Kondukt McGillivary

Saved. Thanks.

Rose Nicholas wrote:Hi Folks,

We are finally going up on the walls of our earthbag home.  We have 4 people working 2-4 days a week using superadobe bags.  It is labor intensive, but it is now going much faster and easier.  You can use gravel in the bags, which will provide you with a much higher R-factor, but you must add in some form of stabilizer.  For clay soil, use Lime powder.  For sandy soil, use portland cement.  A 10:1 ratio is the best standard for this.  We are using Lime due to the very high clay content of our soil here in the White Mountains.  

As for water source, we have a deep well that is solar powered with a 1300 gal holding tank and an 80 gal pressurized tank for the house.  A 1250 gal septic tank with dispersal field is being installed in addition to the 1000 gal system already in place.  We will also be doing rain water catchment system.  

We are rapidly reaching a point where we must put in windows.  I have some standard windows that we purchased but I am considering round windows instead.    We are looking at pvc pipe, steel pipe, and any other idea anyone may have.  What about using a wood barrel, cut in half? for each window?  Any ideas?  Need all the help we can get on this!

Thanks
Rose

How long do you anticipate the rest of your project taking? Might be interesting & educational (for me) to come help for a weekend.

Didn't see an introductions section so I presumed community general was safe...ish. Been lurking posts for a couple months maybe, getting a feel for the environment but have been thinking about getting to this lifestyle in due time. Am a 41, in shape straight, freedom-loving SWM American who admittedly doesn't have any skills in this area but am wholly sold on a sort of mixed living environment.  That due time is that I do I want my own plot of land, but not wildly far from a small city in which I can still drive to while also build up a subsistence living environment and lifestyle. I still need to work to make a living, although I won't have any debt when I buy that plott as I am just about done clearing off my last debt-not that much of a school loan. I am an work-from-home office professional, just under six figures, with an open schedule where I'm using to start getting outside for short hikes around Tucson. Five-year goal is to have that plot of land and build my own place, debt free and add on farm/animals.

So, this year marks the beginning of that five-year-quasi-plan and info gathering/planning. With that bit said, hello all o/ and uhhh . . . where the heck should I start!?!?!  I figured a general home concept/design would be first, been looking at a combo of straw bale/cob, liked the idea of the earth-bag foundation from that local thread.

Five Years till Start

Idaho/Montana/Utah Area

Not IN city

Preferable close to small'ish town

Straw-bale/Cobb Initial Interest

Potential of building in phases and/or add-on

Want to purchase materials in phases if possible & source from land

Kitchen & Pantry

2-3 Bedrooms

Living/Dining Area

Office/Study Area

Mud/Gear Room Area

Storage Area

Am trying to decide on general layout and where/how much to budget for a design that tells me general build costs or what not. No idea of how all that goes.

T Blankinship wrote: From my view as a single guy. The biggest issue is time, I have a forty hours a week job and getting time off can be hard for a lot of reasons. Yes, in a heart beat I would go to a PDC or workshop if I had the time off.  For me a one or two day event would be about right.  Trying to explain to a boss that you would like to have two weeks in a row off is hard. Summer for me is a busy time. Fall or winter for me is the best time to take time off and go to an event.

This is me as well, trying to find local events or groups to get my foot in the door of this whole new environment, while working full time still.