30x40 Earth Berm Passive Solar in Maine

[speedfunk]

Sean, It looks great man.  Your place is coming together to well. 

The dry stack stone in the front looks really cool.    .  Also the fresh veggies..mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

another option i forget to mention is they make a fiberglass mesh that would work well instead of lathe.  I used it on our firstday and it's holding up well.  Might be easeir to work with then metal lath.  I can't say for sure though b/c I've never used lath.

[Redoverfarm]

The biggest problem you are going to have is attaching the lathe and making it secure.  I believe that you have block behind it so conventional nailing is not going to work as with a wood substrate.  The lathe will have to be tight without any bounce meaning that it should be nailed every 6-8".  You might research what they do on larger buildings where foam is used and a stucco coat is applied.  Not sure if it is a masonry product or synthetic.

[Bishopknight]

Thanks Jeff and John,

For the blue board wall. The best solution I've come up with is to put a drip edge down first. Maybe tyvek will work, or just aluminum to be safe. Then staple the lathe over that to the 4x4 PT wood, then drape it down over the blue board and anchor the lathe and blue board with 3.5" tapcon screws & 2" zinc washers mounted to the underlaying cement wall. You're probably right about it needing to be every 6-8" so thats what I'll shoot for.

The 4x4 PT is already nailed down to the truss wall sitting on the plate. I took a photo so you can see what I mean.

[Redoverfarm]

Maybe a little less labor intensive is to mount ply (ext/int)  with tapcons cover with ice guard or tar paper then nail the lathe to that with roofing nails then parge.   You would have less penetration by the tapcons into the wall and chance for possible leaks that way and besides that is a lot of tapcons trying to attach the lathe.  The reason I suggest ice guard is that it is suppose to be self healing.  I usually start with the lathe and periodically just tap in the open areas and it if bounces off the substrate then drive another nail. If you haven't got it tight against the wall you will be able to tell when you parge.  If you do discover a weak area do not hammer another nail once you have it partially parge or it will fall out. Use a drill and either deck or drywall screws to tighten up that area. Shoot if I was closer I would do it for you

[Bishopknight]

Thanks John,

You might've convinced me not to do lathe so I'm considering the ply idea of yours. I have to have the propane tank moved anyways so I'm going to hold off for right now anyways.

Switching gears to landscaping updates:

Most are transplanted from my late aunts home. 2 I found on my acreage ( the fern and small yellow flower )







3 barstools I got on craigslist for $50 each, new

[Redoverfarm]

Bishop it was not my intention to completely eliminate the lathe only give you a better substrate on which to apply it to.  I would way rather have a mason surface exposed to the elements rather than just ply which will be a constant maintenance.  Sorry if I confused you.

[glenn kangiser]

The rock walls really look great, BK.  City people would pay money for those rocks. 

[Bishopknight]

Thanks John,

I am just going to think more on it. You're right though, if the wall isn't completely rigid, lathe and cement wont work.

Backhoe is the only way to make em Glenn

[glenn kangiser]

I use the Bobcat but I agree.  It beats working.

[Bishopknight]

Yup! No offense to the Bobcat of course Whatever gets em done

[Redoverfarm]

Bishop you might do a little research on your styrofoam wall concerning the parging or stucco.  I had to drive to the southern part of the state today and saw a house (older remodel)that was covered in styrofoam and they were applying stucco directly over it.  Not real sure of the product but there was no lathe.  If I hadn't had the trailer loaded I would have stopped but it was not a good location to get off the road and on a hill to boot.  That is what I was referring to earlier that some large store fronts use the styrofoam as a Architectual detail and then apply a similar product over it.  May save you some headaches.  Let me know how it turns out.

[Bishopknight]

Thanks john, i'll try to find some more info on how they do it, what product, ect. Thanks

[speedfunk]

It's probably surface bonding cement.  People have done this.  If you do ...use acryllic modifier with the mix to make it last longer where exposed to UV.  

[Bishopknight]

Just a couple pics along with a mirror reverse of my kitchen and entrance. Its getting closer.

[MaineRhino]

Sweet!   

[Sassy]

Bishop, looks really nice!  Can't wait to see more 

[Bishopknight]

Thanks Sassy and Troy,

I'm considering selling in a few months actually. I miss my friends and family down in Mass. The 3-4 hr commute to plymouth is getting old. So I'm motivated to finish the house and list it. The good thing is I'll have more exciting updates in the next few weeks. I just finished the siding this past week, I'm still trying to figure out how to cover up the blue board. I was actually thinking about using deck boards, nailed to the header and rooted into the berm.

I'm hoping to get (give or take) $87,000 for everything.



