In or Out? Were you born in a BARN? :)

Shut up, TED.

Okay…

I was going to bring you up to speed on another really terrific ISBU project I’m involved in, but TED… Well, we all know how TED is. He’ll whine and cajole and then ask you so many questions that you end up writing an entire  post about them.

So… yet another year of RR posts will wind to an end…

… as I’m writing an entire post to address TED and his Four Thousand and One questions…

And then, I’m gonna see about getting him transferred to Guam.

Ted said (in a rather lengthy comment to a post, no less…) :

Note: The formatting is mine… the rest of the nonsense is TED’s. Gawd’s breath, I just hope he’s better with an M4 than he is with that infernal keyboard of his…

That said… don’t blame ME…

Okay, here we go… again;

Ted “hunts and pecks”;

Happy….uh, Merry….Crap, forget it! Back to work!

So reading and catching up has my questioner going again. Time to ask da man.

Psst, thats YOU Alex. Yeesh.

When starting at phase line alpha, Ronin insists on sandblasting and floor removal. Stop me when I’m wrong, ok?

Editors note; Um… dude, you’re almost always wrong.

No, not YET…I’m just starting! Crimony!

I suppose my first question would be which would you say would last longer and require the least long term maintenance. Painted exposed ISBU walls or some form of siding? Say for argument purposes Hardi-panel t-111 looking fiber cement board (primed and painted of course).

Editors note; Um… you know.. sooner or later they’re gonna go out behind the PX looking for that siding and you’re gonna be going to the brig.

Now hoping your gonna say the Corton siding wins hands down I venture behind the curtain to ask Mr Wizard an idea he normally cringes at.Inside insulation.Feeling somewhat safe since you didn’t eat “Cold in Wyoming” as a snack I will venture this question and hope for similar fortune.

Editors note; Yeah, but I LIKE those guys…

First, YES! I do understand that insulating inside eats space like a fat kid in the doughnut shop.

Got it! Roger!

Si’! Da! So….Now I’m confused…ur, more confused.

Editors note; And that should surprise me… why? ‘)

If the outside of the ISBU is more durable, weather and disaster resistant than its more traditional counterparts how do we take advantage of that if we insulate/add siding to the exterior?

*ducks and scans for thrown shoes*

Yes, I’m looking for the cake and eating it too.So to that end here is my thought.

What if one had 2 40′ containers set on piers, para to each other say 16 feet in between. That gives roughly what, a lil over 1200 sq feet? Now if you spray in your insulation (closed cell poly)is there a difference between sparying and the panels used above as far as “R-value”?? I

suppose my reasoning is sorta that maybe by maintaining the containers integrity as much as possible and minimizing the stick framing required that it would maxamize the atributes of the container? Not having to repaint faded siding or replace siding that was damaged via say fire or high wind seems a good idea, right?

And since its just me, huge space is not really needed. Not saying I have any desire to build a tiny home or hobbit dwelling but maybe something reasonable.

So in your opinion and knowing that some loss in interior space would be acceptable, which makes more sense…inside or outside insulation? Which would you say costs more to do?

Thanks Alex!

Argh… where do I start? Oy… that TED is making me nutzo…

Okay.

Pour pilings and embed steel in them to weld containers to.

Drop ISBUs on pilings.

WITH A TRACTOR AND A FORKLIFT, TED! WHAT ARE YOU, NUTS?

(Moron was strapping on a hernia belt. Oy…)

Cut out your walls FIRST. No sense cleaning up metal you ain’t using indoors. Use that removed CORTEN steel corrugation OUTSIDE for shutters, covered porches and stuff like that there.

Now. start thinking about places you’ll actually BE.

(You’re asking yourself why I don’t frame everything in, right here and now, right? Wait for it…)

First, ISBUs are painted with this concoction called “anti-fouling paint”. It’s nasty stuff. It has to be to hold up to Mother Nature continually trying to kick it’s um… er… derriere.

See? I can be “PC”. Now excuse me while I go wash my mouth out with soap. That PC crap leaves an aftertaste…

Now where was I? Oh yeah… Ted… again… Oy.

Anti-fouling paint. You need to render it harmless in places where you’ll come into contact with it.

That means sandblasting. And after you get all that crap sandblasted off (Oh my… the fun you will have… oy!) you need to carefully inspect your containers for cracked welds, or other imperfections that can now be easily fixed.

You want to sandblast all the lips areas of your containers too, on the inside AND outside. It’s an easy way to check for cracks and defects and this way you don’t have to fight the floor to do it.

Why do this?

Well, because a smart camper welds angle iron onto the side rails to carry his floor decks and SIPs roof panels, that’s why. You really want to breathe that anti-fouling paint while you try to weld to it? Really?

You can also get under the boxes to apply SPF to the bottom of them, if you want to.

Once you’ve made your repairs (remember that mild steel and Corten steel aren’t good neighbors so choose your materials carefully) it’s time to cover that metal back up.

Save yourself some time and trouble and use a material called RUSTGRIP.

It’s the only coating/paint/concoction that is made by SPI (the rascals that make Supertherm) that I use often.

Funny, I was just having this conversation the other day…

So, at the risk of repeating myself:

For the record;

AFTER you sandblast all the crap off (including the heavily leaded paint that you’d never want your kids or the elderly to be around…) you (at the very least) Rust-Grip them. Rust-Grip is a one-part polyurethane coating that combines with atmospheric moisture to cure. Upon curing, RUSTGRIP provides corrosion protection.

From the SPI doc’s which I’ve also quoted elsewhere here somewhere (I forget where, like a couple of hundred posts ago);

Seal virtually any surface and protect it against corrosion, weather and physical wear with Rust Grip®. Rust Grip® is a three-coats-in-one system that acts as a primer, intermediate, and topcoat with a single application.

Rust Grip® is a metallic-based, moisture-cure polyurethane encapsulating coating designed to coat and seal air, moisture, and minerals out of surfaces. Rust Grip® stands up to acids, salts and caustic materials with no loss of strength! For EPA VOC standards, Rust Grip® falls under the metallic pigmented coating category. Rust Grip® is 414 grams/liter VOC. (California limit of 500 grams/liter.Benefits of Rust Grip®:

• Fast Working – Rust Grip® begins its cure cycle within an hour, penetrating and swelling to seal surface pores.
• Versatile – Rust Grip® protects steel, aluminum, concrete, wood, fiberglass, and lead-based paints. It is excellent for minimally prepared surfaces.
• Class A Fire Coating – In case of fire, Rust Grip® will help to prevent spread of, and will not contribute to, the burn.
• Strong and Lasting – Rust Grip® has a 10+ year lifespan on substrates under normal conditions and strengthens surfaces to 6780 psi (473 bar).

While you can shoot it on, most people roll it on. Apply two coats. Wait about three hours between coats. Voila. Instant encapsulation and protection. It’ll fully cure in about a week to ten days.

And, you can indeed paint over it so that you get that designer shade of pink you’re craving…  we wouldn’t want that container to clash with your tutu… TED.

Wait about a week first. We found it works best if the stuff starts to fully cure before you coat it with something besides profanity.

And yes… there ARE other materials that will do this “seal and encapsulate” process. Rustgrip is just easy to find and it works right out of the can. Why change horses if you have a good one already?

All you’re doing is creating a primed and encapsulated surface area, just waiting for whatever you’ll do next.

In TEDs case, it’s packing for Guam…

Okay, maybe not.

You now have containers ready for the next step.

(We’ll all assume that TED removed those nasty pesticide ridden floor panels long before he picked up those boxes to plant up in the air on the pilings. Or I will personally find my way to his house and kick him all the way back to Iraq. Right TED? That’s right… snap that salute, soldier.)

