# Introduction/Land/Earth Shelter House Project Plans and Pics



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

Well after following this forum for several months I figured I would post up my land pictures and let everyone know about the house I am preparing to build in the spring. Recently I purchased this 10 acre parcel in WV and I will be building a passive solar earth shelter built out of precast concrete for the most part. All windows will be facing due south with appropriate overhangs and so forth. I will be documenting the entire process along the way and keep alot of pictures to keep everyone updated. Now for the pics.....

Current House Plan 1800 SQFT 30'x60'









Southern View that the windows will be seeing.









Western View









Eastern View









Spring Fed Trough









Future Pond Location / Ravine for Dam









The land is about half old field and rest is the woods that is located on southern half of property. I should be ordering my precast walls next month and actually start building around late April/early May. Thought I should share a bit since I have been following these forums for a good while.

Thanks
-Mallow


----------



## farmmaid (Jan 13, 2003)

You will LOVE the earth-wrapped idea. We are in our new home, same--passive solar etc. Our pantry jets out from the north side of the house so 3 sides are in the ground, it stays a constant 50 degrees. We are in zone 5. Suggestion: You may be happier with the door to the pantry coming from the kitchen. Then an area of the pantry could be your baking nook as you would lose some counter space in the kitchen. ..Joan


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

Farmmaid, 

I was trying to find a way to get the door in there but not sure I wanted to give up the limited counterspace but the plans are a work in progress which I have about a month to finalize. The house will be earth on 3 sides and over the roof. I am going with 12" hollowcore concrete planks for the roof along with all the insulation/water sealing. 

Thanks
-Mallow


----------



## Karin L (Oct 5, 2006)

Pretty country, and nice layout.

The only problem I see is this: where's the back door? I only see one main door leading to the outside (besides the ones to the master bedroom), and that might not be too good for fire safety-sake.

edit: what I mean is, it might be good to have two "main doors" for safety sake.

Just thoughts.


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

In underground homes it is a bit difficult for a rear exit at least on my plan, so there wont be any. As a precaution I will be using metal studs and almost no structural wood throughout the house. Also all bedrooms have windows which is a requirement for firecode


----------



## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

I'm building an earth sheltered home too (in Vermont). It is the 'way'. 

As to exits, think of opening windows and tunnels for the back. As to fire remember that contents burn and often produce nasty fumes.

Have fun and keep us posted with your progress.


----------



## MyHomesteadName (Dec 2, 2006)

I asked this question a few days ago and some people told me that mold and water might be a problem. Anyone have any comments to that effect?

The passive solar design earth shelter was my main choice for my "hobbit house", but I was warned against it in the VA and TN area. 

I would love any insight you might provide and I look forward to seeing how you make out. You are doing exactly what I dream of doing in the next few months. 

:-b______ (drool)

*jealous*

Please post pictures as you begin construction and the final product. I love this stuff.


----------



## egads1 (Jun 7, 2005)

What part of WV is your property? We have 17-acres and a small cabin outside Romney, WV.


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

egads1 said:


> What part of WV is your property? We have 17-acres and a small cabin outside Romney, WV.


The property is located about 5 miles outside of Bruceton Mills. It is part development where lots are 5 acres each (I ended up with 2 lots).


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

MyHomesteadName said:


> I asked this question a few days ago and some people told me that mold and water might be a problem. Anyone have any comments to that effect?


Well there are several ways to stop moisture from forming on the inside of the structure. First off insulating the entire structure from the earth around it by using 2" foam insulation. This is the reason most basements gather moisture. Second you can use whole house dehumidifers along with energy reclaim units. I will be starting off with the insulation route and see if it is an issue. If it is I will add visible ductwork throughout the house to deal with it.


----------



## seedspreader (Oct 18, 2004)

Have you thought about using sky light tubes through the rest of the house?


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

ZealYouthGuy said:


> Have you thought about using sky light tubes through the rest of the house?


I considered it but there are a few drawbacks. 3' of dirt and water leaks are among my fears of them. Instead I will be using some LED lighting systems to provide some lighting.


----------



## mondakkid (Oct 17, 2006)

Dear Mellow....I can understand your excitement. That is the dream of a lifetime to plan and build the home that is all your design. I am in about the same place as you people in planning, etc. I was able to get a few acres in the mtns of northern Az. Since I am in a different temp zone than you, I have a little different house plan than you. I am still making some changes as I learn more about active and passive solar house building. Since I like getting up with the sun, I have the kitchen, dining, bathroom, and the master bedroom on the south side. It will be interesting to follow along on your progress. I hope I will be able to post my solar house plan soon and pictures of the area. 
Have fun with your dreams...jerry


----------



## Nyx (May 13, 2006)

If I can ask - did you use a program to draw up the house plan? It looks very nice, and I've been searching around for an easy-to-use one to layout the house I'm nowhere near being able to get yet.


