Building the Sun Cottage Part I: Site Selection

(Page 5 of 5)

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Because of the home's modular design, preparing to build the extra rooms involves merely adding new oak post-and-beam set ments and extending the concrete retaining walls. Thus you can start out with the amount of home you need and are able to afford, and add to it later when space demands increase and/or funds become available. 

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Some of the construction aspects we'll be demonstrating in our series on the Sun Cottage Modular include creating a workable drainage system... building reinforced retaining walls... putting together a precutand-pegged oak post-andbeam structure... applying foam insulation... and laying on a reinforced Plastic waterproofing membrane. 

By the end of the series, we'll be able to show you a completed $20-per-square-foot home that-through the grace of the sun's warmth and the tempering effect of the earth-will maintain nearly the same internal temperature year round... with next to no backup heating or cooling! 

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