IMHO (Yeah, like I’m ever REALLY humble) in TEDs case, it should go something like this:

He’ll use wood. Dollars to donuts, he’ll use wood. So, that ‘s the route I’ll take;

Deck between your boxes, and create your floorspace. Close it in by building your framed walls fore and aft. Create your rough opening for glazing and doors… TED.

(Look, you gotta guide TED by the nose, or he’ll screw it up… trust me on this.)

NOW frame your wall cavities for your SPF and insulation.

WHAT? “SPF AND insulation?” What the he-double-L am I talking about?

Shut up, TED. Keep reading.

And stop making that face at the monitor, Your face will freeze like that. Trust me when I tell you that you didn’t win any genepool at work, and you can’t afford it.

The best thing in the world about SPF is that it does three or four jobs with one application.

• You get a vapor barrier.
• You get a moisture barrier.
• You get great r-values out of it.
• AND… you get some rack and shear” help, too.

But wait… there’s more;

You get a big bill from the guy you bought the SPF from. It’s more expensive. Sure, it does more (and in my opinion it’s worth it) but it’s gonna cost you.

And TED is “one a those guys” who sells boiled peanuts by the side of the road when the traffic lights turn.   He looks into your window all sad and stuff, rolling his big puppydawg eyes, so you’ll buy his styrofoam cup fulla whatever the heck that crap is…

I have it on good authority that he counts pennies. In fact, he counts them so often that even the old ones are all shiny again from all the handling.

SO… we’re gonna take another road…

The road into “Cheapville”…

(And for those of you who don’t know… TED is one of my pals who is trying to build a home for himself inbetween bouts of serving his country (so we can all sit here safe and sound and shoot our mouths off) while he dodges bullets and other implements of destruction. So, I’m gonna help him build the best home possible, for the lowest amount of money we possibly can.)

Okay… SPF is cool, cool, cool. But it costs more.

So… why not use the SPF (say about an inch of it) to actually coat the inside and even the floors (even the ones that you decked into your boxes).

YES… TED. I realize that will only give you an r7.

But what if I follow that up with a cheaper insulation product, like rigid polyiso foam?  Slabbed up and stuffed into the cavities (or floor cavities) on top of that SPF, you’re gonna get about r5.6 an inch.  And, it’s WAY cheaper. You can even find if for free on FreeCycle and CraigsList.

You just gotta go get it and haul it off.

In a 2×6 framed wall, you get about 5″ of cavity to stuff with “toasty goodness”.  So, you can easily accomplish R values in the range of  r28 (or even a bit more) depending on what PolyIso board you use.

Note that this works with 2×4 framed walls too. You have just over 3″ to work with, right?

You’ll achieve R values of about R18, easy.

Is R18 enough for Los Angeles? Yep. But is it enough for Colorado or Wyoming? NOPE.

Go big, or go home… to somebody else’s home. At least that one might be warm when Jack Frost is trying to kick your… um…er.. here we go again…

Yes, you’ll lose some R value to your doors and glazing.  However, you’ll have a really easy time of insulating your walls and any idiot can do it – including TED…

… provided he doesn’t cut himself on the knife he uses to trim the rigid insulation to fit.

Now, all you need is a toasty SIP roof (go as big as you can afford… R40 or better, TED) and you have your insulated, weathered in shelter…

And best of all… you still have some extra money left in your pockets…

TED… Once you’re weathered in, you can work thru the winter in spite of all the snow and inclement weather and not have a care in the world, except the driving distance to the nearest emergency room when you either electrocute yourself on the welder or cut yourself with a skillsaw…

(Man, I still can’t believe they actually issued YOU a weapon…)

Now… for the exterior.

In TEDs case, he should just leave it alone. That anti-fouling paint covering up those Corten Steel panels is gonna last a long time. First, it’s OUTSIDE. It’s not gonna hurt him. It’ll offgas into the air.

And he’s already like… um… braindead. SO I doubt it will hurt him.

Yes, TED. The Corten Steel walls will oxidize. It’s part of their charm.

In fact, I spray them with a baking soda concoction I created that will age them to a cool “camo-ish…color” that will blend the boxes into the treeline hue.

(Unless the idiot bought BLUE boxes…)

Um… Ted… you did, didn’t you? You bought BLUE boxes… Man, there is no helping some knuckledraggers…

And NO! You can’t just shoot latex over “Anti-fouling paint”. It will bubble and blister like mad. So, why cause more work for yourself. I mean, it’s not like TED is gonna have any neighbors. Have you listened to TED?

Can you imagine living next door to him? I didn’t think so.

So, I’d just let Mother Nature do her thing on the outside of those boxes and use them to really hammer home the;

“I’m that nut who lives in the cargo containers down the road…” vibe.

That’ll keep the vacuum cleaner salesman off your porch.

Seriously TED… I’m glad you’re home safe and reasonably sound. I was gonna have to go find you and give you a severe beating, otherwise.

Now I gotta go look for an old boot I can throw at TED. More later…

G_D Bless TED, America and all of you…

Happy New Year!

Note: No peanuts or vacuum cleaner salesmen were harmed in the writing of this post.

I’ll be home… after Christmas…

WARNING: “Off Topic” Post.

May your travels home after the holidays be safe, trouble-free… and relatively sane.

Talk about mixed messages…

How do I teach my kids that it’s not acceptable for them to be touched by strangers, while some j@ck@ss gropes their mother in the airport for having the audacity of wanting to simply board a flight? WHILE I’m standing there, incapable (by law) of acting on my feelings and punching them in the face repeatedly, no less?

This is getting out of control.

PS. Did you know that  in 2008, 465 TSA “officers” were fired for theft according to  the New York Times?

That’s over 1% of the total number of people who work for them – and that’s just the ones who got caught. Most of them were caught during and after the holidays.

Class act, huh? So it just makes sense that we’d empower them to do things to us that not even cops can do, without “probable cause”. Oy.

BTW: In 2009 the theft firings at TSA nearly doubled.

It’s that time again… Watch your stuff, huh?

Thank you – Brasscheck.

Help! I’m freezing my BUILD off!

While I’m busy on the roof (carefully concealing “reindeer traps”) I’m going to reach into the mail bag and haul out another gem.

Hi Ronin,

We’re build our ISBU home (thanks to you).

Our containers have been living in a barn, getting cut, folded, spindled, mutilated, sandblasted, coated, refloored, hammered and pounded.

(No thanks to you… We HATE you now. It took us all summer, one weekend at a time. We still have sand and grit all over the place.)

As you know, we are located in the North… where snow and cold wind are considered the evil that one suffers for living away from the rat-race.

We hope to build as  we can, doing a little bit each weekend, as we LIVE in the shell while it becomes a home.

We realize that once the ISBUs are dropped, we’ll be weathered in. But having to leave the walls open and exposed to run wiring and plumbing is going to extend the time (that we won’t have) to get inside, warm and safe.

Note: This family is building a 32′x40′ High Cube ISBU – 3 bedroom/2 bath home on one level. Piling foundation.  Gabled SIP (Structural Insulated Panel) Roof with SSMR (Standing Seam Metal Roofing) over that.  I made them start at “Square One” with the containers so that they’d be prepped properly.

This included sandblasting them down to bare metal, making needed repairs  and then recoating them with RustGrip.

Contrary to “naysayers”… my builds ALMOST ALWAYS include this step.

(I say ALMOST, because some choose to “simply encapsulate” using something like RustGrip, instead. No, I’m not fond of this “alternative”.)

I do not let ANYONE proceed with an ISBU Build without first dealing with paint and flooring issues.

