Greenhouses are great for growing your own food and flowers, but they take careful planning and a fair amount of time and money to build. Small indoor gardens are a simpler, lower cost option. These indoor gardens go by various names such as kitchen window garden, windowsill garden, garden window, greenhouse window, indoor herb garden, … Read more
Specifications: 1,064 sq. ft. interior plus 510 sq. ft. loft, 3 bedroom, 1 bath, Footprint: 31′ x 41′ plus porch Description: One of my favorites, this design has a cathedral ceiling over the main living space, wood stove, passive solar design and large porch on the west to block the hot afternoon sun. There is … Read more
“Earthen Hand Natural Building recently has created an 800 sf earthbag house on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state. Passive Annual Heat Storage (PAHS) design features were used in this building, giving it the ability to heat and cool itself passively using the earth beneath the building and the walls themselves as a battery of … Read more
With all the recent blog posts on earth bermed and underground houses, the topic of earthbag window wells seems fitting. Earth-sheltered houses can often benefit from additional lighting in certain parts of the home. Window wells allow additional sunlight and ventilation to enter through the windows, and can provide egress if necessary. Earthbag window wells … Read more
I saw this fridge a few years ago on Build it Solar.com. It’s a great site like I keep saying with hundreds of practical projects. Several years later and now I’m asking the same questions as the author below. Why haven’t more people made the switch to this super energy efficient fridge? “Using vertical doors … Read more
Numerous readers have requested advice on the quickest, easiest way to build post and beam frames. I suggest using standard galvanized metal wood connectors by companies such as Simpson Strong-Tie. (I’m referencing Simpson anchors because they’re widely available. Shop and compare. All brands meet code.) Deciding which connectors to use can be a bit confusing … Read more