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

Nyx said:


> If I can ask - did you use a program to draw up the house plan? It looks very nice, and I've been searching around for an easy-to-use one to layout the house I'm nowhere near being able to get yet.



I am using "3D Home Architect Home Design Deluxe 6" which for the most part is easy to use but a little to simple at times. It seems good to get the ideas down but you would still need a more detailed version drawn up to work from.

http://www.amazon.com/Broderbund-Ho...s_sr_1/103-4826815-6916619?ie=UTF8&s=software

There is the link to it at Amazon it seems hard to find now for some reason. Not sure if the publisher(Broderbund) quit carrying it or what.


----------



## cast iron (Oct 4, 2004)

Mallow said:


> I am using "3D Home Architect Home Design Deluxe 6" which for the most part is easy to use but a little to simple at times. It seems good to get the ideas down but you would still need a more detailed version drawn up to work from.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Broderbund-Ho...s_sr_1/103-4826815-6916619?ie=UTF8&s=software
> 
> There is the link to it at Amazon it seems hard to find now for some reason. Not sure if the publisher(Broderbund) quit carrying it or what.


Thanks for posting those pics, Mallow. I must say that is going to be a really neat place there.

I take it by your comment above this program will not extrapulate a materials cut list and related detail construction drawings from the overall layout drawings? I know that is asking a bit much, but it sure would be nice to find a program that did not cost an arm and a leg that would do this.


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

I think you can do a material list and so forth if you are doing traditional building. Since my walls are cement and so is the roof it throws it way off. If you are going with a stick built house this should work just fine though it doesnt do plumbing or electical from what I can tell.


----------



## Paul Wheaton (May 10, 2002)

This could be worth a look: http://www.greenershelter.com/TokyoPaper.pdf


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

Paul Wheaton said:


> This could be worth a look: http://www.greenershelter.com/TokyoPaper.pdf


I have seen this paper before at some point. It is an interesting idea but I am not sure it would be worth the extra excavation required to put the system in place. I do know that it would save in a few aspects like the insulation under the slab and alternate heat source if it would work correctly. Interesting idea none the less.


----------



## donsgal (May 2, 2005)

Thats a pretty good plan Mallow, except I would make the kitchen twice as big and just have one living area instead of two.

donsgal


----------



## donsgal (May 2, 2005)

Mallow said:


> The property is located about 5 miles outside of Bruceton Mills. It is part development where lots are 5 acres each (I ended up with 2 lots).


development??????? covenants???? restrictions????? NO LIVESTOCK?????

donsgal


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

Well the 2nd living area is actually going to be home theater/media room for me  but I am still working on the design which has been through many iterations up to this point. Ill post a finalized version soon as I send it off to the precast place. The kitchen area should be large enough to keep me satisfied but I did add the pantry door to the kitchen to see how that goes.


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

donsgal said:


> development??????? covenants???? restrictions????? NO LIVESTOCK?????
> 
> donsgal


First thing I checked. There are small road fees and only enforceable covenants are against not paying dues. Horses/Livestock is allowed.


----------



## tink67 (Dec 9, 2006)

Love the houseplan. You said you changed it to put the door to the pantry in the kitchen. What if that door was a pocket door instead of a regular door? Then you wouldn't have to allow for the door-swinging space (I'm sure there's a name for it but I don't know it! :baby04: ) and you'd have more pantry space. Just a thought... :shrug:


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

Yep I changed the pantry door and utility door to both be pocket doors to save on swinging space and knowing me since ill be living alone for a good while both will be open all the time.


----------



## farmmaid (Jan 13, 2003)

A regular roof is MUCH more effective for insulation and LOTS cheaper...Joan


----------



## farmmaid (Jan 13, 2003)

A regular roof is MUCH more effective for insulation and LOTS cheaper. Also it allows for skylights( we have 6) to control the house temperature and get fresh air into the house..Joan


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

farmmaid said:


> A regular roof is MUCH more effective for insulation and LOTS cheaper. Also it allows for skylights( we have 6) to control the house temperature and get fresh air into the house..Joan


I am positive it is alot cheaper to go with a convential roof but it just isn't want I want. The reason I wanted to go this route is to have a grass roof  what can I say im a little nuts I guess. 

The layers will be hollowcore concrete, mastic, membrane, mastic, pond liner, 4 inches of dow foam panels, gravel, then 2-3' of soil.


----------



## Tricky Grama (Oct 7, 2006)

I am SOOOO jealous!

Looks great. My houseplans look a lot like your, except the master bdrm has to be over where the other bdrms are b/c DH wants to see the view out of the kitchen/living area. And I want a huge hallway-maybe 4 1/2' wide-w/closets & storage on either side of it.

Patty


----------



## Steve L. (Feb 23, 2004)

Mallow, have you read any of Rob Roy's books, particularly his thoughts on earth/grass roofs?