Additionally they are going to insulate (gasp!) inside the home… using rigid insulation boards (they were “gifted” with them) so that the Corten exterior remains visible. Internal framing is 2×6. 4″ of PolyIso get stuffed into those cavities. That’ll get them almost R-23 in the walls.  Note that 1″ equals approximately R5.7. Yes, it gobbled up square footage. Oy.

We’ll use a special “soda based spray” on the boxes to help them “discolor”, to help them blend into the treeline. It’s part of their “desired look”.

What can we do to make things work? Any tricks? We don’t relish the idea of freezing!

Sincerely,

Cold in Wyoming…

Dear “Feeling the Frostbite”,

I’ll just jump right into this;

It’s that time of year and several blogs and forums I’m aware of are all talking about this very topic.

Yes. There ARE ways to speed things up.

Traditionally, we’ve always just run the electrical and plumbing down exterior walls (or in crawlspaces), distributing it to wherever it needs to be, in “runs”.

This has never made any sense to me.

First, running wires and pipes in exterior walls or “crawls” means they get cold. Sometimes, they get TOO cold. Then, you have to open the walls back up, or crawl under the house into the wet, frigid mess…  to make repairs. That’s just adding insult to injury.

I opt for something called “open construction”.

What’s “open construction”?

PLUS

PLUS

EQUALS

OPEN CONSTRUCTION

If you read the blog, you know that I like to create “run trays” in the floor.

I’ve been telling you about it for years. But would you listen to me? Nooooo!

Using old “K-Style” rain gutter material (you can even use the half-round gutter material)  “notched into” my concrete floor slab, I can run my electrical (or even plumbing) in those -separate- trays.

(Don’t run both power and water in one tray – just for safety’s sake… unless you like that charred, frizzy “Angela Davis” Hair-do!)

I’ve been doing this for years. It works perfectly.

Using architectural gratings (which you can find in piles at architectural salvage yards), I can then cover that tray system up and not only allow access, but add considerable character to the build. Plus, no holes in walls for outlets. You just make holes in the grating large enough for your plugs to fit into.

Or even better, notch one side of your grating so you can just slip the cords in and then plug into a SIDE LOADING outlet box.

You can also run your electrical and even your plumbing overhead, up in your  Attic.

This allows it to be run right “out in the open” and easily identified, because you took the foresight to clearly label it.

You DID, right? Nope? Go stand in the corner. Here’s your sign…

Put your hot water tank up there too… and let gravity do all your work for you. Plus, doing that means that it’s easy to access any system later, should the need arise.

You can still use the attic for storage, just be careful how you lay things out.

You can also run all your plumbing and electrical in furnace or heating ducts. The heat will help keep things from freezing.

The only time this “open construction” theme doesn’t work flawlessly is when you’re running communications cables and lines that require isolation. The solution then is to just keep track of your lines (like Ethernet CAT 5 cables, etc…) and use specified spacing to slay any demons.

Think it through carefully, make a plan and then stick to it.

And you’ll be able to build as you can, and not all at once. You’ll be warm, weathered in, and you can use those heavy snow days to make some serious headway in your building progress!

After all, you don’t wanna be out in the cold, do you?

Stay tuned!

PS. Hey! Rudolph will taste just as good as Bambi, if you marinate him long enough!

Note: No reindeer were consumed during the writing of this post. I can’t say that will hold true… on December 26th!

Happy Holidays!

Have a GREAT Christmas!

Me? I’ll be skinning a reindeer…

Jingle Bells – Jingle Bells, I’m lockin up yer butt…

As the holidays approach…

…thoughts run to trips home to hug  the relatives and sitting in front of the fireplace sipping hot chocolate and talking over old times”.

All you have to do its get there, first. Right?

Speaking of embraces and drinks…

Think you have nightmares about TSA and the guys behind them in the shadows… the DHS (Department of Homeland Security)?

My son is afraid that DHS and those groping rogues at TSA (the Airport Nazis) are gonna interfere with Santa.

While Santa might squeak thru… some other people aren’t gonna be so lucky.

Things are going from “stupid” to “worse.”

DHS actually has bids out to build mobile prisons and detention facilities out of ISBUs. And, it’s a rush job.

(And I ain’t talking about Rush Limbaugh, either!)

These detention boxes will be shuttled “to a place near you” by railroad cars – in case the times demand it…

And who… pray tell, will they lock up there?

Looters? Terrorists? Militants? Tea baggers? Conservative Republicans? Hmmm…

This doesn’t smell right…

Somebody is prepping for Civil Disobedience…

In case you think I’m kidding, check this out;

Portable Prison Cells from ISBU Containers

I’ve been talking for years about how ISBUs help build strong, secure houses. That Corten Steel wrapper keeps all kinds of unwanted stuff out, like rain, wind, burglars…

Well, an Alabama based Company called Jails on Demand has picked up the ball and ran with it. They’ve taken ISBU Security and capitalized on it, by using them to construct detention cells that push the boundaries of prison construction (portable, no less). Just like we build our homes, they use several ISBUs all welded/bolted together to form “cell blocks.

Jails On Demand say that they offer a “fast, affordable safe solution to jail overcrowding”.

We know that ISBUs can be combined to built really strong steel modular structures,. How do we know this? Well… there are hundreds (possibly even thousands, depending on who is counting ) of ISBU structures scattered around the world, proving it, daily.

So, I suppose it was just a matter of time before somebody decided to get into the “prison game”.  Google “privatized prisons”. You’ll be amazed at just how much profit there is in it.

So, the guys and gals at Jails on Demand are simply following the guidelines established by the ACA (the American Correctional Association).

Think about how versatile ISBUs are. It’s an easy reach to figure out how to build multi-bed sleeping quarters, recreation, toilet shower blocks, and even galleys ( kitchens) out of them.

The Jails on Demand project is lead by Robert Isakson and Charlie McNichol – both ex FBI special agents and law enforcement officers.

For more information call Charlie McNichol toll free at 888-721-4DRC or visit www.jailsondemand.com.

Hey! They’d make a dandy place to put your “In-Laws” when they show up unexpectedly for that “weekend visit that lasts a %&$%#@!! month”…

Here’s the guy to yell at;

Charlie McNichol, General Manager
740 Museum Drive. Mobile, AL 36608
Tel 251-343-3581
info@jailsondemand.com

Every parent needs one of these in the backyard or the basement! NOW, if your kid acts up, you can REALLY ground him/her… 

Oy…

File this post under “Container Homes… for bad guys…”

Remember all persons are innocent and presumed not guilty until tried on a court of law…

Bad boys, bad boys, what ya gonna do?

We’re locking up yer butt in an ISBU!

Because the %#$@!! Gunny Said So… that’s why!

We’ve been running a Christmas Soil Cube Tool giveaway.

It ended last night (December 18th) at midnight.

And the winner is:

Walter Daniels.

Walter, watch your email. You should get a confirmation from the Soil Cube Guru, to arrange the delivery!

Congrats, Walter! Happy Holidays!

Now on to our regularly scheduled program.

From the “What are those Container Home guys working on?” files;

Project Morgana:

I was recently contacted by a couple who had purchased my book:

Introduction to Container Homes and Buildings

The wife had just taken early retirement – because her company was moving all it’s tech support jobs to  India. She was told that she could keep her job… if she was willing to relocate.

And I’m not talking about a relocation to Cleveland. I’m talking about moving to Mumbai!

There are words to describe “corporate right-sizing” but I’d have to wash my mouth out with soap if I mentioned them.

Needless to say, she didn’t take them up on their “generous offer.”

