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Squerly and friends build a house...

squerly

Supported Ben Carson
GOLD Site Supporter
For the last several years my wife and I have been planning a house to be built on our property in North Carolina. For the first couple of years we basically watched the sun come up and go down so that we could properly place the house to insure warmth in winter and shade in the summer.

The goal is to build an energy efficient house that exploits the natural surroundings to heat/cool the house with a minimum of artificial heating and cooling. We will use the shade of the trees to cool during the summer and capitalize on the natural breeze that flows up the mountain side and circulates through the house via large windows at the bottom and a series of fans that pull the air upward through the house.

In the winter, the same trees that provided shade will now be leafless, allowing the sun to shine through the large windows and naturally heat the slab/tiles on the floor. An outside wood furnace will heat 380 gallons of water that will circulate through the floors and provide radiant heat for the house as well to heat domestic water for showers, etc. We will also utilize an indoor wood stove to provide heat for those months when we don’t want to keep the outside furnace burning. Wood is not an issue for us as we live on 50 heavily wooded acres.

We will use solar tubes to provide the house with light during the day and eliminate as much as possible the power that would ordinarily be needed. Construction will use 2X6 framing techniques with blown insulation throughout. The beams used on the inside (for cosmetics) will come from the property and is being milled at a local saw mill down the road.

I’m creating this thread to keep a log of the build as it takes place and to share the process (all it’s good sides as well as its bad) with my fellow FF’ers.
 
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squerly

Supported Ben Carson
GOLD Site Supporter
Yesterday our crew put in several drainage pipes to direct the water coming down the mountain away from the mountain and channel it under the road and then down the mountain side.

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squerly

Supported Ben Carson
GOLD Site Supporter
Today we trenched 1,100 feet (up the middle of what will be our road) to install power lines, water lines, and supporting conduit for lighting and security camera's along the road.


power%2520line%2520ditch%2520001.jpg


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Galvatron

Spock and Galvatron < one and the same
I look forward to your thread...being in the building game i love to see how others from across the pond tackle a new build...materials new and old with surrounding area and building regs ect.

My first tip would be never expect the weather to play ball...it rarely does:thumb:

Good Luck.
 

ki0ho

Active member
GOLD Site Supporter
You have a fine operator to work with!!!!! a ditch bottom like that makes laying conduit and lines a lot easer.......who ever it is thank him!!!!!!!!:clap:
 

muleman

Gone But Not Forgotten
GOLD Site Supporter
I look forward to your thread...being in the building game i love to see how others from across the pond tackle a new build...materials new and old with surrounding area and building regs ect.

My first tip would be never expect the weather to play ball...it rarely does:thumb:

Good Luck.
Squerly has an inside line with the weather gods.:whistling::yum::yum:
 

EastTexFrank

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
This is going to be a great thread. :clap::clap::clap::clap:

First question: Is that the only road in and out of the property?

Keep this thread alive Squerly!!!!
 

FrancSevin

Proudly Deplorable
GOLD Site Supporter
For the last several years my wife and I have been planning a house to be built on our property in North Carolina. For the first couple of years we basically watched the sun come up and go down so that we could properly place the house to insure warmth in winter and shade in the summer.

The goal is to build an energy efficient house that exploits the natural surroundings to heat/cool the house with a minimum of artificial heating and cooling. We will use the shade of the trees to cool during the summer and capitalize on the natural breeze that flows up the mountain side and circulates through the house via large windows at the bottom and a series of fans that pull the air upward through the house.

In the winter, the same trees that provided shade will now be leafless, allowing the sun to shine through the large windows and naturally heat the slab/tiles on the floor. An outside wood furnace will heat 380 gallons of water that will circulate through the floors and provide radiant heat for the house as well to heat domestic water for showers, etc. We will also utilize an indoor wood stove to provide heat for those months when we don’t want to keep the outside furnace burning. Wood is not an issue for us as we live on 50 heavily wooded acres.

We will use solar tubes to provide the house with light during the day and eliminate as much as possible the power that would ordinarily be needed. Construction will use 2X6 framing techniques with blown insulation throughout. The beams used on the inside (for cosmetics) will come from the property and is being milled at a local saw mill down the road.

I’m creating this thread to keep a log of the build as it takes place and to share the process (all it’s good sides as well as its bad) with my fellow FF’ers.