----------



## donsgal (May 2, 2005)

Tricky Grama said:


> I am SOOOO jealous!
> 
> Looks great. My houseplans look a lot like your, except the master bdrm has to be over where the other bdrms are b/c DH wants to see the view out of the kitchen/living area. And I want a huge hallway-maybe 4 1/2' wide-w/closets & storage on either side of it.
> 
> Patty


Be sure to install plenty of good lighting. An acquaintance of mine did this and only put one small light in the hallway and was so frustrated because whenever she was looking for something in the closets there was never enough light. She eventually installed lighting IN the cosets, but it was difficult because she hadn't planned for it and the shelves stuck out so far that the shadowed the shelves below and she still had difficulties finding things.

Just a word to the wise.

donsgal


----------



## donsgal (May 2, 2005)

Mallow said:


> Well the 2nd living area is actually going to be home theater/media room for me  but I am still working on the design which has been through many iterations up to this point. Ill post a finalized version soon as I send it off to the precast place. The kitchen area should be large enough to keep me satisfied but I did add the pantry door to the kitchen to see how that goes.


there isn't much room in there for "big" projects (like canning 50 quarts of tomatoes). At my house 90 percent of "awake" time is spent in the kitchen. Of course, we don't have a theater/media room , since we don't enjoy that kind of thing. It's just something to think about if you plan on having a big garden and putting up veggies. Maybe you can build an outdoor canning kitchen later if your kitchen is too small for such things.

Edited to add: Also, if you or your wife are into crafts or other hobbies that take up room, you might consider a multi-purpose room for those kinds of activities.

donsgal


----------



## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

One way of combating moisture might be to run pipe underground and using a small fan push the indoor air through the pipe or pulling in outdoor air in order to drop the temp below the dew point. As long as the pipe is sloped to allow the disposal of the distilled water you should end up with cool (or prewarmed depending on the season) dry air.

The water will be very clean as the mold spores and dust do not drop out. To remove them you will need to filter the incoming air.


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

After building I will determine if the moisture / air quality becomes and issue then I will look at adding things like as ERV(Energy Reclaim Ventilation) and whole house dehumidifier. Both of these can easily be added in the utility room.


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

Steve L. said:


> Mallow, have you read any of Rob Roy's books, particularly his thoughts on earth/grass roofs?


Sure have, I have actually read several of the books available on ebay and amazon along with everything I could find on the web. I know the flat roof will cost 3x as much and could have leaks eventually but there are advantages and disadvantages to each style of roof.


----------



## Mudwoman (Dec 19, 2002)

I would switch the kitchen with the living room. and switch the pantry with the "family room and maybe make the family room smaller, giving you more room in the living room. With french doors between the living and family rooms, it gives you the opportunity to open up the space or close it off when needed. One of the things I love about earth sheltered homes and passive solar is a space where all the windows allow for growing of veggies and herbs during the winter months and also giving you opportunity for mass that collects the warmth of the sun. Perhaps you could give yourself enough room to do that by bringing out the roof further where the dining room is and where I suggest putting the kitchen----a virtual sunroom. I would suggest switching the pantry with one of the bedrooms, but I'm thinking you have to have windows in the bedrooms for code and so that wouldn't work.


----------



## Steve L. (Feb 23, 2004)

Mallow said:


> > Originally Posted by Steve L.
> > Mallow, have you read any of Rob Roy's books, particularly his thoughts on earth/grass roofs?
> 
> 
> Sure have, I have actually read several of the books available on ebay and amazon along with everything I could find on the web. I know the flat roof will cost 3x as much and could have leaks eventually but there are advantages and disadvantages to each style of roof.





Mallow said:


> â¦ 3' of dirt ...


Why did you decide to use so much dirt?


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

Steve L. said:


> Why did you decide to use so much dirt?


It will only be that thick towards the middle (maybe less) and thinning out towards the sides down to probably 1-1.5'


----------



## Steve L. (Feb 23, 2004)

Oh, ok. Neat.


----------



## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

Mallow said:


> I am positive it is alot cheaper to go with a convential roof but it just isn't want I want. The reason I wanted to go this route is to have a grass roof  what can I say im a little nuts I guess.
> 
> The layers will be hollowcore concrete, mastic, membrane, mastic, pond liner, 4 inches of dow foam panels, gravel, then 2-3' of soil.


Please don't tell me (unless necessary :angel: ) that to be really 'nuts', I have to have a grass/sod roof! Parts of my roof will be 30' in the air, and as I abhor lawn mowers (now that would be crazy, hauling a lawn mower up on to the tower) I'd have to tote a couple goats up there to let em graze it down!

Stick with your dreams. If your building a """Home""" you should build it for you, for your quirks...if you're crazy, build crazy and be proud... 

Now, if you're just building a house, an investment vehicle, that will be sold, you should curb your enthusiasm, and stick with cookie cutter ideas... my current home isn't quite cookie cutter, my new one will reflect how I 'really feel'!!!

good luck, and think about starting a home building blog...


