A Log-End Cave
(Page 2 of 5)
January/February 1981
By Robert L. Roy
And the roofing system we chose has turned out to be incredibly strong. The planking is 2 X 6 hemlock (a particularly sturdy wood) on full-sized 4 X 8 hemlock rafters spaced on 32" centers. The rafters, in turn, are carried by three massive 10 X 10, 30-foot-long barn beams. These megalithic timbers are, themselves, well supported by 8 X 8 and 10 X 10 posts.
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Span is very important, and I tend to build over cautiously in this regard. For example, our 18-foot-long 4 X 8's are supported at each end and in the middle, for a span of about 8 feet. The greatest span for the 10 X 10's is slightly less than ten feet. The completed framework is sufficient to support 6 to 8 inches of sod . . . even in a heavy-snow climate.
(I wouldn't advise that anyone use an earth roof more than 12 inches thick in combination with timber framing. If such a heavy earth cover is required, it would be best to use a reinforced concrete—or concrete plank—roof. In doing so, though, you'd lose the beauty inherent in an exposed wooden ceiling ... not to mention the ease of construction and the advantage of low cost. In short, the trade-offs involved with a super-heavy roof are—in my opinion—simply not favorable.)
Besides having a strong roof, an earth-sheltered structure must be built so it will be able to withstand the lateral pressure against its side walls. We selected bonded 12" concrete (not cinder) blocks ... which resulted in the strongest wall possible, short of poured and reinforced concrete. Block construction is relatively inexpensive and easy for the owner-builder to deal with . . . especially when used in conjunction with surface bonding, which produces a block wall about six times stronger than does conventional block-and-mortar construction.
This bonding technique (in case you haven't heard of it) consists of applying a 1-18" coating of cement and fiberglass material to both sides of a wall of dry-stacked blocks. (Only the first layer is mortared . . . to establish a good, level surface for succeeding "courses".) For complete information on the technique, I strongly recommend Construction WithSurface Bond ing, a USDA information bulletin available for 45¢ from the Superintendent of Documents, Dept. TMEN, Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. Ask for Stock Number 001-000-03340-9.
MAKE IT WATERPROOF
Despite the fact that we used two coats of Thoroseal waterproofing compound and installed footing drains according to the best specifications we could find, our cottage's basement wall still cracked along a mortar joint as a result of the second winter's frost heaves. We had an inch of water on the floor . . . which isn't overly serious in a basement, perhaps, but we wanted to make sure the same problem wouldn't occur in our underground living space.
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