Alternative building (Bangor, Caribou, Waldoboro: house, buyers, university)

[Submariner]

The gentleman cutting wood on my land for his cord wood house is doing his with 3 foot thick walls. Each layer of cord wood being secured with mortar.



We once owned a stone house called "WestThorne House", two stories tall, it has a total of 8 fireplaces. The outer walls are 24 inch thick. Inside of the outer walls are niches they used to hang the interior wooden framing, for the walls and floor joists. The gap between the outer stone walls and the inner wood paneling vary from maybe 4 inches a foot.

That home rests in Scotland, where it commonly experiences howling winds coming up off the ocean and whipping through the highland fens.

When we lived in it, it was the newest construction in all Argyllshire, the latest improvements and design as afforded by it's 1860 construction.

Indoor plumbing and electricity were both added in the 1900s.

One of the effects of the winds blowing on that stone and having the gap between the inner and outer walls is that it causes an air movement of it's own.

The outer walls are thick, and no air passes from the outside through the stone into the interior.

However because the stone is chilled by the passing winds so much, the extreme 'chilling' of the stones causes a good deal of air movement inside. Such that a wind is generated circling through the four sides of the house, blowing in through the interior wood paneling, and out again to flow along the stone walls. As that interior air passes along the stones it changes temperature a slight bit, cooler.

Enough to say that we learned stone houses are 'drafty'.

Ever notice that on British Tv, Brits sitting in their living rooms are shown wearing sweaters? This is due to older homes having 'drafts'.

[dramamama6685]

Wow, it never ceases to amze me how much I learn from these boards. I had never heard of cordwood construction, but thanks to you guys and google, I feel much more enlightened. I can see how labor intensive this would be, but how beautiful and durable once complete.

[kellysmith]

Check out this link if you want to see various other options for green built homes...
http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/natural_building.htm

[BrokenTap]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

Ever notice that on British Tv, Brits sitting in their living rooms are shown wearing sweaters? This is due to older homes having 'drafts'.

I went to an old church down in Waldoboro (1790) and the inside was configured vastly different then any church I had been too. They lacked pews but instead had individual cubbies complete with doors and everything. Families paid a annual fee to get use of those old school cubicles.

It was not until later that someone told me why they are configured like that...to keep the cold winter drafts from going up the skirts of the ladies in church.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by dramamama6685

Wow, it never ceases to amze me how much I learn from these boards. I had never heard of cordwood construction, but thanks to you guys and google, I feel much more enlightened. I can see how labor intensive this would be, but how beautiful and durable once complete.

I am so glad if I have been able to assist you in any manner.

[dramamama6685]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

I am so glad if I have been able to assist you in any manner.

Forest, I have learned tons from your posts on here. You are a true plethura of maine info!!

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by dramamama6685

Forest, I have learned tons from your posts on here. You are a true plethura of maine info!!

! ! ! ! !
I'm a plethura!
! ! ! ! !


! ! ! ! !
I'm a plethura!
! ! ! ! !


! ! ! ! !
I'm a plethura!
! ! ! ! !


Woo! Hoo!

[tankratt]

Originally Posted by Nor'Eastah

Cordwood homes are strong, durable, and very energy-efficient. The exact R-factor depends on the thickness of the wall. In construction of the wall, sawdust is placed between 2 lumps of mortar, before the piece of cordwood is fitted into place. The longer the cordwood, the more sawdust insulation you can fit between the inner and outer mortar layers.

The only downside is that cordwood building is very time-consuming and energy draining. Marriages have broken up over the amount of time taken to build. So if you are married, be sure your spouse is on board with you. The upside is, no mortgage, and lots of beauty!

Take a look at Rob Roy's book, "Cordwood Building: The State of the Art". A really excellent book. Roy and his wife live in upstate New York (just as cold as most of Maine), and built their home with 16" walls. This allows them sufficient R-value to make their home very well insulated.

Thanks Nor'Eastah, Yes I think any home built takes longer than your spouse thinks, remodel's take to long for my wife, if they can tear a house down a build a new one in a week on TV why can' I remodel a bathroom in a Saturday.

[tankratt]

Originally Posted by dramamama6685

Forest, I have learned tons from your posts on here. You are a true plethura of maine info!!

I agree Forest, and not only Maine info, all types, Thank you for sharing all your knowledge with us.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by tankratt

I agree Forest, and not only Maine info, all types, Thank you for sharing all your knowledge with us.

You are welcome

Looking over this thread, I find that I have left out one issue. Which I am amazed has taken me so long to point out.

I like open spaces [some might say this is due to having lived underwater for a few years].

High ceilings, open rooms with no internal supporting beams.

A pre-engineered steel building, say for example a 40' by 60' shell, would have no interior walls.

So you could in fact have one large room, high ceilings and have the feel of an open space.

When you consider the usual flood plan, a wall here, a wall there, many of those walls are load bearing, so you can not move them. Whereas a steel building has no need for interior support, so you could setup a partition anywhere. To divide off a bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen. And years later, when you get the itch to remodel, it can all be moved.

The partitions can be slid around into a different formation. A bedroom that had felt small could become larger. A work space that in no longer needs could become something else again.

Another thing about having a large open space, is that you could line 3 walls with windows. I mean BIG windows! Lets say 6 foot wide picture windows alternating with 3 foot wide opening windows, with like a foot between them. Big window, little window, big window, etc... All along 3 walls of the house. If you lived in a forest, perhaps over-looking a stream swall, you would have a great view. As you stood within your living room, you could look out and see forest on either side of you, with the expansive view overlooking the swall and all the wildlife that such brings. That is if you surrounded yourself with big windows. And a house design without interior walls makes this possible.



As compared to woodstick construction steel buildings are much cheaper per square foot.

And a steel building can be put together by one man, by himself. I know from experience, I put together our house.

A 40' by 60' building with 12' to 14' ceilings. Radiant heated floor, lots of windows, insulated to R-40.