----------



## Natureschild (Oct 15, 2003)

I am really looking forward to following your progress. 
Thank-you for sharing what you have already acomplished.

I will be builing my dream as soon as I find a piece of land that feels right :dance:


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

Steve L. said:


> Why did you decide to use so much dirt?


I knew I remembered seeing something about more dirt. Insulation value goes up very quickly up to 4-5' of soil on top of the house. Then its a very small increase all the way up to 35' of soil for year around temp. consistency. This graph is available in one of Ray Scott's older books about underground houses. Thats why I was trying to use a fair amount of soil on top of my waterproofing/insulation. Thought I would share.


----------



## Explorer (Dec 2, 2003)

I used an earlier version of 3D Home Architect Home Design for my place. All I needed to do was show plumbing fixture placement and the plumber figured out the plumbing runs which were all underground except outside water taps and the hot water recirc connection line. As I recall (over 4 years ago) it does do electrical. However, the same process applied, figure out fixture placement including outlets and the electrician (mostly myself) can run wires.


----------



## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

Mallow said:


> I knew I remembered seeing something about more dirt. Insulation value goes up very quickly up to 4-5' of soil on top of the house. Then its a very small increase all the way up to 35' of soil for year around temp. consistency. This graph is available in one of Ray Scott's older books about underground houses. Thats why I was trying to use a fair amount of soil on top of my waterproofing/insulation. Thought I would share.


Dirt has a low R-value on the order of 0.1 per inch. The earth does not provide insulation but rather the purpose of the earthsheltering is to get a tempered environment. For R-value you want to use a closed cell insulation like blueboard. You don't need much dirt covering. Six inches to a foot is fine on the top.

You do need as much protection from water as possible. Dry dirt is far better than wet dirt as the water reduces the R-value greatly and transports the heat away through the water flow as well. Think of doing an umbrella of insulation and of plastic sheeting.

A sloped and even a curved roof is better than flat to keep water from pooling on top. Critical issue.

See these web sites for some thoughts:

http://www.ecolivingcenter.com/articles/geosolardesign.html

http://rmrc.org/pahs/

Cheers,

-Walter
in Vermont


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

Highlands,

Yeah i didnt meant to say insulation per say. It is more of the fact that dirt will stay more of a constant temperature than insulation value. The insulation value is around .25r / inch from what ive read before. I am wondering how much R value of the foam board insulation I should put on top the cement. First plans were for 4" which equals 20 R but I am now considering 6" for a total of 30 R. Alot has to be decided shortly I guess.


----------



## the mama (Mar 1, 2006)

Be sure the doorways and hall and bathroom are wide enough for a wheelchair. One never knows what the future holds and even if a temporary wheelchair is needed, you will be happy in your own house.


----------



## Tricky Grama (Oct 7, 2006)

donsgal-

Believe me, I'm planning lighted closets, after living in this house w/dark closets that you have no idea whats at the back!

Also, I 2nd the idea of handicap-accessible. 

Patty


----------



## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

Mallow, think of each component as providing different functions. The concrete provides structural support and thermal mass. You want that in close to you and a lot of it.

Outside of that you want layers of insulation and water barriers. The insulation is what does the big job of stopping heat from moving via conduction. The water barriers do the big job of stopping the heat from moving away via convection. Lapping and layering them gives insurance for the long run. Punctures happen. Shingle.

If you want you can add additional thermal mass by enclosing a layer of dirt around you with an umbrella of insulation and water shielding.

Of course, different climates look for different benefits from earthsheltering. Here in the north I'm looking primarily for warmth. Our summers rarely hit 80Â°F. In the south you would be looking for cool. The idea as you understand is tempering.

On the 4" vs 6" of insulation, you would be well off to do heavy insulation on any exposed surfaces and lighter insulation where the other side of the equation is just the earth temperature (40Â°F to 50Â°F or what ever). What we are doing is layers like this:

Inside the house
Thermal Mass/Structure (concrete)
Radiant barrier (FBBF Reflectix)
Conductive barrier (pink/blue board)
Protective layer (stone)

The conductive barrier is 4" under our slab and will be 6" on our exposed sides. On the earth sides it goes down to as little as 2".

By the way, I agree with the accessibility issue. Very important. One might need to care for an aging relative, parent, disabled child or become disabled. We're working to make it so that living all on one level with minimal barriers is possible. Yet we still are planning a tower... 

Cheers,

-Walter
in Vermont


----------



## Shepherd (Jan 23, 2005)

Strange - I responded to this as soon as you first posted, but my response apparently never made it to the thread. 

We live in an earth berm home that's 1640 Sq Ft. I like your floor plan a lot. The only recommendations I was going to mention were: (1) utilize skylights to help with natural lighting and passive solar heat in the winter months (2) utilize very wide doorways between all the rooms to help with the central heating/cooling, and natural lighting and (3) make sure you've added extra space in case you want to expand later; it's not wise to bust into an earth home to add on years later. 

