R Scott

Cob and plaster meet the fire resistance need.

The air barrier is the tough one for natural materials. Most of the other issues can be addressed by methods more than materials.

Barbara Simoes wrote:I asked the plumber about it.  He didn't seem to think that metal was a good solution.  He suggested that I just run the cold water while draining something like that.  That will require that I remember to do that because it is so ingrained in me not to waste water. You would think that plastic would not be "code" in a kitchen where dealing with boiling water is  a constant!  

R Scott wrote:Canning and pasta water are extremely bad for modern plumbing!  You can still get metal drain pipes but they will cost you. Might be worth it for a canning kitchen.

Boiling water is not a constant in an “average” kitchen anymore, and only a few cups at a time when it does happen.

Another option if you have the space is to close the drain and leave the water in the sink until it is cool enough to reach in and open the drain. Not a great option in the summer.

Canning and pasta water are extremely bad for modern plumbing!  You can still get metal drain pipes but they will cost you. Might be worth it for a canning kitchen.

John C Daley wrote:R.Scott any photos possible please?

Not enough internet here, I’ll have to remember next time I go to town.

Mine is loosely based on an Earthship, but the walls are built with overpour blocks—2x2x6 foot retaining wall blocks made with surplus concrete from the batch plant.  They were set in two hours with a mini ex, not two years of pounding tires.

Quality varies across the spectrum. The budget models are built to be used about 3-4 weeks a year max. Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day weekends plus maybe one summer vacation. They wear out quickly if you try to live in them full time. Some are built to live in, and will last better than the average home. Most of them are a pain to work on because of limited space.  

I live in a tiny (~500 sq ft) bermed house that is still under construction. I heat it with sun and a small diesel heater at night. The plan is to put in a rocket stove in the back with the bench heating the back wall and mass.

Do EVERYTHING to waterproof the foundation.

Look around for hedges nearby, and copy them. If the particular species isn’t to your liking, at least pick something similar looking. The privacy and noise abatement are yield enough in my book, but flowers for pollinators would be a bonus.  Pick something easy to maintain and budget for the tools to do it.

Just a note on straw—it can have mature seed heads as Paul described, usually because the crop was too low of yield or damaged by weather or disease right before harvest (not worth the money to run the combine harvester through the field) but it could have been harvested and then baled just the straw, in which case is partially shredded and has most of the seeds removed.

Hay can be made from annual grains, or from perennials—alfalfa, clover, any number of grasses.  If cut at the right time, there should be very few viable seeds, but it is possible to have a lot of weed seeds off the timing was off.

Any type can have herbicide and/or insecticide residue, so source carefully.

The basic pocket kit is an Opinal knife, either the big folding sickle blade garden knife or the mushroom knife, and a titanium backpackers trowel plus a couple bags, usually the pocket reusable shopping bags like from Trader Joe’s or similar.  I’ll add pruning shears and gloves if I think I need to clear brambles or am after cuttings.