Her husband is retired military and gets a pension. He’s what we affectionately refer to as a “bullet-catcher”. He has my thanks for a life dedicated to serving his country. G_d bless him!

This left them with the ability to do something they always wanted. They were going to head for the hills! They love the mountains in the Spring.

Now, those hills are within their reach!

Big hills! Sierra sized hills! I’ve spent a lot of time in the area they are relocating (albeit “part-time”) to. Some of the best climbing and hiking in the world is just outside their doorstep. And while they won’t be strapping on any climbing harnesses any time soon, they’ll be able to wake each day to a portrait only capable of being painted by G_d.

I envy them tremendously.

“Spring in the Sierras”. It sounds like a song title, huh?

They wanted to create a “SMALL” house, that would allow them room to move around, yet was easy to manage. They didn’t plan on entertaining (it’s part of WHY they were moving to the hills part-time) and they wanted to do it “bare bones” but not TINY house style.

Morgana just wanted it to be “dog friendly”. They have a dog getting on in years  and she didn’t want him to have a hard time navigating the new space.

“The Gunny” made it clear that he hates “parasites”… you know… “like local utility workers and postmen who deliver power bills“… So, “off-grid” was the mandate.

They wanted to capture the spirit of those wonderful “tiny house projects” that they had followed for years, but they didn’t want to have to climb any ladders to go to bed and they needed some extra space “for those days when you just don’t want to see your hubby laying around in his skivvies.”

So, I tried to capture the feel of some of those terrific Tiny Houses (like the ones perpetuated by “pallet-headed ilk” like Michael Janzen on his site – Tiny House Design ) while making the space large enough to avoid any impending “Fruit of the Loom” crisis.

Water comes from a well on the property powered by – say it with me – a photovoltaic panel array and electric pump.

Sewer is handled by a pre-existing septic tank system and leech field.

Note the slope of the “almost a gable” roof.

Low voltage lights and appliances (augmented by propane as a “tank farm” already exists on the property) will run off power produced by a rooftop photovoltaic array.

The sun will also supply all the home’s domestic hot water requirements. The water tank will be tucked up into the attic.

Gravity is a good thing!

We maximized one roofplane to provide the area required for that “Photovoltaic farm” -  to allow Morgana and her cranky hubby to generate their own power from the sun.

A stormwater collection cistern fed by the roof slope will irrigate the family’s vegetable, herb  and “native” flower gardens.

And, that roof is still steep enough to shed both rain and the occasional snow flurry.

By using PV Panel “risers” we’ll create a plenum under the panels to help cool the SIP (Structural Insulated Panel) – SSMR (Standing Seam Metal Roof) on those hot summer days, further reducing the insulation work load. Plus, we get that  surface great area for water retention and that means water harvested for the garden!

High efficiency windows throughout. Lots of windows on the south side will increase solar heat gain in winter.

Hardiplank siding (run vertically) over SPF (what else?) means high efficiency and low maintenance.

This exterior maintenance plan is important, because “The Gunny” offered to “kill me two *$#@!! times” if I built him something that required him climbing up onto a ladder in his lifetime.

Um… I know Marines… He means it!

Also note that there is NO wood stove or fireplace. “The Gunny” threatened to use my head for a  quote – “%^*$@!! wood splitting wedge” – unquote …

… if I failed to figure something out that didn’t involve him “fetching %*^#@!! firewood”.

Personally, I think perhaps ole’ Gunny needs a mouthful of soap.

And man… Marines are kinda violent! Who knew?

Anyway, fearing for my personal safety…

A “Mini Split HVAC Unit” will heat this incredibly energy efficient home without any extra heat source required. Now “The Gunny” won’t have to break a sweat “trying to pound me into trail mix”…

Not shown is a waist-high “suspended garden”.

Gardening is a great hobby, some would even go so far as to say it’s therapy…

For some of us, it’s um… a necessity.

… but let’s face it – it can be backbreaking work. In the front yard of  Project Morgana is a “vertical garden” that attaches to the pilings actually holding the house up off the ground.

In this “suspended garden” are a series of planter trays that make gardening a breeze. No bending, no stooping, no cursing like a Marine…

Well, okay, “The Gunny” will still probably curse. I just hope the corn covers it’s ears!

(Oh stop groaning, you were thinking it too!)

Potted plants can be dropped into many different sized trays to create a colorful wall of fragrant flowers AND a handy outdoor pantry full of tasty veggies perched up off the ground, so the critters can’t eat ‘em… and the dawg can’t help water them…

And, once they start to ripen, you can open a window from inside to reach out and harvest them!

(And if Bambi comes to visit your salad greens? You can reach out that window and drag him right into the kitchen!)

Enough for now…

You’re seeing this project “as it evolves”… so feel free to ask questions or even make comments.

And I got my bar of soap ready for you “potty-mouthed jarheads”!

You’ve been warned.

Stay tuned.

And relax…

Michael knows I’m just kidding him. We’re pals.

And sure… that obviously means he’s not too discriminatory when he chooses his friends…

Calling the Corten Cavalry!

Hi Boys and Girls…

No ISBU post today. Instead, I offer this;

A good friend of this blog, Steve Spence (the guy who wrote the Solar Electricity Primer that many of you have expressed thanks for) has suffered a family  disaster.

His homestead burned to the ground recently. It just happened. We all know what that means.

His son and daughter and their child ( an adorable little girl) were living there at “Spence Central” while Steve was out teaching the world to break free of the grid.

They are essentially camping out at relatives houses now.

They have … like.. nothing. No household goods, no computer to link back into the world, no stuff for their little wonder of a daughter to play with while Mom and Dad try to sort out this mess.

Setting up any kind of “safety net” takes time. Paypal wants doc’s  to accept donations, etc…

Santa won’t wait for doc files, folks. HE’S far too busy.

So, here’s what I’m suggesting:

If you’d like to help out the Spence Family,  go to Walmart.com and order stuff for them and have it shipped “site to store” to the Potsdam NY store. There’s only one Walmart in Potsdam NY.

Then list Steven Spence as the contact (to pick it up) and have the email alert – telling them that it arrived sent to this email address:

sspence@green-trust.org

They’ll get notified that stuff arrived and they can pick it up to help Santa deliver it.

I just sent the first salvo via Walmart personally. The idea of a little girl in NY not getting Christmas Presents just breaks my heart.

Ronin no like Scrooge. Scrooge make Ronin Maaaaad! ;(

If you want to help the Spences in their time of need, please do likewise.

They need everything. The little girl is 13 months old. But don’t forget Mom and Dad. They’re starting from scratch. Pots, pans, towels, Dishes, flatware, you name it. They’re literally starting over with the clothes on their backs.

And if you’ve recently replaced a computer with a newer one, I know a couple that could sure use one…

G_d Bless you all… Happy Holidays!

Alex

aka: Ronin

Building is all about the tools…

Okay,

This is a little off-beat for RR, but hey, it’s about tools. I love tools.

A HUGE part of what we teach families here on RR is self-reliance and self-responsibility.

I want you to take more responsibility to for HOW you live and HOW your family deals with things outside your front porch.

And it’s that time of year again.

You know what time I’m talking about… and so does your significant other, so you better keep reading.

I’m NOT talking about Bowl Games, or long, luxurious spells sitting in front of the tube eating nachos and drinking a frosty cold beverage while the world rolls by outside your front windows.

It’s time to plan that GARDEN.

You know the one… Not the begonias, or the daisies… The REAL garden that is going to help your family get through the coming bouts of inflation and produce price gouging that is assuredly still to come.

And you’d better start doing it NOW, if you want to insure that you’ll actually GET any couch time watching the games.

