That’s why we decided to go with a traditional septic system.  We will adapt some smaller scale gray water recycling into our system where we can.  Such as a sink to toilet system pictured to the right here.  (Click on pic to purchase.)  And perhaps something that recycles water from the laundry.

Here’s a link I was just sent by a friend on FriendFeed for a system that I would love to try one of these days when we find a use for the gray water.  http://www.homegrownevolution.com/2010/06/laundry-to-landscape-20.html (Thank you WorldofHiglet!)

So that being said… here’s our septic system going in:

After clearing the area (only 1-2 trees with larger than a 3in. diameter trunk had to go), they begin digging the trench from the building and the hole the tanks will go in.

Next, the tank truck arrives and deposits it’s load, where we will too one of these days…

To save some costs I ran all the electrical for the system and installed the pump controls.

Then the lateral line holes were dug, they were lined with rock and the piping was installed.

Finally the inspector was called and they preformed a pressure test.

We passed inspection with no hitches and the contractors did a great job of grading out the site.  Alex and I will transplant a myriad of different wildflowers and grasses from other areas of the property to get this area rehabbed as quickly as possible.

We’re still planning on installing our solar panels over the south end of the drain field as we mentioned here.  That way we get double use out of the cleared ground and don’t have to disturb any more areas.

We’re looking forward to having the drywall completed and finish work done so we can experience the pleasures of a flush toilet in our daily lives once again.  Until then there is a lot of work to do, and I better go get after it.  Talk to you soon!

-Scott

Scott installed blocking which will serve as a place to mount the vacuum unit once insulation and drywall are in.

He pulled pipe all over which way from upstairs, the laundry room, entry, shop and brought it all back via one main trunk line.

This is the sweeper pan for the kitchen. It will be under the bank of cabinets in the island. Sweeper pans start suction when the lever is flipped. They are situated on the floor and can be kicked on and then debris is swept into them. Generally these are only seen in kitchens, but since we have hard services everywhere but the bedrooms, we thought these were were much more functional than the hose inlets.

We did install one wall inlet valve (aside from the one that is built into the vacuum unit). This one we placed in the middle of the upstairs living space. A vacuum hose plugged in here can reach both bedrooms as well as the kitchen and living room space. Low voltage wiring to each of these valves (wall inlets and sweeper pans) means that there is no need to plug in to a separate electrical outlet. When the valve opens, the suction begins.Having a built-in vacuum system is extremely convenient. There are even models that offer retractable hoses so that you don’t have to bother with storing and moving the hose around. Said models are quite a bit pricier, unfortunately.

This feature of our home isn’t “green” necessarily, although central vacuums do provide improved air quality and can greatly reduce allergy symptoms and asthma. Compared to conventional vacuums, central vacuum systems are more powerful and can therefore remove more allergens and dust.  Additionally, they do not recirculate the dust in your living space like traditional vacuums. So we’re sharing this not because it will save the earth, but because we just think it’s pretty neat

The last time we visited Moosicorn, the landscape was pretty devoid of color. But now the meadows and thickets are covered with little tiny spring wildflowers. I was excited to spot these yellow bells as I had never seen them on the property before.

Yellow Bells

Once we unloaded the truck and organized our supplies, we got to work. We met with a drywall installer and began the plumbing rough in. We also added treads to the staircase after Sadie took a scary tumble She’s fine, but it was a long drop and we’re lucking she’s part cat

Today, Wild Blue satellite internet was installed. I keep trying to remember what it was like back in the days of dial-up so that I might appreciate the speed of satellite. When that doesn’t work, I remind myself that any internet is better than no internet. But really, satellite internet isn’t bad when you are doing basic things like email or surfing the web. It’s when I’m uploading huge photo files to Flickr or working with WordPress that I find myself cursing. I couldn’t help laughing at the irony of how long the photo below took to upload On the upside, Scott pointed out that heading to a local coffee shop for a java, baked good, and free wi-fi would be a fun weekly outing.