I look forward to you posts in this thread. My wife and I have a vested interest as I just started a similar thread about our remote build in the Missouri Ozarks.

I doubt it will be as grand as yours but will enjoy comparing the trials, and successes of such a project with you.
 

jimbo

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
What part of NC are you located in? I love the area around the Va - NC line. From Mt Airy and Galax, Va, the area around Boone. I'm sure there are others areas I would like, but these two are two I know. I am seriously considering moving to one of these areas within a year or so.

Interesting thread prospects. I will look forward to following it,
 

FrancSevin

Proudly Deplorable
GOLD Site Supporter
It looks a lot like the area near Tennessee just under the Smokies.

East of Cleveland/Chattanooga? Or Dillsborro/ Cherokee.
 

300 H and H

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
Squerly,

Water lines in the trench with the power??

I would have thought you would have to dig a well...

But maybe that isn't an option in the place you are at?

Rural water systems like we have here, maybe that is what you are tapped into?

Regards, Kirk
 

squerly

Supported Ben Carson
GOLD Site Supporter
I look forward to you posts in this thread. My wife and I have a vested interest as I just started a similar thread about our remote build in the Missouri Ozarks.

I doubt it will be as grand as yours but will enjoy comparing the trials, and successes of such a project with you.
Between the two of us we should be able to keep the board fairly well entertained! :wink:
 

squerly

Supported Ben Carson
GOLD Site Supporter
What part of NC are you located in?
We are located between Murphy NC and Franklin NC at about 3,700 feet. Great views!


Squarly,

Water lines in the trench with the power??

I would have thought you would have to dig a well...
Kirk, I am blessed with water and there is a spring not far from the home site. The water lines in the ditch are actually going to supply water to the cabin at the bottom of the mountain. The upper spring provides much superior water quality so I took advantage of the ditch being open to run water down the hill.

Typically, the power company doesn't like to share "their" ditch with anyone but in this case they allowed us to as long as we kept the additional stuff 2' away from the primary line.
 

FrancSevin

Proudly Deplorable
GOLD Site Supporter
We are located between Murphy NC and Franklin NC at about 3,700 feet. Great views!


Kirk, I am blessed with water and there is a spring not far from the home site. The water lines in the ditch are actually going to supply water to the cabin at the bottom of the mountain. The upper spring provides much superior water quality so I took advantage of the ditch being open to run water down the hill.

Typically, the power company doesn't like to share "their" ditch with anyone but in this case they allowed us to as long as we kept the additional stuff 2' away from the primary line.


Lucky you. My spring is 250' below my house site. Excellent water but I have to pump up 250' and then over 1/4 mile. It may be cheaper to drill a well near the house. Same aquifer/same delicious water.

My Car club has spent a lot of time in Franklin, just off 441. Back roads there are awesome for sports car driving. We have an annual event every spring and fall in Lake Fontana running the 129 Dragon road and terrorizing the locals. Which is why I was able to spot the Nantahala locale.

You have any gemstones in that dirt you were digging? Great place for rubies .

That is one good looking road there! With what will you be paving it?
 
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muleman

Gone But Not Forgotten
GOLD Site Supporter
A few words of advice on the road. Make sure it is wide and stable enough for a heavy firetruck to drive up it. Switchbacks are OK if they are not too tight to drive without backing and twisting. Control your water runoff so you don't get washouts. Get your base in as soon as possible so the construction trucks can compact it well.
 

Galvatron

Spock and Galvatron < one and the same
The first thing different here is that conduit would have been on a base of pea shingle and then covered also in pea shingle before it was all back filled...buiding regs require it here,very interesting.
 

squerly

Supported Ben Carson
GOLD Site Supporter
The first thing different here is that conduit would have been on a base of pea shingle and then covered also in pea shingle before it was all back filled...buiding regs require it here,very interesting.
I assume that is to prevent rock damage to the cable?
 

FrancSevin

Proudly Deplorable
GOLD Site Supporter
I assume that is to prevent rock damage to the cable?

Absolutely.

Here in the Ozarks many of the rocks are flint. Freeze thaw will force them up and they will cut the cable insulations. A little moisture,,,,dead short to ground.

We put all wire in Conduit here. Adds a buck or so per foot.
 

