One of the easiest and least expensive ways to build lintels over doors and windows is with small diameter wood poles. Poles are typically gathered inexpensively from local forests, sometimes with a firewood permit. In comparison, milled timbers, dimension lumber, and concrete and steel timbers are more expensive than pole lintels. Pole lintels are fast … Read more
Cliff, one of our readers, sent me these photos of old cob houses in New Zealand. They look really nice, especially considering their age. I knew New Zealand and Australia have a long history of building with earth, but I didn’t realize how well the buildings are holding up and how beautiful they are. The … Read more
Green Gate Farms, a certified organic farm, was established by Skip Connett and Erin Flynn in a blighted neighborhood in east Austin in 2006. Working off-farm jobs to fund our efforts, we restored a historical farm site to create a community resource for neighbors of all incomes. Our vision is to cultivate a healthy farm … Read more
Following his trip to the self-sustainable Lammas in Wales, Heydon Prowse visits Pembrokeshire national park to meet two families living in low-cost, environmentally sustainable dwellings. Heydon Prowse meets with Tony and Faith Wrench, builders of That Roundhouse, and Simon Dale, builder of A Low Impact Woodland Home. The video shows Simone Dale’s new home. I … Read more
Installing window quilts is one of the simplest, easiest ways to save on energy costs. It’s right up there with caulking, weather stripping and adding extra roof insulation in terms of rapid payback. Window quilts would probably pay for themselves in just one or two seasons. With something so simple and obvious you’d think more … Read more
Superior Sandbag Systems’ revolutionary, patented technology, creates and places on site, a high quality, seamless, tubular, continuous sandbag. Installation requires dramatically less manpower and time compared to labor-intensive traditional one-at-a-time sandbagging methods. With the ability to customize sizing, superior sandbag systems can be a cost and time saving fit for any application. – Capable of … Read more