Dickieboy's Off Grid Project in Hawaii

[glenn kangiser]

One of our off grid  members in Hawaii is having trouble posting on the forum so I am helping to get him started.  I only have a picture sent with a link to the album but maybe it will get us going until the album is back up.

Excerpt from his message.  

" I am building a house in the "jungle" in Hawaii,  off the grid, no
permits,etc.. I'll send you a couple of pictures, and try
and put together an album of the progression of the house.

I started of with a 16 x20 building, added a 6' wide porch and a stepped down "master bedroom' (10 x 16), as I went along.

thanks, Dick Hall "

[glenn kangiser]

Dick sent a couple more pictures today.

[tjm73]

Me likey so far.....  

[Sassy]

Looking good - are you going to have porches all around?  Off grid is good    - I suppose you are going to collect the rain water?  Or are you putting in a well?  

[PEG688]

Strange colored dirt :-/ Volcanic ?? Looks good   Termites must be a issue in Hawaii I'd guess, any special techenics / flashing / PT wood use??  Or do they eat  every thing??

[Amanda_931]

I've lived in (old, termitey and therefore cheap) housing in Hawaii where you could stick your finger through the wall--if you wanted to have a hole in the wall.  This was before duct tape.    These houses tended to be kind of standard looking 2x4 framing with t&g vertical siding.

Formosan (flying) termites are the problem.  They stopped a theater production (of Durenmatt's The Visit--the reviewer thought it was symbolic, but not planned) for around ten minutes once, the stage was very nearly invisible.

And now I keep reading that they are already in the next county to the south of me.

[glenn kangiser]

Dick e-mailed me - he is still having dial up problems and can't reply.  Until he gets it worked out I will post replies for him as he gets them too me.

[tjm73]

Dick e-mailed me - he is still having dial up problems and can't reply.  Until he gets it worked out I will post replies for him as he gets them too me.

Let him know some of us are anxously awaiting further updates.  

[glenn kangiser]

Here's his lates reply.

Ok Glenn, here are some replies to my replies:
The red soil is some volcanic cinders I had brought in (you can get black too).This island is young, and very rocky, so soil is at a premium.Most people spread cinders over a graded lot and can grow a lawn from that.
  All wood here needs to be pressure treated because of termites.Even plywood is treated with "Hibor", some kind of borate solution. I'm going to use cedar siding which should be termite-proof. The old houses used redwood siding.
   My porch is going around 3 sides, but I wish I had done all 4, it doesnt look symetrical. I'll probably build an outdoor bathroom on the 4th side.Water will be by catchment (as are most homes in the Puna area). A well costs $10,000 and a catchment system is about $2,000, although I'll probably try using a doughboy pool or something cheap for awhile.There is plenty of rainfall.
  Progress is pretty slow because I'm doing it by myself and I'm also remodeling the the house I rent in trade for rent.

Dick

[tibadoe]

Nice job...can't wait to see more.

[John Raabe]

Nicely shaped place. I like the roof.

Reminds me of my sons property over in Kipahulu valley on Maui. No grid power (they have PV solar), water capture from streams or roofs, no serious Internet access (they do have a crackly phone line strung out over the lava - we don't need no stinkin' poles!)

One thing that has happened in Kipahulu - they are now cut off from all road access by the last earthquake on the Big Island. The bridge to Hana is damaged and there was a landslide on the road around the other side of the island. FEMA is helicoptering in supplies.

So..... Get that bracing up!