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    #31
    Re: Alternative Building Ideas

    [quote author=Sparrowings link=topic=86.msg7902#msg7902 date=1288322763]
    I'm a big fan of earth lodges and viking pit houses. Yet, dirt floors are hard to keep clean though...



    The viking pit house stays naturally cool as it is basically a pit with the upper half of a house built over it. The vikings used some of these in the summer, though it might be pretty cold in the winter...



    Also quite nice, the Mandan earth lodges were a little bigger than the pit houses, but needed to be re-built every six or so years.

    I wonder how difficult it would be to build one now. If the Mandan could do it with no heavy machinery, maybe I can build one in my backyard...?
    [/quote]

    That would make a badass wine cellar.


    Mostly art.

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      #32
      Re: Alternative Building Ideas

      [quote author=Sparrowings link=topic=86.msg7902#msg7902 date=1288322763]


      [/quote]

      I have to make this because it's awesome.

      Comment


        #33
        Re: Alternative Building Ideas

        [quote author=Sparrowings link=topic=86.msg8105#msg8105 date=1288375132]
        Dirt floors might be ideal for a studio, if you make a mess you can jusr sweep it away!

        The only problem I forsee with this is when it rains you might get an indoor pool if it's not built on high enough ground. I wonder if putting in a cement wall lining around the pit would help prevent that, or if the cement would also break down eventually too... None of the articles I've read so far describe how the vikings kept their pit houses from becoming waterlogged, so maybe it just wasn't a problem for them.
        [/quote]

        Site location would be important. I've been thinking of different ways of avoiding flooding, but locating the building correctly would be the best bet. I'm lucky (if you want to call it that) that the area I live in is mostly sand, so it would drain pretty well and pretty quickly, as long as I don't make an attempt to waterproof it - any attempt to keep water off the floor would also work in the reverse and keep water inside. By raising the floor slightly above the level of the dirt I could allow small amounts of water to accumulate, which would almost instantly be drained into the sand.

        I've dug test pits to check on drainage, and none of them will hold water long enough to form a puddle.
        Every moment of a life is a horrible tragedy, a slapstick comedy, dark nihilism, golden illumination, or nothing at all; depending on how we write the story we tell ourselves.

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          #34
          Re: Alternative Building Ideas

          Site location would be important. I've been thinking of different ways of avoiding flooding, but locating the building correctly would be the best bet. I'm lucky (if you want to call it that) that the area I live in is mostly sand, so it would drain pretty well and pretty quickly, as long as I don't make an attempt to waterproof it - any attempt to keep water off the floor would also work in the reverse and keep water inside. By raising the floor slightly above the level of the dirt I could allow small amounts of water to accumulate, which would almost instantly be drained into the sand.

          I've dug test pits to check on drainage, and none of them will hold water long enough to form a puddle.
          That's exactly my problem, the area I was hoping to work with has done really poorly with perk tests. I don't know enough about construction to know how to build basements and etc. I should get some books...

          Comment


            #35
            Re: Homesteading, Living Off Grid, and Other Alternative Living

            The last few years I've been stuck in apartment-land, so I haven't had a whole lot of choice as far as gardening and goat-raising goes. As soon as I can though I'm going to set up a garden that will provide most of our fresh food, can a bunch of it for winter use, and get some bees. I really really want some bees. And a clothesline.

            Comment


              #36
              Re: Homesteading, Living Off Grid, and Other Alternative Living

              If you live near dairies then you could probably get a few 3-day calves ... Name them Sir Loin and Mister T Bone ... I had a few Jerseys which are not really beefy, more milk cows ... But in 9 months they made good veal ... A pleasant change from the 200 pounds of salmon, clams, oysters and sturgeon I had ...
              I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them ... John Bernard Books


              Indian Chief 'Two Eagles' was asked by a white government official; "You have observed the white man for 90 years. You've seen his wars and his technological advances. You've seen his progress, and the damage he's done."

              The Chief nodded in agreement.

              The official continued; "Considering all these events, in your opinion, where did the white man go wrong?"

              The Chief stared at the government official for over a minute and then calmly replied.. "When white man find land, Indians running it, no taxes, no debt, plenty buffalo, plenty beaver, clean water. Women did all the work, Medicine Man free. Indian man spend all day hunting and fishing; all night having sex."

              Then the chief leaned back and smiled; "Only white man dumb enough to think he could improve system like that."



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                #37
                Re: Homesteading, Living Off Grid, and Other Alternative Living

                Some of you know, my husband and I finally got our homestead last year.

                This is what it looks like out the back door...


                Comment


                  #38
                  Re: Homesteading, Living Off Grid, and Other Alternative Living

                  Love it. That looks like the area I'm in now. I do miss having things to do in the city though.

                  Comment


                    #39
                    Re: Homesteading, Living Off Grid, and Other Alternative Living

                    Looks like prime banana and coconut weather ...
                    I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them ... John Bernard Books


                    Indian Chief 'Two Eagles' was asked by a white government official; "You have observed the white man for 90 years. You've seen his wars and his technological advances. You've seen his progress, and the damage he's done."

                    The Chief nodded in agreement.

                    The official continued; "Considering all these events, in your opinion, where did the white man go wrong?"

