Going Off Grid in East Tennessee (Niota: tax credit, prices, retire)

[younglisa7]

Good morning everyone. Chapter 12.

Thursday July 31, 2008

We've been living here for 2 weeks now and we haven't taken a day off. Today seemed like a good opportunity because it was dark and rainy all morning.
Of course Mike couldn't resist and as soon as it cleared up a bit he went outside and started wiring the solar panels. As you know we got all 6 solar panels on the roof but we haven't wired them yet. Each panel has 2 wires connected to them.

One positive and one negative wire.


And all 6 panels.


These wires need to be connected to longer wires and run into the house and into the combiner box. Mike made his own connections and we ran the wires through a small hole in the back of the house and then inside.

Mike went inside the house and pulled the wires through.


Each wire, 12 of them, has it's own spot in the combiner box. Each solar panel has it's own 15amp breaker inside the box.

The positive cables from each panel go to the breaker and the negative cables go to the left side of the box to the ground bar. Mike marked all the positive wires with red tape and the negative wires are black.

Here are the first 3 panels connected.


Here is the second set of wiring from the next 3 solar panels.


I went inside the house to help Mike with some of the wiring. As I was holding one of the wires I hit the metal box with the open end of my wire and there were some small sparks. That was enough for me. Mike says "the wires are live". Really? There was no problem but I want you all to know "If you don't understand electric, like me, you shouldn't be messing with it".

Mike finished connecting the second set of panels to the combiner box.
This is what the wiring looks like from the outside.


And


While Mike was finishing the wiring I had to go repair the curlex on the back hill. One of the cows made a mess out of it.

Thankfully it wasn't too bad.

We also had more washout on our walkway from the rain. We really need to fix that.

Friday- This morning we had to go to the dump and Mike dropped me at the library for the annual book sale.
When we got home while I made breakfast Mike called in our lumber order. After that we went down to the house to install the inverter on the wall. This simple job gave us all kinds of grief because the 2" screws would only go 1 inch into the concrete wall even after Mike pre-drilled the holes. Finally, we got the inverter on the wall and Mike hooked ALL of our wires up.


We crossed our fingers as Mike programmed the charge controller so our system would all run together. Ah, Mike did it all right and nothing blew up. That was a lot of wiring he did this past week. Now our solar set up is complete unless of course, we need to modify or make something better.
While we were in the house our lumber delivery arrived. Mike ordered "135" 10 foot long 2x4's, 25 sheets of sheet rock, and 2 more panels of T1-11. We were really dreading carrying all this down to the house. Fortunately the lumber company sent 2 young men(ah, young backs) and they unloaded all the sheet rock and some of the 2x4's for us. Mike and I helped with all the 2x4's. We were so thankful we didn't have to do all the work so Mike gave them a tip. They were also happy because most customers don't help.

This is our stack of 2x4's.


And our sheet rock.


Now we have material to work. We started working on the back wall of the house. We built 10 foot sections of wall at a time, then stood them up and screwed them in place.
This is me holding the first section up.


Mostly done with the back wall.


We are done with the back wall.



This is our process for building walls.

First we lay out two 2x4's. One for the top and one for the bottom of the wall.


Then we measure and cut the 2x4's to 114"(and no ditties ha, ha). We take those cut boards and place them between the top and bottom 2x4's.


Then we measure every 16 inches on the top and bottom boards and screw the inside boards in every 16 inches.


Then we stand the wall up, level it, connect it to any other walls sections, and screw it in place.

And that's how we build a wall.

Saturday-
Today we got a late start. I think we are finally getting a little worn out. It was pretty exciting today because it was the first full day we ran all our power tools off our own electric. Woo Hoo. It works!

We worked on more framing for the interior walls. Mike and I measured about 80 2x4's. We installed a total of 60 feet of walls just over 9 1/2 feet tall. We almost finished the perimeter walls and we got the kitchen/bedroom and the living room/office walls up.

Kitchen/bathroom wall.


Living room/office(bedroom) wall.


Now it's starting to look like a house. Of course, now that we can actually see what the rooms will look like we made some changes. We decided to put angled walls into the bedrooms. It makes the front area much bigger. We also changed our mind about the wood burning stove and propane fireplace. Now we will start out just the gas fireplace and see how that goes.

This is our floor plan. It's very simple and open. Just the way we like it.


Our layout for the angled wall into the bedroom/office.


We had a lot of rain today so we took a walk down our road to see what kind of washouts we had. Most spots are better but we still have more work to do. What else is new? On the way back to the top we picked up more rock. That was our day.

I'm going to finish this part of the story. It was a really long day yesterday and we have another one today. I will write again on Thursday morning.