Inside the barn, the internet is up and running and construction is progressing. Outside, Spring is expressing itself in the form of beautiful bursts of color. So far I’ve spotted yellow bells, buttercup, Bonneville shooting star, glacier lily, woodland star, blue-eyed Mary, and even a few mystery flowers. I’ll upload them all to Flickr…once I get to an internet cafe

Bonneville Shooting Star, Glacier Lily, Woodland Star

This is the interior of the Barn House so far. The lower level contains the entry, laundry room and shop while the upper level (pictured here) is a two bedroom home. The roof is extremely sloped so the ceiling is 14.5 feet tall at the peek and 5 feet at its shortest side. While the bathroom wall does extend all the way to the ceiling, the two bedroom interior walls are only 8 ft tall, giving the space an open air loft feel.

We move to Moosicorn April 2nd and will be finishing the interior ourselves (with the help of friends and professionals here and there). Inside we’ll be utilizing EcoBatt insulation, low VOC Parker Paint, low VOC Forbo Marmoleum, recycled glass back splash tile, radiant heat (eventually powered by wind and solar), bamboo trim and doors, ductless AC, and Healthier Choice carpet pads in bedrooms. Everything (including the Energy Star Appliances) are electric so that we can power the entire home with solar and wind energy.

More about our environmentally conscious choices here.

Then I discovered Bamboo Plywood.  I was impressed.  I’m not a huge fan of Bamboo flooring mostly for aesthetic reasons, but this stuff is incredible, and will fit in great with our overall look.  (You may remember we’re also gong with bamboo sinks in the bathroom.) Here’s what The Natural Abode, a great resource for shopping green, had to say about it.  Also you can click on their logo if you are interested in purchasing it yourself.

Why Use Bamboo?

Bamboo is a sustainable alternative to the traditional hardwoods that contribute to deforestation across the globe. It is an evergreen plant and is incredibly efficient with water and mineral consumption. It removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as it grows and is the most efficient plant on Earth at doing so. Bamboo is a grass, and it grows like a grass: fast. Bamboo can grow to its full height and diameter in a matter of months and be ready to harvest for flooring in 4 to 5 years. Compare that to Oak which takes an average 80 years to mature.

It can bear great weight yet remain flexible; bamboo is nature’s wooden steel, in fact bamboo’s weight-to-strength ratio makes it stronger than steel. Its versatile nature has made it a cherished material: today bamboo can be found in flooring, clothing, food, furniture, paper, house infrastructure… the possibilities are endless.

• Bamboo is a giant grass that produces wood faster than trees.
• Bamboo is the most efficient plant on earth for reducing carbon dioxide gas.
• Bamboo reaches its full height and diameter in one growth spurt of 2 or 3 months and matures for harvest in 4 to 5 years.
• Bamboo requires less water and energy to grow than any coniferous or hardwood tree.
• Bamboo is sustainable. Harvesting bamboo does not harm the grove. The root systems continue to thrive and produce more shoots.
• This bamboo is harvested on local family farms in Vietnam.
• The UV-cured PVAC glues that are used, are formaldehyde-free. No off gassing.
• These plywoods are more dimensionally stable than other hardwoods.
• Bamboo is aesthetically beautiful, unique and interesting.

Well it’s decided, we ordered some samples to play around with, just to make sure.  We’re going to go with the 1/2″ carbonized vertical grain for all of our baseboards, door trim and stair accents.  We will rip the 4′x8′ sheets into 4″ strips for the baseboard and other trims.  This stuff is very hard, which equates to durable once it’s in, and splits because of it’s rigidity if you are not careful nailing it.  It will be a challenging material to work with, but we’re up for it and think it will really be worth the extra effort.

That’s all for now, talk to you soon.

So far we have been building the barn/house with the idea of using an electric boiler to operate the radiant heat with a two zone system, upstairs and down.  The down stairs could run at a much lower temp because the radiant heat piping is submerged in the slab foundation.  This material radiates the heat very effectively, unlike the upstairs where the piping would be run underneath the sub-floor.  Upstairs will also have a high-efficiency wood stove as back up, but until we have significant solar and wind energy produced on site this would be a big electricity draw and we’re afraid would run up our monthly bills too high.

That got us thinking… we need a better alternative and our current plans just aren’t going to meet our desired results.  The best way to go is geothermal but financially we just can’t make it work.  So in comes some creative problem solving and a bit of sacrifice and we have an alternative plan.  We’re not sure it will work, but this week we hope to do enough research to see if it will be a viable option.  Here’s the purposed solution.

