We were just talking about strawbale roundhouses the other day. (See: Straw Bale Roundhouses Built in One Day.) This one is in New Mexico. I highly encourage people to try gravel bag foundations. (Polypropylene bags or tubes filled with gravel.) They could have saved a great deal of time, money and effort. A small, simple foundation like this one can be built in one day with two workers. Our free websites and articles explain the details.
Month: February 2013
300% Increase in Agricultural Income on 8.6 Million Acres
Here’s some very good news. Learn how to turn degraded land into highly productive land.
“Large, decimated ecosystems can be restored. Bringing large areas back from environmental ruin is possible, and the results are key to stabilizing the earth’s climate, eradicating poverty and making sustainable agriculture a reality.
Log Cabin Simplicity: recrafting pioneer tiny homes in corn Iowa
“Paul Cutting bought his first log cabin for $600 and with no background in construction, he began to meticulously take it apart, documenting where each piece was placed so some day he could put it back together in an authentic fashion.
Tiny Off-Grid Cabin in Maine is Completely Self-Sustaining
“A project 30 years in the making, this tiny off-grid retreat on a coastal island in Maine is almost entirely self-sufficient. Designed and built by Alex Porter for her father, the project features a shed roof and is wrapped in a distinctive blue-grey corrugated skin. Dwell recently profiled the home, which is the only solar-powered retreat on the isolated island – its sustainable power source actually makes life a lot more leisurely, as the family does not need to schlep in fuel to run a noisy generator. They didn’t give anything up, as they have all the conveniences of a regular home — but with a view you don’t get in an everyday residence.”
Another Update from Rex
“I have a Granberg MKIII Alaskan saw mill on its way, as well as one of their smaller Mini mills. I have so much fallen trees from a friend’s recent project that I’m going to use some of the wood I mill for flooring in the center of the house and hopefully make a little change on the side selling to a carpenter friend of mine. I’ll let you know how it works out for me. I’ll be milling mesquite, live oak and juniper.
Reflected Light from Mirrors
“This is what I did recently. I got the idea from Cody Lundin’s house. My apartment doesn’t get much sunlight and almost no direct sunlight. So I basically placed a mirror outside my window on the patio. The sunlight bounces off the mirror and hits the ceiling and lights up the room. The quality of the light is great. Costs: $6 mirror at Home Depot, almost nothing. I googled this exact topic and found almost nothing. I thought it was super neat.” Thanks, Mark Lazaro