30x40 Earth Berm Passive Solar in Maine

Started by Bishopknight, October 13, 2008, 09:33:23 AM

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Alasdair

Bish, I have enjoyed following your thread and have been pleased to borrow several of your ideas. you made a great job on everything. Good luck with the sale - you must have built up a good bit of sweat equity in that place! If you're ever in the maritime provinces be sure to drop in!
Al

sjdehner

It's been quite some time since we've checked in and your place is nearly done! It seems you're selling it too!

Where are you off to? Are you going to build another house?

We're no longer in Maine but back in Washington state. It's nice to be back West but we have fond memories of Maine.

Good luck to you!

Shawn & Jamie
"Whether we and our politicians know it or not, Nature is party to all our deals and decisions, and she has more votes, a longer memory, and a sterner sense of justice than we do" -Wendell Berry


antillio

I have read your story this morning. Very Interesting you have done a fine job.
It's sad that you are selling the place. A similiar thing happed to me, I sold a place right when I finished it up. My advise is don't sell right away unless you are going to being on your next place that will bring the satisfaction and peace of mind this place will give you. 87,000 is not enough for all of the hardwork, risk and capital you have poured into this project.

Whatever you decide to do I wish you the best!!

Bishopknight

Heres where I'm at with the beach stone hearth and the living room finishings. I need to finish so I can get the wood stove back because its starting to get chilly at night.


In the process of painting all the mis-matched cabinets the same color and they came out nice.


Got around to finishing the guest bedroom walls and closet. Still needs some baseboard in closet though.


Also a side project of mine is painting the backhoe arms black for rust prevention and to match the current generation out these days. I can re-badge them pretty cheaply with newer replacement decals.  I'm using Rustoleom Oil based metal paint, gloss black.


glenn kangiser

Nice work, BK.  Always nice to see an update on your progress.  My great grandfather used to make beach rock fireplaces and my grandparents had to build a bonfire to heat them in, to make sure they wouldn't explode.  They were exposed to direct flame though.
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

Glenn's Underground Cabin  http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=151.0

Please put your area in your sig line so we can assist with location specific answers.


Bishopknight

Thanks everyone for the nice words!

Some new progress to share:






Bishopknight

#606
Its almost the 2 year anniversary of starting this house and its nearly complete. I haven't completely decided if and when I will sell it or not.

I finished the rock wall today.


And started wood for the winter. Most of this was left over from last winter but its a good head start. I've noticed lots of people in maine love using forklift crates for sides so I made one and placed it nearer to the door this time. I'm trying to learn, lol.


As mentioned in a prior post, I've been repainting the backhoe, its not done yet but here's a shot so far.

MaineRhino

Looks great BK! After a summer like we've had, who would want to move away! ;D

Nice job on the flooring and the stonework behind the woodstove!

Bishopknight

Thanks MaineRhino!

I know seriously? Amazing summer and its still going!


glenn kangiser

I remember you inside the house chipping out ice so you could work.  I could not imagine living or working under those conditions... you guys back there are too tough..... :)
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

Glenn's Underground Cabin  http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=151.0

Please put your area in your sig line so we can assist with location specific answers.

ScottA


Bandit

  Hi BK
  I have been following Your progress since I found this Forum , as We do love that area of Maine , and think You are doing an great job .                   I didn't really know where You were building till Your post the other day . I am very familiar with the area , and would love to move back into the area , as My family bought the point of land between Big Bear and Little Bear  back in the 60's while I was in the Coast Guard and We built a Camp on it in the late 60's , but it was sold  in the late 90's .
   I use to go into town on back roads and come in  on Church St.  .   Were You able to catch the "Hartford 4th. of July Parade ? "   We always went .                                                                                                                  I haven't been up there for a couple of years , in fact our friends from N. Turner called Sun. nite to see if We wanted to meet up at the Fryeburg Fair .            for Loggers Day .  (We lived up there in the early eighty's and I had My own JD Skidder and logged all over the area  )                                              We couldn't make the Fair again this year ,  but told them We will try to stop in for a visit soon .  ( You go right by there trailer on Rt. 4 , they sell firewood and have a Prentek Firewood Processor in the Dooryard )
    I do want to mention again what an awesome job You two have done with the house and land ,plus explaining how You did it and why .
Also after  25 yrs of driving up  and back , with only 2 flats and a blown motor , (186 mi. each way , but who is keeping track ) on weekends , I can relate to You not wanting to do it anymore .
   Some of the things I miss the most about the drive  are Cole Farms for breakfast coming up and the Custard at Hodgmans on the way home .
          http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurant/Reviews/2965/hodgmans-frozen-custard
   Bob

Bishopknight

I haven't seen the Hartford 4th of july parade unfortunately. That area is nice, beautiful lakes. Its a great area, no doubt. A few times, on my way back to boston, I've stopped at Cole Farms and Hodgmans. I agree, great food and ice cream!

