A Log-End Cave
(Page 3 of 5)
January/February 1981
By Robert L. Roy
Footing drains, you see, are only as good as is the percolation capability of the earth above them, and our mistake was in backfilling with the liquid-trapping claylike soil that came out of the excavation. (All the sealing in the world will do little good if the water is allowed to collect—and freeze—against the house.) The key, then, is to give the liquid an easy path away from the walls . . . in other words, to provide good drainage. Sand and gravel have the percolation qualities necessary to carry surface water to footing drains efficiently. Therefore, when building our underground house, we brought in 25 loads of sand for backfill.
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Surface bonding supplies some waterproofing, too, since it offers a greater resistance to seepage than does a mortared wall. (In fact, according to a USDA bulletin: "Mortar joints actually act as capillary wicks and draw moisture through the cracks between the mortar and the blocks.") But to make doubly sure of a dry home, we also tarred the outside of the surface-bonded walls with black plastic roofing cement, and applied 6-mil black polyethylene over that.
When it came time to treat the roof, we used a method similar to that described by Hal Landen in "The Return of the Sod Roof" (MOTHER NO. 18, page 44). This involves first troweling on black plastic roofing cement . . . then bedding a layer of 6-mil black polyethylene in the goop . . . and finally repeating the process.
Well, I've no doubt that our roof is absolutely waterproof, but I wouldn't wish the dirty work involved in the technique we used on anyone else. Try some other method instead, such as the application of a 1/16" butyl or Bituthene protective membrane, or bentonite panels. (Bentonite is a natural claylike material which expands when it contacts water, sealing the surface against further penetration. It is increasingly popular in the earth-sheltered housing industry.)
KEEP IT LIVABLE
Natural light and ventilation are the keys to an "open" atmosphere. Therefore, our home's south wall is only half underground, and features three 42" X 84" thermopane windows. Because they face directly south (the cave is aligned with the North Star), these inch-thick panes admit as much heat in the winter as they release ... and we reduce our home's heat loss further by using insulated shutters on cold winter nights.
On the north side, four trapezoidal thermopanes are situated where the gables would be if the house were a surface structure. They're completely blanketed with snow most winters, and the two largest windows are shuttered with two inches of beadboard during the coldest months. As a result there's little heat loss . . . or winter light. However, the winter sun (because of its low arc) penetrates deep into the house through the south windows, so we don't miss the little cold-season illumination the north panes would-if uncovered-provide. In the summer, though, they let a wonderfully soft north light into the back rooms.
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