Robert Mangum

+ Follow

since Feb 16, 2013

Biography

En español and English:
Estoy planificando un proyecto utilizando tecnicas de Permacultura para restaurar una finca de 550 hectareas en Villacastin, Segovia, cerca de Madrid. Se van a hacer Swales, embalses, arado Yeoman, acuicultura, pasto organizado, busques; comestibles, de forraje, para avispas y avejas (miel), cultivo de cubierta, huerta. Quiero devolver a la tierra lo que tantos años de mal uso humano le ha quitado.
I am planning a project with Permaculture principles on a 550 hectare farm in Villacastin, Segovia, near Madrid. We are going to install Swales, dams, Yeomans Plow, organizational pasture, food forests; forage, fruit, bee (honey), cover crop, veggie garden. I want to return to the soil, what so many years of human misuse has taken away from it.
It is gonna be fun

For More

Villacastin

Apples and Likes

Apples

Total received

In last 30 days

Forums and Threads

Recent posts by Robert Mangum

Bioconstruction Bill Mollison two rooms deep?

I’m wondering if someone here can help. When Bill Mollison spoke about a house that is two rooms deep, he isn’t referring to a home with a living area, a hallway, and bedrooms & bathroom/s in the back, right? Would the hallway in between the living area and the bedrooms would break up the energy properties of the building?
The thing is if the bedroom walls butt up against the living area wall, the doors to access each bedroom need to open on to the living area, right? The positive aspect of a hallway in between the two areas, living & bedrooms, creates a distribution area where doors don’t interfere with the living area. Only one access point needs to be made in the living area to access the bedroom/bathroom area.

Anyone’s thoughts are much appreciated.

11 months ago

natural building

building directly on the ground.

Rot issues? The perimeter foundation raises the straw away from the ground and creates a solid base for the straw bale walls.

What is inside the walls is compacted dirt, and Bill mentions to seal the earthen floor with ox blood. No vapor barrier, just compacted dirt/clay.

The perimeter foundation needs to go into the soil at least 18” and have a 2” foam barrier on the inside of the perimeter foundation to stop heat loss and create a heat sink. (Attached are two pics of Bill explaining that).

Anne Miller wrote:It would be nice to here from Aurora as to how this went and how the build is today.

My thoughts are that there might be settling issue, rot issues, etc.

11 months ago

earthen floor

building directly on the ground.

Bill Mollison talks about this in his PDC course in the section on housing. It can be found online. The best is the build on the ground. You need a foundation and the foundation around the building under the external walls, going under the level of the ground until the frost layer to not have heat loss.

aurora sev wrote:The dick proenneke cabin intrigues me, im wondering about building directly on the ground.
What steps need to be taken to avoid wetness issues. His cabin seems to have a gravel floor, and what I was thinking was an earthen floor, with a few inches of gravel under, for water flow...I dont know much about this sort of thing.

How does this work once the floor becomes compacted to the point of being like tile? Is the floor going to be cold like tile in the winter, or is the temperature of the earth going to keep it somewhat warmer, and cooler in the summer?

Im going to be building a small primitive cabin soon, and I figured I could save a good portion of the money if I didnt build the floor, I also like the idea of earthen floors. I do understand it may not be much cheaper after the cost of gravel, or whatever may be needed.
I also understand that it will shorten the life of the wood directly in contact with the ground.

thoughts, threads, info?

11 months ago

earthen floor