                    The Chief stared at the government official for over a minute and then calmly replied.. "When white man find land, Indians running it, no taxes, no debt, plenty buffalo, plenty beaver, clean water. Women did all the work, Medicine Man free. Indian man spend all day hunting and fishing; all night having sex."

                    Then the chief leaned back and smiled; "Only white man dumb enough to think he could improve system like that."



                    Comment


                      #40
                      Re: Alternative Building Ideas

                      I have sand too ... But with a water table around 2 feet down in the winter and maybe 5 feet down in the summer a septic system can be a pain in the patootie ... Standing water for a few weeks while it rains is not uncommon ... Oh yeah ... I think my floor is about 4 feet above mean high tide mark ...
                      I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them ... John Bernard Books


                      Indian Chief 'Two Eagles' was asked by a white government official; "You have observed the white man for 90 years. You've seen his wars and his technological advances. You've seen his progress, and the damage he's done."

                      The Chief nodded in agreement.

                      The official continued; "Considering all these events, in your opinion, where did the white man go wrong?"

                      The Chief stared at the government official for over a minute and then calmly replied.. "When white man find land, Indians running it, no taxes, no debt, plenty buffalo, plenty beaver, clean water. Women did all the work, Medicine Man free. Indian man spend all day hunting and fishing; all night having sex."

                      Then the chief leaned back and smiled; "Only white man dumb enough to think he could improve system like that."



                      Comment


                        #41
                        Re: Homesteading, Living Off Grid, and Other Alternative Living

                        [quote author=LadyGarnetRose link=topic=256.msg25039#msg25039 date=1293436072]
                        Some of you know, my husband and I finally got our homestead last year.

                        This is what it looks like out the back door...


                        [/quote]Let me guess ... It is not white sand ...
                        I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them ... John Bernard Books


                        Indian Chief 'Two Eagles' was asked by a white government official; "You have observed the white man for 90 years. You've seen his wars and his technological advances. You've seen his progress, and the damage he's done."

                        The Chief nodded in agreement.

                        The official continued; "Considering all these events, in your opinion, where did the white man go wrong?"

                        The Chief stared at the government official for over a minute and then calmly replied.. "When white man find land, Indians running it, no taxes, no debt, plenty buffalo, plenty beaver, clean water. Women did all the work, Medicine Man free. Indian man spend all day hunting and fishing; all night having sex."

                        Then the chief leaned back and smiled; "Only white man dumb enough to think he could improve system like that."



                        Comment


                          #42
                          Re: Homesteading, Living Off Grid, and Other Alternative Living

                          [quote author=magusjinx link=topic=256.msg25857#msg25857 date=1293747541]
                          Let me guess ... It is not white sand ...
                          [/quote]

                          LOL you would be correct!!

                          Comment


                            #43
                            Re: Homesteading, Living Off Grid, and Other Alternative Living

                            Well ... If you can I would suggest a subterranean home ... One either dug into the ground, dug into a hillside or built at ground level then back-filled over it with at least 2 feet of soil on the roof ... That would help keep your heating in the winter minimal as the earth stays around 50F or so ... Or maybe a rammed earth home ... Or even hay bales ... I was thinking about going to military surplus sales and building inside walls of ammo cans as they are fairly uniform in size and if you orient the lids you get built in cabinetry ...
                            I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them ... John Bernard Books


                            Indian Chief 'Two Eagles' was asked by a white government official; "You have observed the white man for 90 years. You've seen his wars and his technological advances. You've seen his progress, and the damage he's done."

                            The Chief nodded in agreement.

                            The official continued; "Considering all these events, in your opinion, where did the white man go wrong?"

                            The Chief stared at the government official for over a minute and then calmly replied.. "When white man find land, Indians running it, no taxes, no debt, plenty buffalo, plenty beaver, clean water. Women did all the work, Medicine Man free. Indian man spend all day hunting and fishing; all night having sex."

                            Then the chief leaned back and smiled; "Only white man dumb enough to think he could improve system like that."



                            Comment


                              #44
                              Re: Homesteading, Living Off Grid, and Other Alternative Living

                              [quote author=magusjinx link=topic=256.msg26203#msg26203 date=1293848646]
                              Well ... If you can I would suggest a subterranean home ... One either dug into the ground, dug into a hillside or built at ground level then back-filled over it with at least 2 feet of soil on the roof ... That would help keep your heating in the winter minimal as the earth stays around 50F or so ... Or maybe a rammed earth home ... Or even hay bales ... I was thinking about going to military surplus sales and building inside walls of ammo cans as they are fairly uniform in size and if you orient the lids you get built in cabinetry ...
                              [/quote]

                              Actually our heating bills aren't that bad. The energy bill goes up $40 even in the coldest. That is though including cooking indoors because in the spring through fall we grill a lot of our food.

                              Comment


                                #45
                                Re: Homesteading, Living Off Grid, and Other Alternative Living

                                I have friends outside of town here who live completely off the grid, power-wise. They have a solar water heater and a shed with all sorts of generator stuff. Other friends I have use provided electric but have lots of land, an orchard, big garden, chickens, cows, horses, etc. and grow/kill/preserve most of their own food, which is all delicious.
                                Me - I'm in a typical suburban 3 bedroom ranch just like the one I grew up in LOL
                                sigpic
                                Can you hear me, Major Tom? I think I love you.

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