Building the Sun Cottage Part I: Site Selection

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SUN ANGLES AND SHADING 

To take full advantage of the sun's heat, your home-to-be must not be tree-shaded (and particularly not by evergreens) in the winter. A general rule of thumb, for the middle latitudes of the United States, is that the sun's path will average about 18° to 20° above the horizon on December 21 (the "shortest" day of the year). The angle at noon will be much greater at most locations in the country, but you should use the smaller angle to insure that the site will receive solar gain throughout the day.

A crude study of the sun's angles, nearby hills, trees you wouldn't want to cut, or other buildings at your prospective site may show that there's little danger of winter shading. But if you have any doubt, consult charts—or use a solar planning card—to establish the sun's path more exactly, since any of the previously mentioned factors might force you to move your homesite.

Trees that branch directly over the potential building area may prove to be real assets, though. Because the sun's path in the sky is highest in the summer months, the limbs may shade the house during hot weather without interfering with solar gain during the winter. As a matter of fact, I consider a site backed against the southern edge of a grove of trees to be a particularly good choice.

SUBSOIL MAKEUP 

An earth-tempered home will be much less likely to have water leakage problems if the subsoil has good permeability. Clay, for instance, holds water and is the least desirable type of earth on which to build an underground structure. Sand, on the other hand, drains well but won't provide enough stability for the dwelling. An ideal subsoil, then, will have some of each ... and the only way to find out what you have is to dig down and see. I recommend taking a shovel on a site visit so that you van cut through the topsoil and examine what 's below - (The health inspector may also provide some help, if he or she comes to check the lot's suitability for a septic system.)

CONVENTIONAL CONSIDERATIONS 

Some of the more obvious prerequisiteswhich apply to any good building site-are a view, access to roads and existing powerlines, a water supply, and waste disposal (whether it's handled by a sewer, a septic system, or some alternative). The first two conditions are easy to determine by inspection, but water and sewage disposal deserve more careful examination. Independent water supplies (deep wells or capped springs) should be located uphill —and well away—from the septic disposal field or sewer ... so, to some extent, the two systems must be planned at the same time. Your neighbors-to-be should be able to tell you what was required to find water on their property, but you still might want to make the purchase of the land dissentient upon finding 'it at a reasonable depth. In fact, it's not unusual to make a down pay ment on a lot and then withhold the balance until the well is successfully drilled.

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