“This article is a distillation of various tips and tricks I’ve learned for making salvaging and building an enjoyable and rewarding process. Building with salvaged materials has many potential advantages. First, salvaged materials are usually less costly than new materials, and they may be of better quality (e.g., well aged wood that doesn’t shrink, crack … Read more
An inexpensive option to thick concrete floors. The diagram below is from the 1972 book “The Owner Built Home”, by Ken Kern. In this discussion Kern describes a lightweight 1″ thick fiber reinforced floor system that had been tested extensively in India. The system starts with a flat earthen floor surface that has been loosened … Read more
From time to time we answer reader’s questions. Building codes, and where to live where there are Few or No Building Codes so as to reduce construction costs, is our #1 most popular topic. Q: I’m thinking about building a 120 sq. ft. structure as a home to get around the building codes. In my … Read more
“Inspiration for your quiet place somewhere. Edited by the folks at Beaver Brook.” This is a fantastic site with hundreds of beautiful cabin photos! I’ve had the pleasure of living in places very similar to those in the photos. Thanks to Ziggy at Year of Mud for finding this great website. Image source: Free Cabin … Read more
[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/28676720 w=400&h=300] Source: Lost and Found Films
As one of the top natural builders who influenced the direction of my life, we’ll be discussing more of Ken Kern’s building ideas. This is the stuff that fueled my imagination and passion for affordable housing when I was a young man. It was obvious to me 35-40 years ago that modern building materials are … Read more