First, we will complete the pex installation just as we had planned.  Regardless of what we end up with we know we at least want to have the possibility of radiant heat upstairs and down.  Then we’re going to install a poor man’s boiler system for the slab downstairs.  We need to check code in Stevens county but we’re hoping that we can connect a hot water heater with a re-circulating pump to the down stairs radiant loops.  We’ve heard of others making systems like these work and it would be a cost effective way of getting the downstairs heated through the winter.  Upstairs we’ll get by on the wood burning stove.  This will allow us to either figure out how to get a geothermal system installed on our own.  Or, buy us time until we can sort out enough financial resources to pay to have a geothermal system installed.

For now we’re comfortable with this decision and think that it really makes sense long term.  It would be nice to have everything 100% the way we want it right from the get go, but the early sacrifice will be well worth the advantages of the future system.  Hauling wood for a winter or two for the high efficiency wood stove will be well worth the possibility of a incredibly efficient geothermal system down the line.  It just seems to fit.

Talk to you soon.

Trex was an easy choice for us because of its eco-conscious ingredients. It’s made from about 50 % recycled and reclaimed plastic, and 50 % reclaimed wood. Because Trex is made from reclaimed wood (from working projects, used pallets and sawdust), no trees are cut to produce it. The plastic is recycled too: 7 out of every 10 recycled grocery bags in the U.S. end up at Trex (about 1.5 billion per year). And it’s not just the product that is made up of good stuff, Trex company practices are worth recognizing too. Trailers used to transport wood dust utilize vegetable-based oil hydraulics, their processing method eliminates smokestacks and the factory runoff/refuse is recycled back into the manufacturing line.

Of course the “Green” attributes of Trex were a big sell for us, but other factors make it a pleasure to own too. For one, it feels great under foot. Because it’s not a traditional wood deck, it never splinters. Instead, it feels smooth on your bare feet. You’ll spend more time enjoying the deck because you don’t have to maintain it like a real wood deck: no sanding and staining. And because there’s nothing yummy about recycled plastic to a bug, there will never be a need to repair it due to termites or boring beetles. Here we find ourselves back at the “Green” thing again because not needing chemicals (sealants) and never needing to replace your deck is good for the Earth too.

To recap, here are are all the reasons we love Trex:

1. It’s made from stuff that would otherwise end up in a landfill

2. We’ve got better things to do than clean our deck

3. It will last a lifetime

4. Bugs think it’s gross

5. It’s cool looking and feels good on your tootsies

Even though Trex takes almost nothing to maintain, messes still happen. Here is their handy cleaning guide: Trex Cleaning Guide

More info about the environmentally friendly attributes of Trex: Trex and the Environment

Home Design: We used the help of Kappler Architects to create a set of plans that was value engineered from top to bottom.  The home is dual purpose with a large workshop downstairs and a very open, studio-like living space upstairs.

Site work: We used back-fill for the foundation dug right from the property. This was the best way to ensure a small carbon footprint for sourcing this material. We then filled the hole from where we gathered the material with debris from old slash piles (from the previous owner harvesting timber) so that growth in that area will return as quickly as possible with extra rich soil.

Foundation: We sourced a portion of the gravel from a friend’s pit, less than a mile away. The remainder of the fill and concrete came from the closest source possible. This kept the carbon footprint and cost as low as we could for a traditionally formed slab foundation.  We also used 2″ rigid foam insulation under the slab to up the overall R-Value and hold in the radiant heat.

Framing: Where possible we used 24 inch spacing in between studs for walls as opposed to 16 inches. This helped us save on wood and allows us to fit in more insulation for a higher overall R-Value.  All construction debris was also saved for future projects.

House Wrap: We used Green Guard house wrap which has a strong, cross-woven structure that resists tearing, so there’s less waste.

Siding: HardiPlank siding with ColorPlus technology, made from renewable materials, contains no petroleum products, lasts longer than other materials (less in landfills), and may not need to be painted for over 20 years because of the baked on coloring.

Roofing: Unpainted Metal Roof, 7 to 10 million tons of shingle waste is dumped in landfills across the country each year, a metal roof may never need to be replaced in our lifetime.

Knee-braces, Deck pillars and Shed Roof Supports: Glu-Lam (Not Pressure Treated) lumber. Pressure treated lumber often contains harmful chemicals such as Pentachlorophenol and Creosote which can effect humans, wildlife and water supply.