We hope you continue to enjoy our story.

Lisa and Mike

[billr]

Lisa

I have been following your progress since finding this thread a few days ago. I have read it all the way back to the first page.

First let me say that I admire you and Mike more than you can imagine for not only your seemingly endless energy, but also for your dedication to changing your carbon footprint at a time when we should all be concerned about our energy use and it's sources.

Let me say that I spent more than 20 years as a registered home building contractor during my working years and have built hundreds of homes, for others as well as a few for myself. I am also both a very competent electrician and plumber, and my youngest son is now a master electrician and runs a branch of a electrical contracting company's 54 man shop.

Not say the above to claim I am any smarter or better than others but just to give you an idea of why i am pointing out the following.

When Mike ran the wires from the solar panels into the house I see something that will continue to cause you problems which will be there as long as the house stands or until you correct it.

The wires are run from the edge of the metal roofing and down through the wall without having a drip loop in them. No matter how good you caulk this spot on the siding and no matter how often you caulk it it is a huge potential for leaking and rotting not only the wood where it enters but also feed water into the electrical boxes inside.

At the least I highly recommend that the wires be redone and that you form a loop in wires after they leave the roof edge and make sure the the complete loop be at a level below where the wires enter the siding of the house. This allows the water collecting on the wires to flow along it to the bottom of the loop and then to run off instead of following them to the wall and place of entry into the house.

Now I would also recommend that he take it one step further at the same time and that is to not run the wires over the edge of the roof as shown in your pictures, but to install two whether heads and stand pipes that protrude above the roof and solar panels and then run the wires up from the roof and panels into these standpipes through the whether heads at the top. The reason I suggest three is because Most whether heads will be set up for three to four wires and with three whether heads you would be able to set it up so that the wires from three solar panels would go into one whether head.

The three whether heads and the attached standpipes could then all three freed into a whether proof box mounted on the exterior of the wall and then feed the wires through the back of the box and into the interior of the house.

There is one other area where I have concern, but I believe this one was mentioned by someone before but I think it is important enough to mention it again. That is that you should never use plain or regular wood directly in contact with concrete regardless of how well one believes that concrete to be moisture proofed. When cases arise where plain or regular untreated wood is allowed to come in contact with concrete or concrete blocks it should at the minimum have a piece of felt between it and the cement or concrete.

I hope that the above is written so that you can understand what I am trying to get you to see.

I also hope that you do not take it as criticism because it is not meant to be but rather a suggestion to save you a headache in the future.

Keep up the great job of showing and telling us of your progress. We are all rooting for you two and following along with great interest.

Bill R

[Tony1790]

Originally Posted by billr

When Mike ran the wires from the solar panels into the house I see something that will continue to cause you problems which will be there as long as the house stands or until you correct it.

The wires are run from the edge of the metal roofing and down through the wall without having a drip loop in them. No matter how good you caulk this spot on the siding and no matter how often you caulk it it is a huge potential for leaking and rotting not only the wood where it enters but also feed water into the electrical boxes inside.

I concur on the drip loop, when I was installing solar panels for the Coast Guard, we had a 1" drip loop, we also installed the panels at a 60 degree angle facing south, but a drip loop is an easy fix for ya.

I'm trying to gather the courage to build my own house, but I don't have any home building experience and I'm too chicken.

Great job so far

Tony

[Tinman313]

Question on your well. Is that power coming from the inverter or are you using 220v for you submersible pump ? Looking great.........

[billr]

Now I would also recommend that he take it one step further at the same time and that is to not run the wires over the edge of the roof as shown in your pictures, but to install two whether heads and stand pipes that protrude above the roof and solar panels and then run the wires up from the roof and panels into these standpipes through the whether heads at the top. The reason I suggest three is because Most whether heads will be set up for three to four wires and with three whether heads you would be able to set it up so that the wires from three solar panels would go into one whether head.

The three whether heads and the attached standpipes could then all three freed into a whether proof box mounted on the exterior of the wall and then feed the wires through the back of the box and into the interior of the house.

It should read as follows:

Now I would also recommend that he take it one step further at the same time and that is to not run the wires over the edge of the roof as shown in your pictures, but to install three whether heads that takes four wires through the head piece and stand pipes that protrude above the roof and solar panels and then run the wires up from the roof and panels into these standpipes through the whether heads at the top. The reason I suggest three is because Most whether heads will be set up for three to four wires and with three whether heads you should be able to set it up so that the wires from two solar panels would go into one whether head. The next twp panels into another whether head and then the last two panels into the third whether head.

The three whether heads and the attached standpipes could then all three feed into a whether proof box mounted on the exterior of the wall and then feed the wires through the back of the box and into the interior of the house.

