Jeff Wetzig

After moving into our house this year (Northern Wisconsin) I noticed a large amount of ice in one spot coming out of a rock outcropping about a 100 feet from the house. The ice is up to a foot thick in places.  Is this likely a spring or a seep? Are there winter seasonal springs or is this likely a year around spring? If it is a spring why did it freeze?

We had this problem with mites in our sawdust toilet as well.  It turned out that they were coming from the sawdust we had gotten from a sawmill.  When we switched to sawdust from kiln dried wood the problem went away.  

Thanks for the welcome,
I initially heard about Grindbygg through a search for round wood timber frame, which led me to take a Grindbygg class at the North House Folk School in Grand Marais, MN. I own about 15 acres of woodland in Western WI and managed to build a small test Grindbygg as a kiln shed last summer. I was mostly attracted to this method because of its use of scribing, which just makes more sense in my head than square rule, and because it allows for the posts, tie beams and knee braces to all be round. I don't have a picture of the proposed build location but I will try to post one the next time I go up to the woods.

thanks,

Jeff

Hello All,

I am in the beginning stages of designing a small off-grid cabin using a Grindbygg timber frame, which is the only timber framing method that I have experience with. My best building spot is a very large basalt outcropping, which has brought me to a raised platform on piers type of foundation. So my first question is how, using natural methods, am I to insulate the floor? What would hold up a straw/clay or other natural insulation?

My second insulation question concerns the roof. The Grindbygg style doesn't lend itself to a second story very well, but I would like to use the lofted area for kids bedrooms, which would require me to insulate the roof instead of an attic floor. Is it possible without using SIPS to insulate the roof using some kind of natural insulation?

I apologize if these questions have been answered previously.

Thanks,
Jeff