Shayley Rose

I have a natural pond on my Wyoming property that sits near a creek (it may be part of the old creek channel). The pond is only estimated to be about 3-5 feet deep, maybe 5000 sq ft, and produces an insane number of mosquitoes in the spring.

Some initial thoughts to improve the pond quality are to run a solar pump, continuously (or periodically, depending on how quickly it fills) pumping water from the creek into the pond to keep it closer to a bank-full level.

Along with that, we want to introduce fish to help with mosquito control. Plains killifish were the first to come to mind.

I would love to hear thoughts on these ideas, along with whatever suggestion you guys have to improve on this awesome little pond that we have! Thanks

I have a flooring idea that might be a little "out there", even for this group. I have the idea to bring the outdoors inside, while maintaining temperature and stuctural integrity of the house, of course. My thought is to keep the floor dirt, with a layer of good soil on top, to lay stone through the space, and to plant groundcovers in between.

Additional info: This will be in Wyoming, so will freezing ground temps on a non-insulated floor be an issue? Could moisture be an issue? The building will be a tin shop, converted to house on a cement footing. The idea is to have ample south-facing windows to support whatever plants I stick in the indoor ground.

Thanks!

William Bronson wrote:Hey Shayley.
I would be inclined to try earthen plaster over pallet wood for the interior.

Insulation is tricky, the metal frame and skin might produce a lot of condensation.
Adding a rainscreen detail under the metal cladding might help, but it will also add cost and complexity.
Picking the right insulation should help.
Rockwool is notable as resilient to moisture.

I really like the earthen plaster/pallet wood idea.

And that gives me more to consider when it comes to insulation. Thank you!

Anne Miller wrote:I have two metal buildings that we use as a workshop and storage.

In the future, I want to make one of them a bunkhouse.

My idea is to frame the interior walls with wood 2" x 4", add insulation, and then use either sheetrock or paneling.

The paneling has gotten hard to find so I would probably end up with sheet rock.

Will you be turning the building into living quarters?

Since you mentioned cof, a rocket mass heater might be something nice to plan for:


Thanks for sharing! A rocket mass heater will absolutely be a feature. I live in Wyoming, so that supplemental heat and radiating seat are at the top of my list. Yes, living quarters.
https://permies.com/w/cob-style-rmh

Steve Zoma wrote:I would do as Anne says but dislike Sheetrock. I use shiplapped boards instead now. At 10 inches wide a board covers a lot of space but is easy to trim around obstructions. You can put a nail or screw anywhere you want to hold things. The cost is cheap. It can be painted any color you wish. Is renewable…

The list goes on and on.

As an alternative, you could insulate and frame with 2x4s and then use steel on the inside. I have done that before. It looks good, lasts forever and can be any color you want too.

Hey, those are both great ideas. Thank you!

Anne Miller wrote:This makes me recall how much I like board and batten.

I am good at recommending things to others though I am cheap so as I said I would use sheetrock.  

Our house came with a board and batten wall which I feel is very "stylish"

Here is a thread with pictures where I recommended board and batten and cedar planks, too:

https://permies.com/t/192183/permaculture/finish-basement-wall#1589159

Thanks for the idea! I've never heard of board and batten, but will definitely look into it.

John C Daley wrote:Shayley your end use is the critical factor.
If you are going ;
- to keep vehicles in it,
- or create living quarters for humans
the requirements for comfort and health vary greatly.

Oh, that information was very obvious in my head. Apparently you all aren't mind readers. Living quarters is the goal. Thanks!

I'm acquiring a metal-framed tin building (originally used by a methane company). It will basically be the frame and exterior siding placed on a cement footing. So I have free reign on figuring out insulation, interior walls, flooring, and whatever else I might be missing. I would love ideas to avoid the traditional spray-insulation and sheetrock route. I like the idea of cobb and natural stone flooring. Any thoughts are appreciated!

I'm looking into setting up a geothermal year-round greenhouse in northern Wyoming. I am getting questions on how our short winter days might affect tropical plants that are natural to locations with consistent day length through the year. I'm thinking things like mango, bananas, papaya, ect. Do any of you have experience growing tropics up north? And if you have any tips/tricks/other aspects to consider, I would love to hear! Thanks!