Growers are telling me that the seed stockpile is gonna get “hammered hard and early” in 2011.

As in; “It’s gonna be a seed-slinging ghost town after about Jan 15th for the seed suppliers.”

Conservative estimates are that more people will plant produce gardens this year (in part to offset rising produce prices) than ever before.

So, if we want parsley, or parsnips, or even potatoes, we better start planning now.

On my other blog, THE BUBBA EFFECT, I’m talking about this in greater detail. And I’m showing off new tools and techniques that will make life easier.

Doing a job is all about the tools, right?

One of our loyal RR readers has developed a gardening tool that nobody should be without. Seriously.

I have one. IN fact, I’m going to use it to death.  This really IS one of those tools that everyone should have in the toolbox.

No, it’s NOT a freakin Sushi press… although that would be pretty cool, too.

It’s called;

The SoilCube Tool.

From the Soilcube website;

Using soil cubes is the most radical thing you can do to obtain immediate and long lasting success in your garden. By using soil cubes, you will be able to control the early plant development, move them to the garden when ready, and have no consequence for having done so. The seedlings will thrive and have you will have a dramatic increase in viable plants in contrast to one who is planting seed directly into the prepared garden beds or rows.

The Soil Cube Tool makes it possible for the average gardener to access the power of massive food production made possible by seed propagation in soil blocks.

Essentially, by using this tool and premixed (as in YOU premix it easily using GOOD QUALITY materials!) potting soil materials, you end the “I need more peat pots, egg cartons, toilet paper rolls  and other stuff…” –   cycle forever.

Your SOIL becomes the pot.

And the guy responsible for this little gem has not only provided a discount for the Holiday Season, he’s also sponsored a Christmas giveaway for RR readers, running from now until December 18th.

The winner will get one of these beauties, for his/her very own.  The winner will be chosen at random, and all you have to do to enter is respond to this post with an “I want one” kinda comment.

Convince us that you’re the “prodigal child” to own this handy little hunk of garden salvation and then pray to the produce gawds that you get “the lucky kiss on the noggin…”

Here’s the skinny on the giveaway;

You get ONE comment per email address PER day to THIS POST, from now until midnight on Saturday Dec 18th.

Want some BONUS entries? You can ALSO do any of these, to stack the deck in your favor!

2. Spread the word about this contest on Twitter.

Come back to this post and leave a comment, with your Twitter ID, so I can follow you back. You can spread the word once per day on Twitter, but make sure you leave a new comment each day with your Twitter link.

3. Spread the word about this contest on Facebook.

Leave a comment on this post letting me know you spread the word to your own friends.

And that’s it! Good luck to everyone!

The winner will be chosen by drawing on December 19th and you’ll get an email that evening, telling you that you’ve won.

Your future is in the hands of a sticky fingered little terrorist of a three year old. He’s gonna reach in and grab a number and voila!  After I pry the number out of his mouth (or someplace far worse)…

Somebody is gonna win a very cool prize.

For those of you who don’t win… Hah! Better luck next time.

If you’re not the lucky winner, you can STILL get your Soil Cube Tool before Christmas (at a BIG discount), if you order before Monday the 20th.

They make great gifts, and trust me when I tell you that once you’ve used one, you’ll wonder why you never had one before!

So… ready, set, go!

December 19th, 2010:

We’ve been running a Christmas Soil Cube Tool giveaway.

It ended last night (December 18th) at midnight.

And the winner is:

Walter Daniels.

Walter, watch your email. You should get a confirmation from the Soil Cube Guru, to arrange the delivery!

Congrats, Walter! Happy Holidays!

DIY OFF-GRID here we come!

Greetings, Corten Campers!

First, please read this:

We’d planned to run Steve Spence’s Photovoltaic DIY Primer post today as part of our “going off-grid” series. Steve is an expert, with literally years of experience, helping families go off-grid.

And on the way to that post, I received an email from Steve tonight telling me that his family has suffered a disaster.

The Green Trust.Org Homestead burned to the ground last night.

Steve says:

Our son Steven, Mallory, and our granddaughter Jaymi lost the house in a fire this morning. Steven (22) wasn’t home, Mallory (19) & Jaymi (1) went out the second story kitchen window. Thank God they are safe!

The house is a total loss, nothing was saved (and no insurance), but the only thing that matters is they made it out ok. Belongings can be replaced. Steven is in the National Guard. He has drill this weekend, and lost his uniforms. They need everything (clothes, hygiene, baby products at first) to start over.

You can find out more, here:

http://www.green-trust.org/wordpress/2010/12/07/the-green-trust-homestead-is-gone-but-the-kids-are-safe/

PLEASE help if you are able. Steve isn’t “just some guy.” He’s one of US. He’s been there in the trenches trying to help families for decades. And now, his family needs our help.

Need proof?

Here’s the post he wrote for us, to try to help our families understand and then personally accomplish Photovoltaic Power creation, literally one household at a time:

Here’s that “regularly scheduled post”:

We’ve been talking about small off-grid ISBU houses lately and that naturally spawned to a discussion about  what living “off-grid” actually means.

Actually, that post happened because after I suggested that people REALLY start thinking about going “near-zero” or even ((gasp!) off-grid, I got hammered with emails that started out like this:

“You want me to do freakin’ WHAT ?

Ronin, are you out of your mind?”

I’m not gonna tell you what they ENDED like, I’m still having nightmares over it! Some of those positions are anatomically impossible, even for a gymnast!

So, it’s logical that today we’d calling in an EXPERT (that is, somebody beside ME!) to explain to you HOW you go off-grid, using photovoltaic panels.

For those of you who just crawled out of the primordial ooze…

I’ve talked about this know-it-all before.

Ask Steve Spence a question about anything under the sun and he’ll give you a dissertation about it. I mean the guy is just too smart to be seen with in public. Seriously!

That’s what I say about him. Here’s what his blog says:

Steve Spence is a 25+ year IT and Electronics veteran, and has been involved in renewable energy and biofuels for 15 years. He has lived off grid for the last 6 years, and gives workshops in Canada, USA, and the Caribbean Islands. He is available for consultation and speaking engagements.

Look, if you ask me… where Steve’s concerned,  all he needs to do is just say:

Um… I’m freakin’ smarter than you, so shut up and listen!

That said;

Shut up and listen… um…. er.. read. And pay attention because there’s a test at the end…

.

The DIY Guide to OFF GRID Solar Electricity

or

How to avoid external power connections and generators

by Steve Spence

Living off-grid brings some unique challenges to your lifestyle. You need to be aware of your total power consumption, and the power consumption of your appliances. You also need to be aware of the amount of time you run each appliance, as a small consumer left on 24 hours a day can consume more than a power hungry devices used briefly.

In this article I’ll show you how to untether from the grid, and avoid a smelly, noisy, fuel consuming generator except in extreme weather conditions. It can be pricey for a good system, but you’ll have minimal ongoing expenses, unlike fuel and maintenance on a generator. The less power you consume, the less power you will need to generate, keeping the system costs down. It’s important to start with conservation.

A photo-voltaic (PV) system consists of panels that convert sunlight into electricity, a charge controller to prevent the batteries from overcharging, a set of batteries to store the electricity for when the sun is not shining, and often, a inverter to turn the low voltage DC (battery voltage) into normal 120 volts AC house current.

Solar Panels (PV)

There are many ways to mount solar panels. Some of these methods may include fixed on your roof, fixed on the ground, fixed on pole mounts, or pole mounted tracking arrays. Mounting your panels on the roof makes sense from a security, stealth and convenience standpoint, and can lower roof temperatures in hot climates, but is inconvenient in snow country. Panel angle should be adjusted seasonally for best collection.

