Considering Alternatives for a New House

[sig]

if it turns out you will utilizing living space on a slab think about radiant floor heating. I find slabs to be cold in the winter months.

 

[Campgottagopee]

if it turns out you will utilizing living space on a slab think about radiant floor heating. I find slabs to be cold in the winter months.

For sure. The slab will actually be a garage, big friggin garage, that will have radiant heat. The living space above will also have radiant heat. My land has the perfect slope for that to happen. Easy peasy.

 

[Harvey]

What makes ya think groundhogs and bears worry about being responsible living somewhat underground?

Love ya bro but sometimes I have no idea what you are sayin.

 

[x10003q]

Radiant heat is the best, especially in slab.

 

[Sbob]

Radiant heat is the best, especially in slab.

Make sure you use 2” foam underneath. Not that foil bubble wrap stuff that claims a high R value. I warned a friend but he cheaped out.

 

[MarzNC]

Any thoughts about a "green" roof? Meaning one with sod or plants.

The Golden Arrow hotel on Mirror Lake in Lake Placid created a green roof in 2008.

Lake Placid hotel growing a green roof

LAKE PLACID -- Hotelier Jenn Holdereid climbed onto her Lake Placid roof, arms wide open, and smiled. From eye level on the balcony next door, it looked as if she

www.pressrepublican.com

I also know of a home with a green roof near North Country School. It was built quite a while ago, before 2000 I think.

NC State in Raleigh has more than one green roof.

4 Reasons Green Roofs Do A Building Good - Sustainability

Have you ever seen a roof covered with plants and wondered why? While pretty, green roofs serve a much greater purpose than simple beautification.

sustainability.ncsu.edu

 

[tirolski]

... about building an "earthen" house. I want to do be responsible, but not that much.

I love ya bro but sometimes I have no idea what you are sayin.

It’s about the concept of having at least part of yer new place being underground with windows out to the south.

Hibernating winter animals go underground so they won’t freeze. (Passive geo-thermal)
I was wrong.about, "What makes ya think groundhogs and bears worry about being responsible living somewhat underground?”.
Hibernating winter animals do in fact take responsiblilty for their own survival and most likely “worry" about their own survival too.

At the rate humans have been going lately, groundhogs and bears could outlast us.

 

[tirolski]

Any thoughts about a "green" roof? Meaning one with sod or plants.

The Golden Arrow hotel on Mirror Lake in Lake Placid created a green roof in 2008.

Lake Placid hotel growing a green roof

LAKE PLACID -- Hotelier Jenn Holdereid climbed onto her Lake Placid roof, arms wide open, and smiled. From eye level on the balcony next door, it looked as if she

www.pressrepublican.com

I also know of a home with a green roof near North Country School. It was built quite a while ago, before 2000 I think.

NC State in Raleigh has more than one green roof.

4 Reasons Green Roofs Do A Building Good - Sustainability

Have you ever seen a roof covered with plants and wondered why? While pretty, green roofs serve a much greater purpose than simple beautification.

sustainability.ncsu.edu

A friend has a roofing company installing Big green roofs. He farms the specialized grass that goes on those roofs.

 

[MarzNC]

NCS/TT put green roofs on a couple of outbuildings the old fashioned way in the last decade. Camp Treetops does a lot with campers on Round Lake (mostly privately owned by NCS/TT). There are always small work projects people can volunteer to help with during the late August alumni family camp. One year people could help carry buckets of dirt onto the roof of an open shed used for boats the camp kids use on Round Lake. It was the last step before spreading grass seed. Kids were more nimble than adults at getting on the roof and could just help out for 5-10 minutes before they went swimming.

During the recent alumni gathering I attended, I and a few other volunteers helped to finish up three Hugelkulture mounds on the lake hill. It's an idea developed in Europe that's part of Permaculture.

Eco-friendly elements on the North Country School/Camp Treetops lake hill above Round Lake, August 2021
The shed in the pic is not the one I mentioned above. That shed is a bit bigger and over by the main boat house (blue side wall) and beach.