R Scott

Ryobi has an INSANE range of tools available. They are great for home or homestead, but the batteries and tools don’t hold up to heavy constant use like full time construction.  But the system is so cheap it is worth it to buy the battery and charger for just a specialized tool (like the caulk gun or trim nailer) than buy a bare tool for the battery platform you already have.

I have done the power bank and corded tools. Good for stationary tools like table saw, miter saw, etc. but if your work area is bigger than a short extension cord’s reach, the cordless tools are SO much faster and more efficient.  If you already have the corded tools and have the time to spare it’s a good plan. It isn’t like running a gas generator that needed ear pro constantly or spend more time starting and stopping the generator than actually making the cut.

I’m working on one, more of an Earthship with a much larger greenhouse.  I am too far south to pull off the fully enclosed version. For my climate, it made a lot more sense just to be attached and not a shell within a shell.

The greenhouse needs to be at least commercial grade, it really depends on zoning permitting make you sad.  The wind load gets intense fast as you make the greenhouse taller. You may have to build both to residential code and get taxed on the entire square footage, or just the house portion. Do your research.

You really have to be on top of humidity management in the greenhouse.  You can turn your house into a Petri dish really quick.  Many horror stories.

If you do it, make sure to put in air tubes for the house so you can pull in cooler outside air directly to the house.

And be very careful with big augers and power drills! The new cordless drills have clutches and safeties so they don’t throw you as hard, but they can still thump you good when (not if, when) it binds.

I would be be hesitant to use carpet pad as it might hold water.

There is probably a roll insulation sold as a pipe wrap that would be perfect, but my Google fu is weak today and I can’t find it.  There is also probably a wool roving or batting product that would work if you want natural.

I agree that rock wool would be a better product, but there is no way to split it into thinner sheets. Not consistently, anyway.

Good idea on the cut your own pegs. Definitely cheaper.

I have seen people use standard fiberglass batt insulation. They ripped it to a 4”ish wide strip (you get four strips from a standard batt) and then peeled it to about an inch thick. One small pack from Home Depot will do the whole house. A couple staples will hold it in place in the wind.

You can also use a caulk rope or tube caulk. Choose one that is non hardening and meant to for air sealing buildings. There are zero voc versions. It will be expensive, but will 100% air seal even as the logs settle and add structural strength.

Search for your source of dowel before you buy your bit. There is a wide variation in cost for dowels and it isn’t necessarily logical vs size. Wooden closet rod is a potential source, but they vary a lot in size so buy your whole batch at once and then get your bit sized to fit them.

PH is probably a concern, I am so used to overly acidic soil that it completely slipped my mind. It isn’t as much of an issue than adding it to fluffy well draining soil, it simply will sit in the upper packed layer and not wash into the roots because it is not infiltrating water.

You could also do a flagstone walkway, simply sand bedded rock if you have it available. But definitely more money if you have to buy it.

Yes, basically packed soil. With extra lime in the top 4” or so to firm it up a bit when wet. You can mix in the lime with a tiller or a shovel/fork if you are up to the work. Level it really well with a rake, nice crown with no low spots to puddle, then tamp it a little-enough to keep it together but not a full brick. Getting the grade right is the most important part.

It isn’t a rock solid block, think of it like a hard packed path that doesn’t get muddy in the rain.  You can make it solid earthen colored concrete if you add enough cement and pack out like rammed earth, but you don’t have to.

Soil cement pathways are a thing, they did it at my college at least into the 90’s. They would till in Portland and lime chips, level and crown it, then pack it and top with a thin layer of lime chips. It basically acted like a dirt path that didn’t get muddy. Tiller, drop spreader, sprayer (for water), and a sod roller. All standard landscape tools, done by the regular maintenance crew, and could do it extremely quickly.

They probably switched to concrete for handicap access, but it was an easy cheap solution.

For your situation, I would do the same thing but skip the Portland. The key is to get the slope right to direct the water to where you want it. You can funnel a portion to the tree, leave the drip line mostly permeable, and make sure to not puddle.