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We will being building in 2008 and I was just wondering if - due to the water shortages in the SE - people in WNC have underground cisterns which are connected to the gutter system on a home? I know I want to have rain barrels with rain chains as a decorative as well as functional accessory - but am considering a cistern as a possible backup.
That is a good question that I too would like to hear about. My house design is a green, passive solar w/ rain water catch system. Basically a gutter system that will collect and save the rain water. I just am not sure if an agricultural type large tank or an underground cistern would be the way to go. I hope to save enough to meet gardening and other needs so as not to have to tax my well for non essential use.
Boy, do you bring back memories of my pre teen years on my grand parents farm. They had three cisterns that supplied all the fresh water needs for the farm. Of course this was before indoor plumbing of any kind............you know it was cold on those winter nights when you had to visit the facilities.
I wonder what the material of construction was for these. It was certainly before poly tanks were available.
Boy, do you bring back memories of my pre teen years on my grand parents farm. They had three cisterns that supplied all the fresh water needs for the farm. Of course this was before indoor plumbing of any kind............you know it was cold on those winter nights when you had to visit the facilities.
I wonder what the material of construction was for these. It was certainly before poly tanks were available.
Roger
Roger - my guess those would have been wooden tanks with tar to seal the gaps and I bet they worked great - those people know what they were doing
Cabinman, I am interested in your experience with passive solar/green construction because that is exactly my plan. I hope you will post on this forum with updates from time to time. Maybe we should start a new thread--"Green construction in WNC."
Yes I agree. That would make for some interesting conversation. I will be in Asheville and the Lake Lure area this week. I am looking for property. Although I have found many excellent parcels I am going to be very selective about sighting the house, etc. so I'm taking my time to hopefully find an ideal lot for my construction plans. Over the years I have been into Timber Frame and Log Homes and I understand that for obvious reasons, those are quite popular in the area I'm looking to build. This time around I intend to build a mid century modern steel frame home. (many advantages to this that I'll go into in the future) I will install radiant heat floors and a tankless water heater. Placement of windows and overhangs will of course be a critical aspect of the design, therefore picking the right lot for exposure is essential.
I have a business and a couple properties in northern NY to sell before I start building, but I want to buy the property perhaps as early as this week or least not later than this spring. I may put a camper trailer or something on site so that I can spend some time there and study the angle of the sun as it hits the property different times of day and during different seasons, etc. I am considering keeping my camp that I have up here so that I can maybe come up for a couple months during the summer. This cabin was my first green construction project. After I return from WNC I will post some photos. The cabin was built with a lot of recycled materials. People can't believe it when I tell them that I built the place for under $15,000. Oh Yeah, it can be done. My North Carolina house will be a case study house in a sense as well, although I will be spending considerably more as it will be my primary residence and studio. My cabin is just that, a get away back in the woods.
I'm sure we will find a lot of folks interested in this topic. I am going to document the entire project on a blog that I will start as soon as I have purchased the land.
I will look forward to reading your posts as well.
Cabinman, I really look forward to your posts on progress toward your dream passive solar home--as I share the dream if not the skill and experience.
We continue to search for the right property-- one that we can afford, that has a southern exposure, and that is in an area that meets our needs as far as access to a town and not too far from Asheville. On top of that is the need to find a buyer for our NW Florida home--no easy task at all in this market.
So we remain flexible with our plans, but hope to be able to move up to WNC/Asheville within the next year or so.
Let me know when you get your blog up and running as I would like to keep up with your progress. I may be just a few paces behind you and need your example to spur me on.
Good luck. I know that your dream home is not the typical "American dream" home, but it is a dream that will drive you to achieve it.
Im planning on using the gutters on the aframe I'm building to catch water and route it to poly tanks with drip irrigation lines for garden areas near the house, also for a few fruit trees as I will not be moving in till retirement and the periods Im not there to water will be suppplimented by the rainbarrels and soaker hoses, has anyone tried this?
I'd like to bump this thread back up to see if there are any updates. I've found lots of information on building your own rain barrels, but I'm more interested in an underground cistern....primarily becuase of the larger capacity, but also for the aesthetics.
Anyone with first-hand knowledge?
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Building with the sun
