One of the things I have learned through my “net zero” education is the importance of sealing up the shell of the buildings. I witnessed the haphazard performance of the advanced weather barrier wraps over the years, and it seemed like it was time for an advance in science and methodology of these wraps. And…
I am in the process of snaking wire through my home. As I wind the wire through my house, my mind enjoys imagining all of the various scenes that will play out through the year…the heat and celebration of a fourth of July Block Party to the silence of a Christmas Eve celebration with a…
After five weeks of nailing boards together, and covering over the framework with sheets of plywood, we have a legitimate building, in three dimensions. Then the fun begins, walking around the inside of the structure and deciding how to coordinate consistently applied details. . . heights of doorways, dropped ceilings, sill levels of windows, posts…
One of the most wonderful accents that an designer/builder can employ is the use of outside light let into the somber and dark interior of a building, punch it up with energy! I had predicted that I had a problem spot in the middle of my entry area of my new home. Then I eliminated…
We say in the home trade that the roof is the frosting on the cake. We sweat the floor arrangement, and the individual room plans, and not so much the roof design. However as builders, we know that the cascades of different roof planes, are what stimulate people’s interest, and causes them to get out…
The third dimension has finally become reality. I’ve been living in 2 dimensions for over four years. The paper plans of 24″ X 36″ pages, have been cut apart and taped back together on many occasions. The closest I’ve come before, has been putting masking tape on the floor of large garages with wood stakes…
Building my New Cottage in the Woods has been one of the most difficult processes I’ve gone through. Part of my problem is that I’m aware of all the problems resulting from less then a thorough analysis of the positioning of the foundation. Is the home going to sit in a mud puddle for all…
The real test of my education in Landscape Architecture has arrived. The ground work surrounding and within the foundation is done. Now it’s time to grade the earth back fill, so that it looks like a twin rotor Huey helicopter dropped the home lightly in place, while not disturbing the existing conditions. Sure…keep in mind…
For the back filling of my foundation, I knew we needed a rubber tired loader for efficiency. I talked my neighbor in to lending his TEREX machine. . . little did I know this was a piece of equipment, which had been used in the original development of the Alaska Tundra. Okay maybe not, but…
Reality has hit in the world of 3/4 minus rock for fill in my three car garage. Some of the flat floor has four to six foot drops to existing grades. We brought in rock and dozed it relatively flat. Then to test the output of my well, we dropped an appropriately sized submersible pump…
New Cottage In The Woods 