EastTexFrank

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Absolutely.

Here in the Ozarks many of the rocks are flint. Freeze thaw will force them up and they will cut the cable insulations. A little moisture,,,,dead short to ground.

We put all wire in Conduit here. Adds a buck or so per foot.

Yup and once the wire is cut you have to dig up your road to find it.
 

squerly

Supported Ben Carson
GOLD Site Supporter
Yup and once the wire is cut you have to dig up your road to find it.
Yeah, that would be ugly for sure. For the most part the ground was just dirt, with very few rocks. On the upper side of the mountain they ran into a lot of rock, and conduit is being used in that area.
 

bczoom

Super Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
I assume that is to prevent rock damage to the cable?
Around here, the underground lines are bedded in and covered with sand for the same purpose.

We also lay down tape above the cable, normally about 2' below grade.
t_19920_med.jpg


Here's the benefit for someone down the road. Operators know to stop immediately when they find red or yellow tape in their trench.
ut%20header.jpg
 

muleman

Gone But Not Forgotten
GOLD Site Supporter
Zoomer, you operate in a fantasy world. That is where the tape is supposed to be. I have found it 2-3 inches above the wires it was supposed to mark. Dug up an old red shirt once along a creek and scared the crap out of me. I will tell you the phone and cable guys are the worst for not marking at all or laying it right on top the wire. Probably cut at least 20 of theirs over the years. Gas lines and primary are what you need to worry about. They both can go boom!:w00t2:
 

bczoom

Super Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Zoomer, you operate in a fantasy world. That is where the tape is supposed to be. I have found it 2-3 inches above the wires it was supposed to mark.
Nah, I live in a non-commercial world. It's how I do it but I'm not in the hurry others are so I have time to do it right.
 

Galvatron

Spock and Galvatron < one and the same
Around here, the underground lines are bedded in and covered with sand for the same purpose.

We also lay down tape above the cable, normally about 2' below grade.
t_19920_med.jpg


Here's the benefit for someone down the road. Operators know to stop immediately when they find red or yellow tape in their trench.
ut%20header.jpg

we do the same here..gas..electric...water main...shit do i wsh that was every where it would have saved me shit loads on extension work:yum::yum::yum:
 

tiredretired

The Old Salt
SUPER Site Supporter
Construction will use 2X6 framing techniques with blown insulation throughout.

Do yourself a favor and just take the time to study up on spray foam insulation and it's advantages. R values alone do not tell the whole story. I have it and would never go back to anything else. Tight as a thermos bottle. Sounds like this is what you striving for in your energy house. By the looks of your pictures you have a few days to get up to speed.
 

rlk

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
TR, any idea of the timeline for payback between blown and sprayed insulation? I put sprayed insulation in the walls of a recent addition, but put blown in the ceiling due to cost.

Bob
 

tiredretired

The Old Salt
SUPER Site Supporter
TR, any idea of the timeline for payback between blown and sprayed insulation? I put sprayed insulation in the walls of a recent addition, but put blown in the ceiling due to cost.

Bob

I do not Bob. Not officially anyway. My studies of R ratings on different types of insulation including thermal conductivity led me to believe that foam was the best for me in the high wind area I live in. I had R19 walls, R38 ceilings and it still felt like the wind was blowing right through the house. Because it was.

My most recent remodel of the second floor with all foam has resulted in a noticeable reduction in heating. I am currently at 2400 degree days for the season and 1.5 tons of pellets used. Last year at this point I was around the same in degree days give or take but pellet usage was up by about 15 bags or 600 pounds of pellets. Based on this I should be down 1 ton for the season over last years usage. Huge.

I do not know for sure what my new R ratings are and it really doesn't matter I guess because comparing foam with fiberglass or blow in is comparing apples to oranges to a certain degree.
 

squerly

Supported Ben Carson
GOLD Site Supporter
Do yourself a favor and just take the time to study up on spray foam insulation and it's advantages. R values alone do not tell the whole story. I have it and would never go back to anything else. Tight as a thermos bottle. Sounds like this is what you striving for in your energy house. By the looks of your pictures you have a few days to get up to speed.

Yep, agreed TR! We plan to use sprayed Icynene Insulation throughout the home. Every effort will be used to make the home as energy efficient as possible.
 
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