The size of a 200 watt panel is approximately 60″ x 40″ x 1.5″, and weighs about 40 lbs, so keep that in mind when thinking about mounting methods and location.

Charge Controller

The solar panels are wired to a charge controller. This unit makes sure that the batteries get fed the proper amount of electricity, at a rate they can handle, and will help ensure longer life from the batteries. The traditional method is to have a 12v solar panel, a 12v charge controller, and a 12v battery. The newer and more efficient method is a series string of panels running at a higher voltage (100v or less, but at least 20v higher than battery voltage), a special MPPT controller, and the 12v battery pack. The MPPT controller matches the best performance curve of the panels to the batteries, allowing up to a 30% increase in power, without needing more panels.

Batteries

The typical battery in an off grid system is a flooded lead acid battery. This unit has vented caps, discharges hydrogen during charging, and needs to be vented, as well as rewatered fairly often. Another solution is the AGM battery. This unit does not need venting, and is sealed, eliminating watering. It also won’t leak acid in the case of physical damage. It is more expensive, so there is a trade off. Deep cycle (do not get starting batteries) come in 6v and 12v. Consider two 6v in series to be a 12v, four in series for a 24v system, or eight in series for a 48v system. You can parallel multiple 12v batteries (or 6v pairs) to increase Amp Hour storage (two 100ah batteries in parallel = 200ah). Batteries in series add voltage, batteries in parallel add amp hours.

Inverter

An inverter changes low voltage dc (Direct Current) into 120v ac (Alternating Current) for regular household appliances. Inverters can range from the cheap $60 750 watt Black and Decker from Walmart, to a $2500 Xantrex or Outback with integrated battery charger and transfer switch for connecting to the grid or a generator. Cheap inverters have to be connected directly to an appliance, while the larger, more expensive units can be connected directly to your existing breaker panel.

Fuses, Breakers, and Disconnects

For safety, and convenience, we install fused disconnects between the solar panels and the charge controller, between the charge controller and the batteries, and between the batteries and the inverter. This allows us to safely isolate the components for maintenance (or panel deployment), or automatic disconnect in case of a short or equipment malfunction.

Battery Monitor

Running a system without a battery monitor is like using a bank account without a check register. You have no idea how much energy you have until it runs out and you are in trouble. The simplest, and least effective is a volt meter. It will tell you the voltage of the battery pack, but that reading is highly affected by charging and discharging, making the reading basically useless. The best method is an amp hour meter on your battery pack, that indicates amp hours deposited, and amp hours withdrawn. These units commonly also include a amp and volt meter function. There are standalone units like the Bogart Trimetric, and integrated units like the Outback Flexnet DC. A standard multimeter ($15 at Radio Shack) is useful for detecting power, polarity, and continuity, but not as a system monitor.

Wire Size

Wire size is a function of amps being carried, and the distance they need to move. If you have 40 amps (480 watts) of PV on your roof, and it’s 8′ to the charge controller and batteries, then you should use 8 AWG wire between the PV panels and the charge controller (and from the charge controller to the batteries). The wires between your battery(s) and inverter should be short and large. A 2000 watt inverter, 6′ from the battery bank, needs 1 AWG battery cables. The smaller the AWG, the larger the cable. If your cables are too small, they will generate heat, and possibly a fire, as well as dropping the voltage to less than useful levels. Use the calculator at the bottom of http://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm , and use 3% voltage drop (or lower) as your target.

Generators

I know I said we wanted to avoid these things, but sometimes you can’t. If you live in 100 degree weather, you are going to want an air conditioner, and that means a outlandishly large PV system, grid connection, or a generator. Many northern climates have a large number of sunless days. We like the Honda EU series generators. They are small, quiet, and scalable (can run one for small loads, and slave a second for heavy loads). Yamaha makes a similar series. Both can be modified to run on gasoline and/or propane. This is where you’ll want the better inverter/charger/transfer units as mentioned in the inverter section, as there just one cable to connect to the generator, and switching/charging is automatic. A wired or wireless remote is available for remote start and shutdown, and the more expensive inverters can handle this procedure automatically based on battery needs.

Sizing the system – Math Alert!

I’ll try keep this simple.

A 200 watt panel, optimally aligned (solar south, at an angle similar to latitude with seasonal adjustments), might gather 600 watt hours daily in NY (3 full sun hours * 200w), or 1200 watt hours in CA (6 full sun hours * 200w). 1200 watt hours is enough energy to run a 100 watt light bulb for 12 hours. See the pattern? Fortunately, we have better options than a 100 watt light bulb. In our home, we have installed 14 watt CFL’s (Compact Fluorescent Lights). These put out a similiar amount of light as a 80 watt incandescent light bulb.

Here are some basic formulas:

Volts * Amps = Watts

Watts * Hours = Watt Hours

Watt Hours / Volts = Amp Hours

Amp * Hours = Amp Hours

More at http://arduinotronics.blogspot.com/p/tutorials.html

A 200 watt panel that produces 12v (nominal, it actually produces 15-20v) might produce 200 w / 12 a = 16.7 amps. In 3 full sun hours (NY), it might produce 600 watt hours (3h * 16.7a = 50 amp hours. 50 amp hours * 12v = 600 watt hours).

A battery rated at 100ah has about 50ah usable (50% discharge) otherwise it’s life could be severely degraded. Typically batteries are rated at the C/20 rate, so a 100ah battery might deliver 5 amps for 20 hours. Taking into effect the 50% discharge, you are looking at 5 amps for 10 hours. If you pull the amp hours out faster, you have fewer usable ah. If you pull it out slower, you have more usable ah.

More sizing info and a chart showing sun hours for various areas is found at http://www.green-trust.org/2003/pvsizing/default.htm

A calculator for battery and solar sizing can be found at http://www.green-trust.org/peukert/

More on “Loads” and “Run Times”

A 700 watt (cooking watts) microwave might pull 1000 watts. If used for 15 minutes, it consumes 250 watt hours. A 30 watt laptop computer used for 4 hours would consume 120 watt hours. Consider our 14 watt CFL lights. If 6 are left on for 4 hours,

6 * 14w = 84w

84w * 4h = 336 watt hours.

336 watt hours / 12v = 28 ah.

A Kill-A-Watt meter is a useful meter for monitoring the amps, watts, and watt hour consumption of 120vac devices, and can be found for around $20 at Radio Shack, Amazon.com and other places. There are similar devices for measuring 12vdc loads.

Putting it all together

So, you have mounted the panels on the roof or on a yard mount. You’ll want to connect them in parallel (unless using the MPPT controller, (It’s panel and controller specific, so check the data sheets for both), keeping array voltage below 100v is usually best) connecting positive to positive (red), negative to negative (black), and bring the wires inside to the charge controller (remember, series adds voltage, parallel adds amps). Don’t forget your fused disconnect between the panels and the charge controller.

Next connect the charge controller to the batteries. Again, it’s positive to positive (red), negative to negative (black), with a fused disconnect in between.

Next connect the batteries to the inverter. Again, it’s positive to positive, negative to negative, with a fused disconnect in between.

If you are using a 24v or 48v battery pack, wire four or eight 6v batteries in series, respectively. You will need special controllers and inverters for the higher voltages, but your battery cables will be much smaller in large systems. This is the type of installation where a MPPT controller like the Outback FM 60/80 really shines.

What’s it going to cost?

A basic low end system might consist of a 200 watt panel ($550), a 20 amp charge controller ($100), Two Walmart type 27 marine deep cycle 12v batteries ($160), and a Walmart 750 watt inverter ($60). With miscellaneous wire, fuses and connectors, you are looking at just under $1000 for an autonomous, gridless, no power bill, power system. You would be able to power a couple of lights, a radio, and a small rv water pump, ideal for a rain water collection system.