We have 6 large skylights in our living room, 3 of which open for ventilation, and 2 smaller skylights in our kitchen. A retired couple built this home so they didn't see any need for many closets - there's only one clothes closet in each of the (only) 2 very small bedrooms, and there's not even a coat closet anywhere - only hooks in a short hallway. We've had to utilize the attached single car garage for additional storage space and pantry. We'd love to add onto the house but are afraid to because we don't want to breach the walls of our well built house which hasn't had any water or humidity problems thus far. And in any house, a secret room or storage space for things would be a real asset.


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

highlands said:


> On the 4" vs 6" of insulation, you would be well off to do heavy insulation on any exposed surfaces and lighter insulation where the other side of the equation is just the earth temperature (40Â°F to 50Â°F or what ever). What we are doing is layers like this:
> 
> Inside the house
> Thermal Mass/Structure (concrete)
> ...


First off thanks for the input. Just for a little more detail on my construction plans. The walls are these:

http://www.superiorwalls.com/images/XiWall_lg.jpg

Roof will be these:

http://www.nitterhouse.com/DrawingSpecs/DrawingSpecsSub/PDFs/Spandeck12J917CIP2.pdf

As for insulation there will be 2" underneath the slab, 2" outside the already insulated walls, and 4-6" on the above the waterproofing on the roof.

For waterproofing ill be using a mastic, membrane, mastic system along with a 50x100 (cut down) pond liner to cover the entire house before insulation. Then fully backfilled with gravel then dirt.

Hope that explains it a little better and if you see any problems help is always appreciated.


----------



## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

Pond liner is something I have considered but haven't found a local source, yet. How expensive are they?


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

highlands said:


> Pond liner is something I have considered but haven't found a local source, yet. How expensive are they?


Well for a 50'x100' anywhere from $2500-3500 depending on shipping and source. If you can find a local source picking it up would save $400-500 of that im sure. Most places will also cut to size that would save you some also but the 50'x100' is the largest size I have personally found.


----------



## Ramblin Wreck (Jun 10, 2005)

Thanks for sharing the pictures, and I think you will be very happy in this home. Although I like the house I finished in 2000 very much, if I were to build another, it would be along the lines of what you are doing...except maybe for the roof! Good luck, take care, and again, please keep us posted on your progress/success.


----------



## Shepherd (Jan 23, 2005)

I forgot to add...

I am very claustrophobic but have NO problems whatsoever due to the skylights in our home. And we save a lot in utilities because of the natural lighting.

If I were starting from scratch, I'd incorporate a cistern system to store rainwater for emergency use too... but again that would be for a berm type home with the roof above ground. 

We only have 2 exits out of the house, both on the south end - but I feel safer having the skylights because I always figured if need be, we could utilize one of them if the south end of the house were involved in fire. We also have a sprinkler system built into the house, which would give us enough time to exit the home if there were a problem.


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

I figured I would give an update to this entire project since its finally moving along. After much fighting with the engineer at the precast concrete company they have decided their walls wouldn't support the weight of the roof covered by soil. Oddly enough the hollowcore roof wasn't the problem after all. So now it will be just an earth bermed house with a semi normal roof. The walls are ordered and things are moving along nicely now after many delays. I will keep everyone posted along with pictures once excavation/installation starts.

-Mallow


----------



## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

Just wondering what you have to follow for building codes. The family room won't fly by most codes since it has no window.

edited to add:

I also would have tried to locate the front door a little farther away form the master bedroom windows. I don't care for people peeking in those windows to see if I'm home while their waiting for me to answer the door.


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

Luckily there are no real building codes for most of WV including the part I am building in. As for the entry door....there will be a privacy wall on the patio that goes between the entry door and master bedroom window.


----------



## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

Hi. looks great and I love the property! My 2 cents... if you are going to leave kitchen and pantry as is/are.. maybe put a door between them that has a counter on it. A half door so you don't lose counter space and can use counter from both sides. And, of course, shelves on the back of the top. No such thing as too much storage. And as far as big canning projects go- a summer kitchen. That way you can bake or can without heating up the house. Keep us posted, we are all excited to see it come along.


----------



## beowoulf90 (Jan 13, 2004)

egads1 said:


> What part of WV is your property? We have 17-acres and a small cabin outside Romney, WV.



Romney is a nice little town. I've only been there once (last summer doing Civil War event during Heritage days) and had a great time. Looking forward to doing the event again this year.


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

Just wanted to post a quick update since things are actually moving forward:





























Anyways walls are showing up on the 31st so ill post more progress then.


----------



## Freeholder (Jun 19, 2004)

I like your house plan -- am looking forward to watching the progress!

Kathleen


----------



## Rockin'B (Jan 20, 2006)

Nice view! You have a great looking homesite there.

I'm looking forward to progress pics too!