BillR

[js2743]

i noticed you have what looks like plywood on the sides of your house where the ground slopes off to the front. i would think that is just inviting termites inside your home, they will travel up that and years to come your going to have a mess.

Also something else to point out is the over hang on the front you have cut the underside pieces to come out flush with the vertical pieces. that's asking for water damage, as water will run back inside through that crack.

And the spray in insulation what r value did they give you on that? i have seen it done on TV and when it sets up it comes out even with the 2x4's sometimes they have to trim off access to put up sheet rock. yours dont look to be to thick maybe 1 inch and no more than 1 1/2 inches thick.

And the wiring from the solor panels i think i would want that inside conduit pipe for safety reasons with it being in the ceiling with that foam if something happen it shorted out you got your self a fire.

[younglisa7]

Thank you everyone for all your helpful responses. Please keep in mind that some of the things I take pictures of are not "all" complete. As for the electrical from the panels to the house Mike still has work to do and he appreciates your input. We don't do things in the same order as everyone else. Our agenda is usually different. At the moment we want to get the motor home hooked up to our solar set up, again this will just be temporary until we move into the house.

Thank you BillR- Mike has read your suggestions. I'm not sure exactly what his finished work will be but I know he wants to keep any holes in the roof to a minimum. That is never a good idea. Kind of like skylights leaking. We don't want excess holes so Mike is very conscious of that.

js2743- Where the land slopes off to the front of the house and the dirt is next to it is 10 inch thick concrete not plywood. I think you are seeing the insulation that is on the outside of the concrete.

As far as the front of the house we are not finished with that but there is no dirt touching any wood. Also the overhang where the front meets the eaves is "completely" sealed with no penetration at all because the spray foam insulation was sprayed "inside" that area from inside the house. Nothing is getting through that area. We also still have to add trim and paint the exterior of the house.

The insulation is a minimum of 2 inches thick and 3 in some areas. I know it's hard to see that from the pictures. It is also completely solid and airtight unlike regular insulation, which air and water can penetrate. Our house is completely water sealed from the roof and walls down.

Thank you all for your help and comments. We love to hear from all of you. As you know I like taking pictures for all of you to see. My pictures show what we have done for that day, it doesn't always mean we are finished with that part of the house.

Have a good day,

Lisa

[Tony1790]

Lisa,

Is the house design/building method, something that you designed or is it available online? I saw a zero energy home design online that was similar, I'm trying to gather up the courage to try what you are doing.......I'm too chicken.

Great job jumping in and building your own home, kinda like the old days when pioneers were self sufficient.

I hiked up my land the other day and was trying to figure out if it was worth the effort of building up high, I don't have the same views due to too many trees.

We love the photo's and very much appreciate the effort that you are expending to keep us up to date on your adventure.

Thank You!!!!!

Tony

[younglisa7]

Hi everyone and Good morning. I got a little behind this week but I finally finished Chapter 13. I hope you enjoy.

Sunday 8-3-08

Mike had to re grade our walkway "again". We got a lot of rain on Saturday. Then we went down to the house and started working on more walls. The first 2 walls we built and installed today were the 2 side walls for our bathroom.

Our first side.


And the other side.


Then we built the front of the bathroom wall with the door opening.


The next two walls were a lot harder. Both of the walls and doorways for the bedrooms are angled. Mike had to take very precise measurements and make accurate angle cuts for the top and bottom board of each wall. He did an excellent job and our walls look awesome. Putting these walls at an angle really opened up the living area of the house. We are very pleased with the outcome.



And


And


Out of 135 2x4's that were delivered on Friday we have 2 left. I think we did great. Now we need more material ha, ha. Actually we have to start the wiring and the plumbing in the walls and we already have that material.

Just a quick FYI. We worked inside the house all afternoon and it was very comfortable. We went back inside the motor home for a break, with the a/c on, and it was hotter in the motor home than in the house. Our home is coming along just the way we hoped and planned.

We went back down to the house and started installing the electric boxes in the bedroom walls and then we cleaned up. When we got back to the motor home I started dinner. The next thing I hear is the tractor. I look out the window and Mike is digging a ditch behind our motor home. I put dinner on hold and go out to help.

We've been having problems with our back hill when it rains hard and the water runs to the coach, the house and down the side walkway. Mike is really tired of re-grading our walkway so we are digging a temporary ditch to divert the water to the larger ditch next to the driveway.

Here is the temporary ditch before we cleaned it up.


And


We worked until 8:30 and we finally cleaned up the ditch.


And


And Mike has the nerve to call me a slave driver! I'm not sure which one of us is worse but when we work together we don't know how to stop until exhaustion sets in. We are on full throttle ahead until it gets done. Weren't we supposed to take our time on this house?