A slightly larger setup might consist of 400 watts of PV ($1100), a 40 amp charge controller ($150), 200 ah of Deep Cycle (two Trojan T-105 6v’s) battery storage ($300), and a 2000 watt inverter/charger ($1700). With miscellaneous wire, fuses and connectors, you are looking at just over $3000. This would allow some use of a LCD/LED TV or Laptop computer, and a microwave.

Appropriate Energy Use

To reduce power consumption, propane appliances like the kitchen stove and refrigerator, water heater, clothes dryer, and furnace are common. However, this is just shifting you to the propane “grid” (although propane can be stored indefinitely). More appropriate energy use might include wood fired heat and cooking, wood/solar heated hot water, using indoor/outdoor clothes lines instead of a mechanical dryer, rainwater harvesting and a cistern instead of a deep well, and composting toilets instead of flush toilets.

We have lived off grid for over 6 years with systems similar to the above. We use worm bins to compost our food scraps, raised beds for gardening and produce much of our food. We heat entirely with wood, cut from our own woods, and use a propane tankless water heater. We would be happy to consult with you on your project, and help you become independent from the grid.

See http://www.green-trust.org/products/ for additional resources on generator propane conversions, rainwater harvesting, solar water heating, methane digesters, and more.

Readers might also note that there is a terrific new discussion site with tons of free downloads at http://www.essnmag.com

Steve Spence

sspence@green-trust.org

http://www.green-trust.org

**

Again:

The Green Trust.Org Homestead burned to the ground last night.

You can find out more, here:

http://www.green-trust.org/wordpress/2010/12/07/the-green-trust-homestead-is-gone-but-the-kids-are-safe/

PLEASE help if you are able.

I’m going into the woods and I ain’t comin’ out!

Does a big bear poop in the woods?

Well, not in my yard he don’t… if he knows what’s good for him!

Because I know the secret…

It just takes a little while longer to marinate bear meat. And use some bourbon in the brine, me bucko! 

Lately we’ve been talking about “lions and tigers and bears”… oh my!

You know that I’m talking about the economy and building and families, right?

As things get harder and jobs start looking like glimmers off in the distance, more and more families are considering moving to the country, to escape the madness of the city. It  also brings with it the opportunity to embrace new things. like gardens, poultry production and a chore list that will make that “Honey-Do” list you’re used to look like a quick trip to the supermarket.

In the last month, I’ve gotten over a hundred requests for more information about actually going off-grid.

So, for the next couple of posts, we’re going to explore the actual mechanics of going as “near ZERO” as possible. Not everyone is going to up and move to the woods, but a lot of us are looking for ways of slaying the beasts that show up on the porch at the end of each month. You know the ones I’m talking about… the power bill, the water bill,  the cable bill… you get the drift, right?

Credit to: The Daily Brainstorm.com

A pal of mine over at Tiny Houses (who is a really geeky, pallet-headed guy named Michael Janzen – who also advocates that people adopt a more self-sufficient and sustainable lifestyle because it would make the whole of our civilization stronger) has already written a great post about going off-grid.

Going off grid is about saving energy, right?

So, I’m gonna save some energy right now… by just running HIS post.

Sure, I’ll make some “smart-alekey” comments along the way, but the heart and soul of this post is Michael’s.

(You’re probably better off this way. My wife says my heart is a black lump of calcified angst and that I sold my soul to the devil long ago…”)

Before you ask;

YES, I asked Michael’s permission.

Responding by using your middle finger means YES, right?

That said, All Hail Michael!

Whom I suspect was channeling ME when he wrote it…)

(Comments below in italics are MINE.)

How to Move Yourself Off-The-Grid
Story by Michael Janzen

It’s easy to take flush toilets, grid-power, and fresh water on tap for granted. I can’t blame any of us for thinking that all these modern conveniences are normal… it’s the only normal we’ve known. Due to this most folks have a hard time imagining an off-the-grid life because it’s not clear what’s needed to make the leap.

(Maybe for you, you milk puppet! Can you say Marines? Field Conditions? Jumpin outta perfectly good airplanes? Motel 6?)

So here’s a crash course in practical and sustainable solutions for moving yourself off-the-grid.

Pee and Poop

(Ah geez, Michael… ya just jump right into the outhouse… Oy Vey! No “Plant a pretty garden!”Or “Buy a solar panel or two…” It’s just “pee and poop” right from  the “get go”! Your momma shoulda raised you better!)

Flush toilets are really insane when you stop to think about what they do. They begin by taking several gallons of perfectly good drinking water and mix it with a little pee and poop to produce sewage. Sewage is a mess and really hard to turn back into safe drinking water; but it is easy to transport to treatment plants through enormous networks of pipes, an infrastructure that need regular maintenance. To clean it up, chemicals are used to treat the water which in-turn keeps everyone in the chemical business very happy. Isn’t there a better way!?

Compost it! – Poop loves to decompose and if given a little time and the right conditions it breaks down into rich compost, yes even human poop. Remember we’re just critters just like the our furry friends and our poop will actually decompose into a safe compost, under the right conditions.

Humanure Handbook – A fellow by the name of Joseph Jenkins has actually written an book on the topic called the Humanure Handbook.  He’s also designed a toilet nicknamed, The Lovable Loo, which is essentially a 5 gallon plastic bucket in a plywood box. You might also hear these toilets referred to as sawdust toilets because sawdust is literally used to cover the deposits between visits.

The other component you need with this system is a dedicated compost pile out in the backyard with enough space to cook your poop for two years. The stink stays buried in the compost pile under a layer of straw. When you need to add a bucket load you simply pull back the straw, add the fresh material, and cover it back up. So there is some stinky work involved but the the chore is a simple one. This may also be the most sustainable, low-tech, and safe way to turn our waste into something useable.

Commercial Composting Toilets – If the virtually free sawdust toilet seems far too gross, consider spending around $1,000 for a commercially produced composting toilet. These units work swiftly to decompose the material making them more palatable by most folks. If you move your tiny house around a lot this kind of system would be much more practical than a Lovable Loo too, because it’s self-contained and required no backyard compost pile.

(Have ya seen this one? Well, have ya, punk? It’s a pooper made of… um.. er.. never mind… It’s called a “LooWatt” and it actually make energy by um… forget it. You really don’t want to know. But if you’re interested, click the link after you read this post. AFTER! Got it? Capish?)

Greywater

Another somewhat tricky waste material to dispose-of is the runoff from sinks, showers, and laundry. This is referred to as greywater which will still have traces of human waste in it, so it can’t just be left to run down the street. In a normal house this water is mixed with sewage to make more sewage. Seems kind of silly doesn’t it?

The solution is to reuse and/or treat the water right there on-site instead of funneling it down a sewer line to a treatment plant miles away. There are many different high-tech and low-tech ways of dealing with greywater but if you choose to build a tiny house be sure to consider handling the plumbing for your sewage separately from your greywater. The people at Earthship Biotecture have an incredible greywater system that is built right into homes and could serve as a model for any home’s future greywater system.

Fresh Water

Instead of drilling a well or tapping into municipal water sources, consider collecting rainwater and storing it in tanks for year-round use. Rainwater harvesting is becoming more and more popular because it’s so simple and low-cost. It can also be perfectly healthy to drink with a little filtration. I wrote-up a detailed post on some ideas for rainwater harvesting which you might find useful.