----------



## Shepherd (Jan 23, 2005)

So am I. Very happy for you! It's so exciting to build a new home and taking pictures of the progress is a great way to capture memories & progress.


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

Well time for an update. The walls have been set as of Thursday and we have been working on Sewer, Plumbing and Radon systems that go under the slab. Man it has been a long weekend but here are some pics from the walls going up. They walls are from Superior Walls and are studded/insulated concrete precast.

































































There we have it. I will take some pics of the inside when I start the radiant floor system.


----------



## farmergirl (Aug 2, 2005)

This all went together in a weekend? I'm impressed!


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

farmergirl said:


> This all went together in a weekend? I'm impressed!


Yeppers they delivered and setup all the walls in one day. I took the day off to watch and tried to stay out of the way most of the time. The crane did have some issues and had to move a few times but other than that everything went fairly smooth. Took them about 10 hours or so.


----------



## CJ (May 10, 2002)

That is a lovely view you have! I can't wait to see your house all done.

The Wandering Quilter's Life in a Box!


----------



## Ramblin Wreck (Jun 10, 2005)

Neat. Best wishes as you continue your project.


----------



## ellebeaux (Aug 18, 2004)

Awesome! Thanks for sharing the pics.


----------



## Shepherd (Jan 23, 2005)

Great photos! Keep a 3 ring binder of your pictures!


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

Time for the next update. 

Here is the completed radiant floor tubing:



















Here is the concrete getting poured for the slab:























































Well there ya go  Roof will be going on the first week of July and can hardly wait.


----------



## Shepherd (Jan 23, 2005)

How exciting!


----------



## heather (May 13, 2002)

beautiful land - we looked long & hard at WV - it's beautiful

I like your house plan too -
but I don't see any linen closets for your bathrooms - just a thought

I also agree the pantry door would be great from the kitchen

BTW, we LOVE our superior walls -
we've had them for 2 years & they are great -
Our basement is surrounded by earth mostly also - stays nice & cool down there.


----------



## donsgal (May 2, 2005)

Sweet Mother of God some people have dial-up you know. Are giganormous pictures *really* that necessary? Couldn't you see a 800x600 just as well?

donsgal


----------



## seedspreader (Oct 18, 2004)

rose2005 said:


> Tanks for the update...you must be getting excited about the roof going on. We are building a log cabin at the moment...so I'll be posting pictures soon.
> 
> Rose


Just make sure they are big pictures!


----------



## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

The only thing I would add is a hidden door from the pantry or family room into a hidden safe room. You may already have something like that and not be showing it (I know I wouldn't let a safe room be known on a public forum. )

Congrats on building your dream home.


----------



## donsgal (May 2, 2005)

ZealYouthGuy said:


> Just make sure they are big pictures!



We need a "moon" smiley.

donsgal


----------



## seedspreader (Oct 18, 2004)

donsgal said:


> We need a "moon" smiley.
> 
> donsgal


 LOL


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

I ended up taking a week off work to put up the rafters/roof but since I am currently on a rain delay figured I would post some more pictures. Hopefully after this week the manual labor portion of work will slow down. I am already sore and still have the shingles to put on if it does stop raining this week.






































At least now the house is dried in with tar paper and the rain shouldnt bother anything inside until we get the shingles on.


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

Forgot to add....










These are my batteries in the background for the solar power system which is to come.


----------



## Ramblin Wreck (Jun 10, 2005)

Wow, this looks a great design and great progress. Maybe you mentioned a change in plans earlier (and I just didn't catch it), but are you going with a traditional roof rather than one covered in sod/earth?


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

Ramblin Wreck said:


> Wow, this looks a great design and great progress. Maybe you mentioned a change in plans earlier (and I just didn't catch it), but are you going with a traditional roof rather than one covered in sod/earth?


Things have changed to a traditional roof and just earth bermed due to some issues that came up between the Superior Walls and the Hollowcore roof. I would have had to switch to cast in place walls and couldnt find a contractor that was experienced with both systems. Easiest and cheapest solution was to switch to a traditional roof and just berm 3 walls up to roof line.


----------



## Shepherd (Jan 23, 2005)

Amazing progress.


----------



## ibcnya (Feb 16, 2004)

What has taken you a month to build according to your post dates took me 5 months. But that was doing it myself. Looks much like my own except i used ICF's on the walls and alot more smaller diameter pex tubing under the floor. That was 4 years ago and it's still stubbed out of the floor because I burn wood and very little at that. By the way, what is the R-value of your walls?

QUOTE=Shepherd]Amazing progress.[/QUOTE]


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

ibcnya said:


> What has taken you a month to build according to your post dates took me 5 months. But that was doing it myself. Looks much like my own except i used ICF's on the walls and alot more smaller diameter pex tubing under the floor. That was 4 years ago and it's still stubbed out of the floor because I burn wood and very little at that. By the way, what is the R-value of your walls?
> 
> QUOTE=Shepherd]Amazing progress.