No flats here but 3 speeding tickets, none in the last 18 months though, they all came within 2 months of each other  d*

Glad you enjoyed the progress, thanks Bob for the kind words  ;D

Bishopknight

QuoteI remember you inside the house chipping out ice so you could work.  I could not imagine living or working under those conditions... you guys back there are too tough..... Smiley

Glenn,

I don't miss that!  c*


Bandit

   I only got one speeding ticket in Mass years ago , but I did pass a Maine State Trooper back in 1970 doing way over 120 in My Hemi. Road Runner . He didn't even try to follow me , but I did get a ticket for a loud exhaust by a trooper near Lake Auburn on the way back home .
  I saw a lot on all those trips , Deer, Moose , Bad Accidents , but having a small plane land in front of Me on the pike by the Gray Exit really sticks in My mind , especially hearing his motor sputter and stall as He glided just above Us .
   Hodgmans  use to call My Wife " the crazy lady from Boston " as We use to have them super-cool and wrap up a bunch of ice cream for Us to take home and We would have it all winter .
  As for Cole Farm's , when I started getting "The Chicken in a Basket " they were $2.75 ,and a Frappe was like $ 1.35 , now it's $8.75 and $3.35  plus  tea was .10  cents and a coffee was only  .15 cents  with one refill .
   I would really think long and hard about selling , the area and the people can really grow on You .
       Ex. When You stop at the local store on Your way to the Fryeburg Fair ( after not being in the area for a few years ) and the owner won't take any money from You for gas and breakfast , and tells You to save it for the Fair and just send them a check when You get home ,  You Are Home .
   Bob

speedfunk

The stones behind the stove are really , pretty damn awesome. [cool]

They really kick the place up a notch nice job sean..



Bishopknight

Just a new pic of the setup with everything :)




PorkChopsMmm

Can you post pictures of the front and back of your solar mount? I would like to build something similar for our 3 240 watt panels at our homestead but I am struggling with the mount to the pole.

Thanks!

DIYJandS

Wow you and your gf did a great job!  [cool] It's been a while since we've visited your progress and agree with everyone that the beach stones look fantastic. Our land is in n.h. and we may just have to copy that. Did you decide if you were going to sell? I know someone looking for property in southern maine, but he may be interested in something further up.

Bishopknight

#619
Thanks,

I decided not to sell for now. I'm renting it out at the moment for $800 a month.

I want to build another and rent that out too. But if I did another, it wouldn't be bermed, it would be basically all electric appliances with a propane direct vent house heater. It would look a lot nicer, be on a smaller footprint so the foundation/roof is cheaper, 2 story.

I was thinking about 2 stacked studio apts for rental income, possibly on my land, not sure though. Up where my house is, I could probably get $500-550 for a studio apt year round. I could probably build the whole stacked studio for about $20,000 and it would generate about $1000 a month income. Pay for itself in about 2 to 2.5 years expecting gaps in tenancy.  

I'm going to try estimate and get a floor plan up of what i'm thinking above for a 22'x16' 2 story double studio rental.

5 yards of concrete = $556 delivered
18' 6 pitch trusses = $46.99 ea ( 12 costs $564 )
12 bundles of shingles @ $25 ea = $300
12 sheets of Advantech 5/8 roof sheathing @ $27 = $324
2 #15 rolls of tar paper = $30






speedfunk

congrats on making some money renting it out. 

I just wanted to share what I have found when building as you describe (the firstday with walkout basement).  B/C i was trying to make things as affordably as possible (but still cool) I did what you suggested.  It was thought at the time as well to building with a low footprint saving money on both roof and foundation.  There are other factors that come into play when building UP,  Obvious thing is everything is up high, the higher we went to more time it took.  Scafolding it a pain for sure , or ladders or other systems that you might rent to speed up the process.  It added a lot of money in labor b/c EVERYTHING must go up, every board ,every material.  I believe this was even more exagarated by the 12 on 12 roof pitch and the foam being on the outside.  It really slows things down for sure, not to mention farther to fall lol.  Its tough to compare the two total costs b/c of different building types.  But in our experience the savings was negated.  The floor plan also suffers wasted space b/c of stairs.  ALTHOUGH you sound like you want to do a seperate studio both upstairs and downstairs, which makes a great deal of sense.  Your situation can be different for sure...i just thought I share with you the issues we had so you can make a really affordable rental unit that will allow you to free :)

I have been thinking rental stuff as well...its funny how we seem to be on a lot of similar mindsets.  I think we are going to keep an eye open for a rough but solid and simple structured home to renovate affordable.  I hope you share your building again man.  GL I am happy for ya..

Bishopknight

Thanks Jeff :)

I didn't mention this but I was thinking of putting the stairway on the outside of the house. And I'm sure you're right about going up. I was thinking another 6 pitch roof and using the backhoe to hoist and the yellow stackable scaffolding.

Ya we definitely have similar mindsets, thanks for the advice! :)

speedfunk

The stair way out the outside is a really good idea.  Also the roof pitch.  Having the backhoe will save you money as well.  Quite a good purchase you made when you got that huh!.


Bishopknight

Ya it is pretty useful, it will be hard when I eventually sell it!

umtallguy

so what is your experience with rural zoning in oxford county? I will be moving up in a few weeks, from a couple of the towns I have looked at so far, outside of mobile home restrictions, shoreland zoning, and setbacks there does not appear to be limits on the number of structures on a property?