Electricity

The power grid is an incredibly complex network that requires constant maintenance and monitoring. The entire system is actually incredibly inefficient. For example, line loss, literally the resistance in the wires, sucks electricity from the system before it reaches its destination in your home. To compensate the utility company has to produce more just to defeat the inefficiencies of the system.

Imagine a world where people made their own clean electricity at their point of use. For such a system to remain low-cost we’d need to learn to use less power and move way from using the energy hogging appliances that grew-up dependent on fossil fuel sourced grid power. We’d also need to invest in our own off-grid systems up-front. The good news is that alternative power options are coming down in cost.

Photovoltaic (PV) Solar Panel – Most folks these days are familiar with this technology, panels that produce electricity when exposed to direct sunlight. For a tiny house and a frugal occupant a few solar panels, batteries, and some simple electronic control equipment may be all that’s needed for an off-grid electric system.

(Stay tuned to this series because Steve Spence, one of the leading experts in Photovoltaic Energy Systems is going to teach you how to build a Low Cost, High Yield  off-grid system!)

Wind Turbine – If you tend to stay put and live in an area with ample wind, a small wind turbine can be a great addition to an off-grid system because it increases the diversity of you power sources. Many off-grid systems also include a backup generator that is used to charge up the batteries when the sun is not shining. By adding other renewable sources of electricity, like wind and hydro, you can reduce your dependency on fossil fuel burning generators.

(My wife say we need one of these really badly. She claims that the hot air I expel would power an Air Force Base. I have absolutely no idea what she’s talking about. Hmmmph!)

Micro-Hydro – If your land has water running crossing it, and you have water rights to it, you may be able to tap a small portion of it and spin a small turbine. This can be one of the most reliable and steady ways to produce electricity because as long as the water flows you have water.

All that is needed is a drop in elevation between the inlet and the turbine, some pipe, and a way to get a small portion of the water out of the stream and delivered to the tiny turbine. The inlet can simply be a submerged bucket with a pipe connected that brings the debris-free water downhill to the turbine.

Heating & Cooking Fuels

In most modern homes natural gas, propane, and heating oil are the common fuels burned. But we’re really beginning to see the true cost of using these limited natural resources. If we moved from being dependent on fossil fuels to using renewable energy sources we’d significantly reduce the risk of rising energy costs and continued environmental impacts.

Wood – Burning wood is actually a carbon neutral way of heating a home. When a tree grows it absorbs carbon. When we burn it it releases that same carbon. If we use a highly efficient wood stove in a small living space we can actually get through the winters with little environmental impact and effort. The problem with burning wood for heating a large home is that it would take acres of trees to make it sustainable. Heating a small home requires less energy input which in turn reduces the cost, impact, and effort needed to stay warm in winter.

(And if you ask nicely, Michael will come over to your canyon and chop all your firewood for you. Right, Michael?)

Methane – Some inventive folks have actually built systems that produce methane gas from their waste, both human and vegetable. It’s rare to come across this kind of a setup, and they are reportedly a bit tricky to operate, but they can provide a renewable natural gas for cooking and heating.

(They’re easy to identify two canyons away, when the wind is blowing in the right direction. Mayhaps that’s why they’re “scarce”. If I had one, I’d have to make myself scarce, so my wife didn’t kill me…)

Alcohol – I’ve not seen this done a great deal but the idea of having a small still for distilling alcohol for burning in an alcohol stove may be a viable alternative on a small scale. I plan to use an alcohol stove in my extreme tiny house experiment, Nine Tiny Feet.

(Just close your eyes and you can picture it; We’ll “see it at 11pm” and read all about it in the papers as the revenuers huff and puff and kick Michael’s little house down – trying to find his still… They won’t have to execute a search warrant on the house, they’ll just pick it up and shake the bejeezus out of it… “Honest, yer honor, we was just standing in the yard eating donuts and the still came flyin out a window…)

Wrapping Up

In this modern world it’s hard to imagine life without fossil fuels, flush toilets, and fresh tap water. Actually I think it’s perfectly logical to say that without these things our lives would be very different.

Tiny houses (or ISBU houses) are much easier to maintain in good or tough times. Every time we take-on one more square foot, we increase the effort required to maintain our living space. Living more simply and sustainably lowers risk and can increase our opportunities to prosper.

Changing the way we think about the basics is the first step in changing the way we live. Imagining downsizing to a smaller home and owning fewer possessions is a giant step. But it’s a giant leap for most to learn to live without the reliance of modern conveniences. Most of us are still on the way there too, living with a foot in both worlds, testing the water and exploring. I hope this little introduction to alternative utilities helped move you forward.

(Although I’ve had some fun taking shots at Michael, he’s right. IF you really want to go off-grid, you can. The only thing stopping you from achieving that success is the level of your ambition. So, print this out and give it to your wife. I’m sure she’ll find a way to motivate you. Mine does… I just wish it wasn’t always by using her boot!)

There you have it; Off Grid 101. And we have Michael Janzen to blame… er… thank for it!

(And now I have his lawyers to dodge as well, for copyright infringement…)

Stay tuned for our next exciting chapter as Steve Spence dazzles you with Photovoltaic magic!

You’ve been w-w-warned.

Ah, Go Insulate Yourself!

After a long on-line debate today about insulation, I want you to think about these facts…

About fiberglass insulation:

People tell me that they can’t afford to pay for closed-cell SPF foam insulation. They say that they can do the same thing by simply  using fiberglass.

I regularly apply SPF to provide at LEAST an r19 on the exterior walls of a container. That’s about a depth of 2.75 inches of foam. SPF will get you an r7 per inch. So, in less than three inches, we get our r19 all day long.

It doesn’t “settle”.

It doesn’t decay or degrade over time.

It doesn’t absorb water and turn into useless mush.

Shoot it on and forget about it… forever.

But the naysayers frame out the inside of their containers using 2×6 construction (to create really “deep” cavities) and then they stuff that nasty pink stuff into it.

What have they accomplished, besides taking up valuable square footage INSIDE?

Not much.

Did you know that;

r19 fiberglass batts for 2×6 walls, manufactured by Owens Corning require a 6 and 1/4 inch space to install it correctly.

Um… How wide is a 2×6? It’s certainly NOT 6″. Not hardly. Last time I checked, a 2″x6″ board measured 1-1/2″ x 5-1/2″.  So, you’re gonna come up short. Now how much space did you need again?

Don’t trust me. Here’s the spec’s:

Wood Measurements (dimensions);

http://mistupid.com/homeimpr/lumber.htm

Fiberglass Batt install requirements for r19 batts;

http://insulation.owenscorning.com/professionals/insulation-products/r-19-fiberglass-insulation.aspx

So, you’ll just stuff it into that cavity between the studs anyway, right? Don’t worry… it will compress.

You’ll actually end up with r17-r18 (maybe!). Industry experts will tell you it’s actually more like r15-16. And that’s IF the run has no openings like doors or windows, and you’ve been careful to prevent thermal bridging.

(But how many people actually DO that? Hmmm? Few.)

The typical wall, built in this fashion yields about an r14-15, tops… IF you are lucky.

That means it’s going to cost you more energy to keep that room stable. And energy doesn’t grow on trees… Unless you’re stuffing it into a wood stove.

Keep reading…

r19 insulation almost NEVER creates a r19 wall. Not by a large margin.

Why? Because it’s very seldom installed CORRECTLY.

Thermal bridging of studs, doublers, fire blocks, sills, and headers bleeds r-value away like an open wound. And the presence of windows, plumbing, wiring, etc. all contribute to diminishing that desired result even further.

However, if you shoot SPF on the OUTSIDE of your Containers…

I’m just saying…

Photo credit to: Owens Corning