[/QUOTE]

The only parts that have been contracted out was the excavation, walls, and the cement floor pouring. It has been my father and myself doing everything else but he keeps me motivated or else it would be going slower. The walls start out at 12.5 R and it can fit 6" of fiberglass inside the cavities so it ends up over 30 R. Excavation started on May 23rd so we are about a month and a half underway but things will slow down soon or ill be to worn down to do any work.


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

rose2005 said:


> Wow! It is coming along fast! Do you mind me asking what solar system you are going for and and where you bought it? PM me if you would rather not say on here....we are very interested in going that route when finances allow.
> 
> Rose


I am mainly ordering parts from here and there after doing alot of research. The batteries ended up being new surplus and are used by telcos / data centers for backup power. New they are crazy prices but these I picked up for a quarter of the cost. I will be ordering the Outback Inverter and power panel next week after I do some shopping around. As for the solar panels they will be Evergreen Solar 190 watt but wont be ordered till im about to move in.


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

Just another quick update....

Shingles done on one side:










Other side about half way up:










Installed top half of Solatubes to light the back rooms:










They seem fairly bright from the inside even without the diffuser and so forth:



















Anyways  thats it so far hopefully finish roof tomorrow minus ridge vent.


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

Another quick update:

My solar panels arrived yesterday 18x170w:



















I know they are not the right orientation but hey its something to show off 

Anyways windows are going into house this weekend so ill put up a pic of them soon as I get it done.


----------



## Shepherd (Jan 23, 2005)

The solar lighting makes all the difference in the world, doesn't it? How cool about the solar panels! I sure wish we were set up with solar & wind power.


----------



## Wanderer0101 (Jul 18, 2007)

I really like what you're doing with your house. I'd like to do something similar. I'm curious about the issue of how much weight your walls would support. How much was the anticipated load with the dirt over hollow core scenario and what was the wall company's engineer prepared to stand behind?


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

Wanderer0101 said:


> I really like what you're doing with your house. I'd like to do something similar. I'm curious about the issue of how much weight your walls would support. How much was the anticipated load with the dirt over hollow core scenario and what was the wall company's engineer prepared to stand behind?


The issue came with the headers over the windows only supporting 3100lbs/lf instead of the almost 6000lbs/lf for the rest of the walls. It wasnt enough to clear span and they werent to happy about a beam in the middle either so I just gave up on dealing with them.


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

Shepherd said:


> The solar lighting makes all the difference in the world, doesn't it? How cool about the solar panels! I sure wish we were set up with solar & wind power.


So far even without the diffusers they light up the house alot. I am sure ill post some more pics once they are installed inside too.


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

Time for another quick update. The windows and doors are in now:










Went with Pella windows and doors for the lifetime warranty and hopefully low hassle windows. 










I do have several of the inside walls framed out but ill take a picture of those when framing is finished. This weekend the plan is gutter drains and conduit so I can get it back filled soon. I had to have 3 shear walls up inside before I could backfill so we finished that portion first.


----------



## Jim S. (Apr 22, 2004)

That is sooo cool! Having known folks in northen Illinois who have an earth-sheltered home with passive solar and were able to heat it in winter with a wood stove and ONE cord or less of wood per winter (in sub-zero), I know you will love the energy efficiency!

And, having built a 40x40 shop that is radiant heated, I know you will love the radiant heat! The only way to go! 










Mine is heated by a 75-gallon natural gas water heater at present, but homebuilt panels as the primary heater are on my agenda one day.

It is so neat to see someone designing in energy independence from a clean slate. I'd love to do that someday.


----------



## Ramblin Wreck (Jun 10, 2005)

Thank you for posting an update. Another HT member was asking about straw bale construction yesterday, and I pointed her to your home as an alternative she should consider. Glad you are making progress.


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

It is time for another update. I have been slacking with posting new pictures but things have slowed way down. It seems you can work alot of hours and appear to have done nothing. Well here we go with the pictures

We put up the siding on one of the gable ends










Put up the soffett on the front/back and one side. This picture needs rotated but you get the point.










Here is some of the backfilling done with a bunch of gravel. Excavator is coming back this week to move dirt around and dig trenches for well/electric/phone.










Here are some inside pictures. All of the walls are framed out. Shear walls are in place. Excuse the mess but yeah well things are under construction.




























Here is the plans for next weekend











Anyways thats it for updates. Electric will be coming soon which is always a blast.


----------



## sisterpine (May 9, 2004)

Lookin good there! I remember those exciting days.....glad today is less exciting and much more comfortable in the house rather than building the house LOL. sis


----------



## emulkahi1 (Apr 22, 2006)

Ack! For me, the last couple of picture posts (starting from the solar batteries) show up as red x's. Is it just me?

Erin


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

Well it has been a while so I will give yet another update. Things have slowed way down doing electrical and other wiring tasks.

