Progress finally

Started by Daddymem, April 28, 2005, 05:33:39 PM

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Chuck_Surette

Not off the top of my head - but it's been 15 years....in CT.

Class of '85.

Yeah the rate hikes are crazy - Power goes up tomorrow (22 %) - Oil will soon follow.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

benevolance

How does the nitrogen easement work...Just out of curiosity?

is it based on your square footage in relation to the gallon per day the septic system would see (based on the size of your house and occupants?)

Just curious

-Peter


Daddymem

#102
We are limited to 440 gpd/acre (DEP acres are builders acres=40,000 sf).  With additional treatments we can get to 550 or 660 gpd/acre.  Combined with 110 gpd/bedroom design flow, you can figure out how much land is needed.  At 440 gpd/acre it is equal to 10,000 sf per bedroom and the State requires 3 bedroom minimum so you need 30,000 sf of land.  We only have around 25,000 sf.  If your lot does not have enough area to meet the loading rates, you put an easement on an adjacent piece of land not owned by you.  Our neighbor sets 5,000 sf of land aside to not be touched by developement and not be counted towards loading for her either; this is done with the easement which is a document registered with the Registry of Deeds on her lot and I get one on my lot describing the 5,000 sf I need.
Fortunately I don't need to go through that now that I have to do the I/A system.  I get 660 gpd/acre loading and the math comes down to 412 gpd could be discharged on this land, I only need 330 gpd for my future expanded home (3 bedrooms).  
These regs only apply to new construction in nitrogen sensitive areas, generally either private well and septic areas, or wellhead protection areas.

The best use of these regulations are for cluster development of subdivisions.  For example we got approval for a subdivision on Nantucket island where each lot is only 10,000 sf or so.  They each get their loading by having a nitrogen easement on open space parcels at the back of the property.  The State doesn't get it yet, but hopefully they soon will...there should be a bonus for the cluster use of the regs.  I think 10,000 sf lots are way too small, but for a summer retreat (mostly what Nantucket is) it could work fine.
Google Earth map below.  All that green in the back will stay green, all the lots will be up in the front off the main road.
Où sont passées toutes nos nuits de rêve?
Aide-moi à les retrouver.
" I'm an engineer Cap'n, not a miracle worker"

http://littlehouseonthesandpit.wordpress.com/

glenn kangiser

Can you get the nitrogen easement from the city street in front of your house, Daddymem?
"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.

Daddymem

#104
Sure could....if the owner (the Town) agrees to it, but that just ain't gonna happen.  An easement is a legal agreement between two parties.  I have gotten approval to use proposed roads in the area calculations since they are going to be private roads.  In fact, the Milestone project above counts the road area in the calculations.
Où sont passées toutes nos nuits de rêve?
Aide-moi à les retrouver.
" I'm an engineer Cap'n, not a miracle worker"

http://littlehouseonthesandpit.wordpress.com/


Daddymem

Variance granted, minor revisions to plan to do, if I get it in this week the BOH agent promises a permit next week!!!!! Major hurdle completed!!!!!
Où sont passées toutes nos nuits de rêve?
Aide-moi à les retrouver.
" I'm an engineer Cap'n, not a miracle worker"

http://littlehouseonthesandpit.wordpress.com/

williet

QuoteVariance granted, minor revisions to plan to do, if I get it in this week the BOH agent promises a permit next week!!!!! Major hurdle completed!!!!!
Congrats .... good luck .... and I hope things move along quickly for ya'll! :)

Amanda_931


glenn kangiser

Cool, Daddymem.  Looks like you just had a major movement. :)
"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.


Daddymem

#109
Here is page one of our septic plans if people are interested....hrm, i think i'll post a link to the pdf instead, these are 24x36 plans...stay tuned for later
Here we go:
http://www.mtdata.com/chrisc/public_html/1of2.pdf
http://www.mtdata.com/chrisc/public_html/2of2.pdf
Probably only temporary, but should hold for a while.
Où sont passées toutes nos nuits de rêve?
Aide-moi à les retrouver.
" I'm an engineer Cap'n, not a miracle worker"

http://littlehouseonthesandpit.wordpress.com/

Daddymem

#110
Took advantage of the 50's weather (In New England in January?!?!  :o ) to flag the well location for the driller.  Then for the heck of it we flagged out roughly where the footprint of the house will be on the lot and visually located the parking pad and driveway just to get a good feel.  Kinda neat when you can stand in the future living room and see what you will see when it is built.  Also looked at how high the first floor will be over the existing grades....nice.  Mommymem will get some photos of the flagging on her blog sometime.

Heating is still a chore.  We need an answer from the bank...do monitor heaters qualify as central heating?

Geothermal-absolutely out!  One good article why: "Digging the Hype" section  As if $20,000 price tag isn't enough.

Monitor type heater:
Fuel oil business in New England is supposedly competitive With this choice, we can put in an on demand hot water heater using fuel oil too. And we like the looks of the L60AT and L73AT Toyos  Our tank would be in the basement and we would need a lifter pump.
Propane would give us the option of on demand water heater, or typical gas fired water heater, and gas stove and gas dryer but I am not partial to the explosive nature gas.  Rinnai seems to be the one to get.  Our tank would be outside, below grade if we can afford it.

Hydrosil is out, found some negative reviews of it.

Forced hot water is our fall back if we need the "central" heating as banks call it.  We liked the looks of the hydronic radiators but the cost is $5,000 for just the radiators.  We could possible pick and poke on eBay, but who knows if we can get the sizes we need.  I think you can use pex on these so perhaps a deal with a plumber where we do the install might work.  Probably not too hard to hide these pipes using closets to run upstairs or simply boxing them in along posts.  Again there is the choice of how to heat the water...electric-no, propane or oil.