Heres the craigslist draft listing I've been working on. Pics aren't taken yet.

Basics:

   * 10 acres +/-
   * 1200 sq ft
   * 2BD, 1BA, office, utility room
   * Built in 2008

Features:

   * Low property taxes, $1059 last year
   * Spacious cathedral ceilings
   * 2" blue-board insulated slab foundation
   * Grid power via CMP
   * 3, 130 watt Kyocera Solar Panels w/ 1200 watt inverter, Morningstar TS-45 charge controller and 4 , 88 AH AGM batteries w/ 4g low impedance power
   * Artesian spring water pumped to home.
   * Views of mountains
   * Rectangular shaped lot 300' x1500' with 300' of road frontage on a paved, winter plowed road.
   * High speed DSL hooked up and working perfectly at 1.5 MBs Download / 30 KBS Upload speed.
   * High range antenna delivering free HD signals for ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS and FOX in crystal clear Digital quality.
   * Jacuzzi jet tub
   * Tile and Hardwood laminate floors ( when done )
   * Bosch LP Hydro-fed Tankless water heater - endless hot showers
   * Dishwasher
   * Over-the-range Microwave
   * Vermont Castings Resolute Acclaim Wood Stove and Stainless Steel flue
   * Nearly unlimited supply of hardwood for heating
   * 5 cord of wood ready to split and rack.
   * Hookups for Washer/Dryer
   * 60" Double Vanity w/ dual towel racks
   * Driveway Gate and hand cut all-cedar fence
   * Computer network wiring in home
   * Potential for microhydro power

Construction details:

   * Cedar Shingle siding
   * Monitor LP heater
   * 1000 gallon septic tank and leachfield.
   * 2x6 exterior wall construction w/ R19 insulation
   * R48 attic insulation
   * Built with Anderson Series 400 Windows for the highest quality.
   * Rebar reinforced cement wall w/ CCW Mira-Dri 860/861 waterproofing membrane and CCW Mira-Drain 6200 commercial water shedding for waterproof berm wall foundation
   * 30 yr 3-tab architectural shingles w/ Henry Eaveguard Ice & Water Shield underlayment
   * Engineered Scissor truss construction with 5/8" Advantech roofing substrate
   * Wired for Cat 6 cable with hard wiring from a central connection panel for high speed internet.

Location details:

   * 8 minutes to Hartford/Sumner Elementary School
   * 30 minutes to Lewiston/Auburn - Best Buy, Walmart, Shaws, Lowes, Home Depot
   * 20 minutes to Hannaford or Food City supermarkets
   * 3 hrs to Boston
   * 1 hr 15 min to Portland
   * 5 minutes to variety store & Lake Anasagunticook w/ boat ramp
   * 45 minutes to Sunday River

[glenn kangiser]

No matter what you do, BK, you will have the knowledge and skills gained for the rest of your life. 

[Tom]

After all that you put into it, I imagine that this was a hard decision.
Good luck

[John Raabe]

BK: That should be a nice house at a great price for the new owner.

And, as Glenn says, you've gained a great deal of experience and confidence.

Most likely that building bug will bite again.

[Bishopknight]

Thanks Glenn, Tom and John,

Oh you can be sure the build bug will bite again very shortly thereafter. 

[325ABN]

Damn!!! So sorry to hear you want to sell! I have enjoyed reading your thread. I thought you where all set and where ready to have a monthly expense under $500. Good luck in selling we should trade places. Ever consider NH?

[drainl]

Sean...

I have to admit I'm kind of bummed lol.  I give you props for driving out 3 to 4 hours (whatever your drive is) for over a year to work on it.  Maybe you could rent it out ...then have the cabin to stay in for "vacation".  We are coming up to maine in sept and were thinking of stopping by.. i'll PM ya when It gets closer ...have a few beers etc..
jeff

DOH ....my wife's login name sorry... my laptop got stolen from our house 2 days ago. 

[mldrenen]

echoing glenn's sentiments: this has been an invaluable experience, and will be something that you can always look back on with pride.  you've really done some impressive things over the past couple of years, and you shouldn't feel bad about a thing.

when i was looking for land, i found quite a bit in vermont/new hampshire/maine/new york that fit my vision and budget.  ultimately, i couldn't leave my network of friends and family.  so in that respect, i can completely understand your decision.  i wound up with a parcel that wasn't what i initially had my mind set on, but it's in an area that i know and love, and that was enough.

[Dog]

Wow...I doubt you'll have any trouble selling. What an experience building that house was. It was so interesting reading your progress along the way. Any buyer will appreciate the quality and love that you put into building the home. Good Luck