Here is what it looks like from the outside all final graded and so forth. Minus the line coming in from propane tank.



















We ran out of straw....it definately doesn't go a long ways but I will get some more bales to finish this week.

Got some of the lights working so no more waiting till daylight to begin work.










Here is the wiring mess coming into one side of the utility room...coax, phone, ethernet.

http://s121.photobucket.com/albums/o219/Morb666/Inside/?action=view&current=P1000374.jpg

Here is a pic of the batteries with a temporary charger.










Also the tankless water heater with the well pipe sticking out of the wall.










Thats it...not to exciting but it is progressing slowly.


----------



## Shepherd (Jan 23, 2005)

Wow - you're really making progress. You might want to start a new thread tho; there are so many pictures it's taking forever to open this thread now. You could put a link to this thread at the beginning of the new one so we can go back to see previous pictures.

Be sure to tell us when you're projected move in date will be.


----------



## pixelphotograph (Apr 8, 2007)

looks like a really nice house I wouldve preferred a grass roof to keep the temps more constant and wouldve been cool to mow the roof LOL


----------



## HockeyFan (Jul 27, 2007)

Good job on the house. I'm jealous that you're so far along. I'm struggling with my own building project: www.freewebs.com/stocktonunderground


----------



## Wanderer0101 (Jul 18, 2007)

Great stuff! I'm really looking forward to a performance report once you move in.


----------



## TNHermit (Jul 14, 2005)

Like your plan. If you don't want to lose the counter space with a door to the pantry why not put a "pass-through" in. You can move stuff between the kitchen counter and the pantry. If you want to hide it put it on the side of the fridge towards the stove. Just make a whole between the upper and lower cabinets.


----------



## humbug (Oct 16, 2005)

Glad this link got bumped. What a great job. I only read the first page the other day. It is really nice to see how the project came together.


----------



## aussie dave (Apr 28, 2006)

great job
great post 
soon to be great home 

keep it up


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

Thanks for all the compliments. I am almost done hanging drywall inside and tieing up all the loose ends that go with that. I will take some more pictures soon and do a real update.


----------



## just_sawing (Jan 15, 2006)

As a former fire fighter and a love of the effiecnt home. Here is a idea for you. Build a stair well in the back that goes up into a small cute little structure. This serves as many things
1. When designing for fire safety understand that firemen chase fire they don't put it out. When you have a closed structure they will chase it to a wall and it will push around and around. THis is why we ventilate. Chase it out into the air where there is no fuel.
2 To have this you need an opening that would allow the firefighter to get behind and push.
3 When people first come to your home they will see a tiny little cute building and it will be percous. 
4 The stair well isn't real cheap but I would have to have it.
5 It will also allow a summer push to get moisture out. moisture is like fire you get it in a dead corner it is hard to manage.


----------



## humbug (Oct 16, 2005)

Mallow how is the work on this going...Would love to see the progress.


----------



## dnw826 (Jan 9, 2007)

It's looking great! I am really impressed!


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

I promise a picture update after this weekend. I haven't taken the camera out for a while so i'll make sure to remember that. Currently we are getting ready to pressure test all the plumbings so we can hang the last 6-10 sheets of drywall. Last weekend we spent almost the entire weekend putting the finishing touches on the radiant floor heating. It was all 3/4" or 1" copper and it was like a spiderweb to do an open system that shared it with the house plumbing. Propane lines are run which we used flexible stainless lines for that required a friend with the certification. I am debating on finishing the drywall myself or hiring someone but really leaning towards hiring someone to get over with quickly and probably better than I would do. Anyways I will post pictures at some point this weekend.

Thanks
-Mallow


----------



## ailsaek (Feb 7, 2007)

Wow, that's really coming along, then. Once the drywall's in, what's left to do to finish up?


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

ailsaek said:


> Wow, that's really coming along, then. Once the drywall's in, what's left to do to finish up?


Flooring is the next big project. That will take a good while since the concrete pour didnt come out to my satisfaction i'll be doing the entire house in tilework instead of acid staining. After that its trim, painting and the kitchen. Things are going fairly well for now.


----------



## SimplerTimez (Jan 20, 2008)

Wow, I just found this thread and it is so exciting and encouraging to see what you're doing. This is very similar to what we want to do when we find our land. I especially liked the display of how the radiant floor heat system appeared. Thanks for keeping us updated, and GREAT JOB!!

~ST


----------



## Mallow (Aug 4, 2006)

Started a new thread located here to show most recent update:

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?p=2858870


----------



## HockeyFan (Jul 27, 2007)

Thanks so much for posting this and keeping up with the updates. The photos are great.


----------



## letsgo! (May 18, 2008)

I'm exhausted just reading what's being done!

Stay Well


----------



## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

My mom wants a house like this. Only thing different I'd do is swap the laundry/utility room and bath with the family/media room. Less plumbing that way!


----------