Monday-
Today was a very slow morning. We were extremely tired and we were dragging today. I think it might take a few days to get back on track. For the next couple of weeks we will be working on wiring, plumbing, and sheet rocking one room at a time. Mike went down to the house to Prue-drill and screw the bottom wall studs into the floor, we only put a few in each wall before just to hold the walls in place. Mike started going through drill bits in a heartbeat and it was becoming a battle just to drill one hole so we drove to David's to get some more drill bits. We stayed and talked for a while.

After we left David's we went to see Jimmy's(our grader) property. He is working on his roads and pond. Mike and I had to check it out because about a week ago we got a call from Jimmy saying "I see you". Really? Where are you? He was on his land on his track-hoe and from one point he could see our property across the mountains. We couldn't see him. Mike and I wanted to see what he was talking about. We got to Jimmy's land and hiked to the top to see our property. We looked across and saw one area that could have been ours but we couldn't tell without binoculars. We hiked back down, came home, and took a break. After all, it was a long hike. OK, enough procrastinating. It's time to get back to work.

We went back down to the house and Mike started drilling into the floor again. This time it worked smoothly. It's much easier with new bits. Then he started drilling holes through the wall studs, one hole in each stud, so we could start running the electric wiring.


We finished wiring the bedroom.

Now it's time for the sheet rock. We started on one wall and worked our way around the room.

This is Mike putting up our first piece of sheet rock.


Today we got 2 walls of sheet rock installed and only about 20 more to go.


Tuesday-
Today we had to make another Lowe's run and also stop at the concrete plant to ask about the "rock block". This is the rock block.


It is stackable and used to build walls like this.


We need to put some kind of wall on both sides of the front of the house to hold the dirt. We like the "rock block" but when Mike did the numbers, it would be very costly. We need about 24 blocks total at $105.00 each(including delivery) and then we would have to hire Jimmy to place them. We are re-thinking our options.

Then we went to Lowe's and got our 3 interior doors, more supplies, and most of my lower kitchen cabinets. My cabinets are a darker wood called "Napa". When we got home we unloaded the trailer.


Thankfully Mike was able to drive right to the front of the house to unload. Later that day we finished installing the sheet rock on the other 2 walls in the 2nd bedroom.

Here is our signature on our wall. Mike wanted someone years from now to know we were here and built this house.


Wednesday-
Today I had to go to town and drop Niki at the vets for her yearly shots and spa day. I was gone about 6 hours and Mike really missed me. He said so!

Mike was really busy and did all the first coat of taping and spackling in our 2nd bedroom. It takes quite a while because even though Mike is good he is not a professional so he's not as fast. He did a good job.


When I got home we took a short break and headed over to our other property. It's mowing time again.

We got the mowing done and Mike told me the beavers built a dam in the far back creek. So we put on old sneakers, grabbed the shovel and got in the creek which was very cold. We broke up the dam and threw the sticks and mud to the side of the creek. They had a good size dam and a nice pool area. Unfortunately whats good for them is not good for us. This is part of co-existing with wild animals. If we keep breaking open their dams they may move farther down the creek. At least they are only in one small section of the creek. I think it is one family. The beavers are cute but they can be a pain.

When we got home Mike put the outdoor electrical box on the back of the house. He did all of the wiring and hooked our motor home up to our solar system. Starting last night we now are running the motor home on "M&L Power". Woo Hoo. It is so cool that Mike was able to pull all this off. Considering he has never done solar before and has never seen anyone else's system I think he has done incredible. Our motor home is now running off our solar and wind system.

Now we will see how we do living on solar. That's it for today. Keep up with all the responses.because we love hearing from you.

Lisa and Mike

[gregalbr]

Dear Lisa and Mike,
Wow! What an inspiration the two of you are! . I feel very fortunate to have found this forum and I love following along with your detailed posts. I am in awe of the progress that the two of you have made in a such a short amount of time.

The location of your new home is absolutely breathtaking, and your house is well on its way to becoming equally breathtaking as well. Thank you so much for sharing this journey with all of us. You have welcomed us all into your life, and shared your ongoing story of manifesting a dream come true.


Like many of your followers, I too have dreamt of building a small off the grid cabin, to retire to, or just use as a weekend escape… but the task always seems so daunting to me. What you have done is 100 times more elaborate than what I am anticipating doing, yet the two of you have accomplished so much, and continue to show all of us what can be done if you just set you mind to the task, and do it… Nothing is impossible if you just take things one step at a time...

Thanks again for sharing your story with us, I look forward to following your story through to completion and celebrating each small success along the way!

Take care,
Greg