Decking: Trex Deck, which is made from nearly 100% recycled material.  Learn more here.

Venting: Full length ridge vent and working cupola will help vent hot air effectively from the attic space during hot summer days.

Windows: All windows are Energy Star qualified with Low-E glass.  We also got operable windows wherever possible so we can open and close them to moderate temp effectively without using AC for much of the summer.

Insulation: For energy efficiency, sound dampening and (of course) environmentally friendly reasons we’ve chosen EcoBatt. Often times, even “environmentally friendly” products use a lot of energy to produce (solar panels for instance). Insulation, however, saves 12 times more energy the first year in use than it takes to manufacture it. EcoBatt is made from highly renewable organic materials and does not contain phenol, formaldehyde, acrylics or artificial colors used to make traditional fiberglass insulation. It is made from bio-based materials rather than non-renewable petroleum-based products commonly used in insulation. Instead, EcoBatt is created with sand, one of the world’s most abundant and renewable resources, and post-consumer recycled glass.

Flooring: The shop  has concrete floors.  The living spaces all have Forbo Marmoleum.  “Made from renewable, natural ingredients, Marmoleum is a healthy choice for the environment and your environment.   Marmoleum’s naturally inherent anti-static properties repel dust and dirt, making it easy to keep clean and allergen free.”  The bedrooms have wool carpeting, which is 100% natural and allergen free.  We used non-porous, non-toxic soy-based carpet pad from Healthier Choice.

Interior Paint: Zero-VOC paint.  And Zero-VOC, non-toxic, water based, natural stains for all interior mill-work.

Plumbing: We will be using a dual flush toilet that can flush with just 0.8 gallons of water, bamboo bathroom sinks, WEDI shower system that is remarkably resilient and prevents mold growth, and durable PEX piping. (Read about the green potential of PEX piping here.)

Lighting fixtures: All lighting will be low-wattage fluorescents, CFL’s and LED’s.

Counter tops: We are using all Caesar Stone counter tops which use recycled material and provide a healthier food prep surface than traditional materials.  Learn more here.

Heating: Hydronic radiant heat with a high efficiency electric boiler.  (Still sourcing boiler.)

Air Conditioner: Mitsubishi Mr. Slim Ductless AC with a 16-17.5 seer Energy Star high-efficiency rating. (Yes, we agree that giving up AC completely would use less energy.  We don’t plan on using it much.  But with temperatures sometimes reaching into the 100’s we want to provide a comfortable and safe environment for any possible mini-moosicorns.)

Ducting: There won’t be any.  Ducting collects dust and allergens and is remarkably hard to clean.  With radiant heat and a ductless AC our home will be ductless.

Appliances: Energy Star appliances.

Power: We’re using all electricity, which in our area comes from the hydro-electric dam at Long Lake from Avista.  We are tying into the grid with a net-metering system and will eventually have solar and wind power on-site for 80-100% of our energy.  We will also be installing two whole-house off switches to make it easier to ensure we’re not leaving lights on.  Learn more here.

We are still under construction on the Barn/House and will finish construction during the summer of 2010.  We will continue to update this post as more and more details get finalized.

Our bamboo sinks just arrived! Although a wooden sink may sound like a crazy idea, bamboo is actually naturally waterproof and rot resistant.

We chose bamboo because it is a fast growing plant and therefore highly renewable (and because we thought these were pretty cool looking too!). After harvesting, bamboo grows back and can be re-harvested every 4 ½ years (compare to most hardwoods with a 30 to 60 year growth cycle). And bamboo does not need re-planting.

We ended up building a makeshift ramp… strapping it to the truck. Breaking out the tractor and creating a sling with tie-down straps. After a lot of sweat (thanks Rocky and Todd!), some rather tense moments and some very mediocre tractor handling on my part; we managed to get the slabs off the truck in one piece and stored away until they are installed sometime in the spring.

We camped out in the barn over the weekend (our first time not in the camper/gypsy camp together) and our new sleeping bags handled the 30 degree evenings like champs.

Also pictured below is the barn on a beautiful autumn day. Me, eating a great breakfast on the deck of the barn. And, Sadie, wonder-dog extraordinaire and head foreman for the slab moving operation. Unfortunately no pics of Alex from the weekend… It’s a darn shame the one behind the camera is the most photogenic…