightly smaller girder I notch the beam and when I have a smaller beam meeting a big girder I notch the girder (this is more often the case and is an easier notch) and when I need to make up the difference I use a spacer block and notch into that. But I never cut into a Girder so deeply that there is less than 12" between the depth of the girder and the post. In this way I am sticking as close to my engineering min. but I can make a nice level roof as you can see in the picture.  So if you check out the picture with the stars on the beams the star on the right is a beam that is notched to fit around the girder even though it looks like it's sunk into it. The star on the left is a beam with a big ol' butt that I had to wittle down flat and then notch it into the girder (butter pat joint). The main thing to keep in mind is that cutting into wood weakens it so you don't want to cut into your girders too deep. This is the kind of shit I couldn't find much info about when I started so I had to come up with my own system. I did the first couple rows of beams without that good log scribe and it was quite challenging - the good scribe mentioned above saved me a lot of tool time. In Saskatchewan our trees aren't super tall most of the time so there's a lot of taper to deal with.
   I milled the outside posts, corner posts, the girder notches and the beams with a small Alaskan Mill and a 2x8 with a 2x2 on each side for stability. When you use that mill you usually end up cutting off an 1" or so to flatten it. If you have a smaller beam and you don't want to cut that much off it you take your power planer and find the crown of your log and just start planing from your highest point till you get enough of a flat spot for your roof boards to meet.

And thanks to JT for all the Apples!

And a note on that last pic where I'm milling:  to the left you can see another milling device called a "Beam Machine" that I have rigged to a 2x4 as a "chop saw". This thing is also useful for milling a girder in place in your wall when you need a squared corner.

Using salvage materials: Rob roy talks about "Cultivating Coincidences" - So just tell the universe to send the good shit! We got all our picture windows from old folks homes -They were being removed for Renos and they were going to be thrown out . Used fire doors from an old school. The majority of our rigid insulation was also salvage from a school Reno it had a 1/2 of concrete bedded to it. Grain bag plastic was used (not the final layer). Of course the granite floor. the corner braces of the timber frame are made out of old wheel rims that I pulled out of the bush - I also used a sloop and a grain auger for structural purposes. The opening windows and outer doors will be home made.
And on another note . All posts (except the four on the frost wall) most girders (except the biggest) and all beams were put up by hand by Meg and I and for the big heavy stuff we rented a "Small reach forklift" which actually has a pretty big reach.

The final drainage layer of plastic is a woven poly from "Northern Greenhouse sales" which has offices in Manitoba - Canada and North Dakota - USA - It's tuff stuff  - highly recommended.

How has your house been doing?  Any regrets on any aspects of it, or would you build it exactly the same in all areas?