Last resort is the forced hot air furnace route.  The ducts would need some clever placement in our house, I imagine we would lose one half of the storage areas upstairs to ductwork.

It is really sad that we can't just put in the wood stove with some registers and fans to heat this small, well insulated house...someday the banks will be more reasonable.  The one option we could still do is put in electric (boogie woogie woogie) base board heaters and just not use them. They are very cheap and we have a good connection with an electrician.  Of course then we have to look at the registers...unless the are removed after we roll the construction loan into the mortgage (or not if we get it done cheap enough). :D

With a little more research we are gonna give this cost calulator a shot and see what it computes.
edit-hrmm I don't trust the numbers generated from that site, they seem awfully high except for the wood based ones...
Où sont passées toutes nos nuits de rêve?
Aide-moi à les retrouver.
" I'm an engineer Cap'n, not a miracle worker"

http://littlehouseonthesandpit.wordpress.com/

glenn kangiser

I suppose with all this new stuff you are putting in then a car radiator with a fan behind it is out? :-/ :)

Looking good, Daddymem and Mommymem.
"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.

Amanda_931

My insurance guy makes a big distinction between "wood stove" and either "fireplace" or "masonry stove."  Ken Kern has a book with a site-built masonry stove that is ugly but can be used, with occasional flips of dampers for heating and cooking both on the stovetop or baking.  Don't ask me which book it is--I can't find mine.

Don't really need to go the route of the $30,000 Tulakivi to get a fine masonry stove.  Although they're very cute.

Mommymem

I've updated our blog for anyone interested. I posted the quotes we've received so far and the plans are up as well :)
"Change your thoughts and you change the world." -Norman Vincent Peale

http://schluterhomestead.blogspot.com/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FDBuilders/


glenn kangiser

#114
Looking good, Mommymem - I have to remember that links to your blog and group are in your signature at tthe bottom of your postings-- but I will get it eventually. :-/
"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.

Sassy

Bet you are getting really anxious to actually get to the building part!  Sounds like there is an incredible amount of running around doing the preliminary stuff - I wouldn't know 'cuz how we are building  ::).   Good blog.  I should have begun one when we 1st started building...  but at that time blogs weren't quite as accessible & we didn't have DSL & a whole bunch of other excuses...  now we have John's site - Country Plans...   :)... thanks John!
http://glennkathystroglodytecabin.blogspot.com/

You will know the truth & the truth will set you free

Mommymem

Without Countryplans we wouldn't be where we are today with this project. Everyone here has been very helpful and supportive and we appreciate that!
"Change your thoughts and you change the world." -Norman Vincent Peale

http://schluterhomestead.blogspot.com/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FDBuilders/

JRR

Daddymem/Mommymem

Have you considered using a combo heating/cooling unit such as:
http://www.abtelectronics.com/scripts/site/site_product.php3?source=nextagapp&id=5040

Oughta make the insurance guy happy ... no flame.  These things show up often in motels.  Are actually fairly efficient on moderate days.   Not too expensive ... might be the least cost to make your home meet certain criteria.

And later, install a wood burner as you like.

glenn kangiser

For room A/C heat combos we have one with a 1500 watt heater in it and one with a heat pump of similar size at out other place.

I had to order the heat pump special - because I thought it was cool.  Air to air - doesn't work well at least in that unit.  I'd say don't waste your time and money on the heat pump one.  The other is great for what is expected of it.
"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.

Daddymem

We are all set on the heat now.  Rinnai direct vent propane heater it is for under $2000 installed.  And a woodstove too; I'd love a Jotul.
Où sont passées toutes nos nuits de rêve?
Aide-moi à les retrouver.
" I'm an engineer Cap'n, not a miracle worker"

http://littlehouseonthesandpit.wordpress.com/


joe landscaper

I just purchased a Jotul F 3 CB about a week ago, not cheap but looks great. Wont get to use it until next winter though. Cabin is not even started yet. We have cleared the land and should start leveling a pad next week.   I really enjoy seeing the progress you guys are making back east.  Be glad your not in Bakersfield Ca. trying to get a building permit right now.  I have a set of plans for a 1520 sq. ft. home (spec house) in plan check right now, 8 week wait and if revisions need to be done and resubmitted another 8 weeks. Good luck, and like your posts.

glenn kangiser

Where's your cabin going, Joe?  Up the Canyon?
"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.

joe landscaper

Cabin is going on Piute Mtn. Up the canyon, make a right at lake Isabella, go about 15 miles then make a left and go up the Mountain. We are @ 6,900 ft and up a pretty rough road. Just doing the preliminary work now, you know the stuff thats no fun, cutting out scrub oak and dirt work. The mild winter has been very good to us but I'm leary about getting started too soon on the construction. The upside is that I have been accumulating materials as the money permits. Flooring, windows, wood stove, pine paneling, and 1 door. Looking for good deals and it has been working out pretty good. I bought a few sets of plans from John and decided the 20x 30 1 story would be adequate for our needs and the level of difficulty is something I think I can handle. I built my house(acted as the general) and another spec house before but this will be different doing all the work. I'm pretty excited about the whole thing!
Maybe I can get up to see that underground house some day?

glenn kangiser

Absolutely - I was just thinking we may come down and see what you are up to.  Neat stuff down there.  I have been to the old mine and steam or gas engine to the right of Isabella - ate at the steak place that burned up the canyon- worked at Randsburg a couple days - collected rocks ---love the history and scenery around there.

Collecting things when they are cheap is a great way to go -- cheap or free.  
Then after you get enough piles of it accumulated you realize that you have enough to make something way cool without having to break the bank.
"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.

Billy Bob

Huzzah!  
The journey has begun.
Good luck, 'mem guys!
Bill