House building ideas

[Russell Kanning]

I found a great book with housebuilding ideas.

http://www.shelterpub.com/_home_work/HW-book.html

[SAK]

I may need to pick up a copy of this.  There's a possibility I may be building when I get there.  A temporary/humble home until I can save money for something more permanent.  Then I would have a guest house too   I'm sure this is a number of years out there tho

[KBCraig]

I remember the original version. Lots of cool ideas.

[Russell Kanning]

yea ... I didn't find that one at the library.

Lex has some good homebuilding ideas and books also. He is building with rock I believe.

[Tom Sawyer]

Looks like a good one...
No need to live in a conventional house unless ya want to.

David Lee writes some interesting articles in Backwoods Home magazine about his unconventional building ideas.

[Pat K]

I found a great book with housebuilding ideas.

http://www.shelterpub.com/_home_work/HW-book.html

Gee when I saw the link I thought it was gonna
be about having your house look like a Pub. 

[Russell Kanning]

I would like to build a modified earthship. no bar ... I will have to wait for you to move up.

[SpeedPhreak]

I haven't seen that book yet... it looks like a good read.

Sustained living is my new hobby to turn into mission.  Before I decided to expatriate I wanted to sell my other business & start a natural building company.  I planned on buying a large plot of land, subdividing & building custom natural homes for customers.  I may still do this on the side... I will decide once I get the skills needed & after more research into my other plans.  Thankfully the skills needed are not that hard to acquire... just some experience on a few jobs with people that know.  Building codes & permits are the issue (in places that have/enforce them). 

My personal preference is for strawbale... mostly because of where I live (colorado front range).  I love the idea of cob (traditional english house) & thatch roofs.  If I stay in colorado for any length of time I would like to build a 2 story load bearing strawbale house with a basement.  I don't think this has been done before.  I haven't decided on a roof yet.. I like the look of thatch but we can have droughts & like the idea of a roof that can collect rain water to deposit in a cistern.  I would like a natural floor... but need to do more research... especialy for the main & 2nd floors.  Add a well, composting toilets &/or septic/blackwater system, a solar/wind set up, a garden, a few grazing animals, & I would be set up for a while I think... the only thing I would "need" from the outside would be an internet connection (I am a junkie I admit it).  I want to produce hydrogen from water & use it in lew of propane or natural gas to power instant hot water heaters & other appliances (I think homepower magazine had an article on how to do it). 

If I move to NH then I would pursue this as well... along with a workshop & garage.  I am sure strawbale would be the way to go there too... have to think about the basement though... I assume those are common in that part of the country?  If I move to another country I obviously might have to use a different method (earthship, earthbag, etc...).

My newest "discovery" is that Hemp makes a great building material.  It can be used to make a hempcrete that is stronger & more flexiable than concrete, can be bailed, & can be used to make beams & paneling that rivals wood.  The only thing that isn't great about it is the beautiful wood grain/texture that you get with wood.  It is however, sustainable... yielding 4 times the volume of wood.

http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/ is a great site.

[Russell Kanning]

we have lots of wood in The Shire ... it seems to be sustaining itself quite nicely.

[SpeedPhreak]

Not that there is anything wrong with building with wood... we have lots here too.

In my opinion you can make better structures, often cheaper, & without using as much lumber (if any) by using alternative materials.  Wood definatley has a place in building... even though it can be replaced structurally.  I think that it should be used for its asthetic value.  Other materials can be stronger, last longer, & replaced sooner.  I am not a tree hugger by any means... but I think tree's should be preserved as much as possible.  Not counting overgrowth clearing & such to keep a forest healthy.

I guess that is what is great about our way of thinking... to each his own.

[Lex]

I have this book, "Home Work: Handbuilt Shelter", some neat ideas there.

If you want me to check if your favorite building method is featured in it I can do that.

[Lex]

I believe Russell still has my book on building underground shelters 

[Russell Kanning]

where is that book?

[cathleeninnh]

Bender is considering one of these.

http://www.firstdaycottage.com/

[Pat K]

Those are nice, be warned if you  go to the site
to check out the houses and the masonry heaters
you will find you lost track off time.