The McParland Mountain Retreat

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At the winter solstice, sun streams through the windows and reaches shoulder height on the rock-covered back wall. In the morning, sunlight parallels the west kitchen wall, but by late afternoon the rays reach into the living room. The home's abundant solar gain is stored, passively, in the framework of the building: The inside surface of the load bearing walls consists of drywall (laid over the insulated, rough-cut frame), a layer of roofing felt, chicken wire, and rock. All interior partitions are framed and drywalled, then paneled with board-and-batten poplar (Roger had it planed at the nearby Tri-County Community College).

Of course, the beautiful floor that's so evident in the photographs provides a major storage medium for solar energy. Roger and Doris had their hearts set on using quarry tile ... until they priced the material locally. Then they were on the verge of abandoning that dream ... until they located a supplier in Atlanta who would sell shards for $25 per ton. So they rented a dump truck and picked up eight tons of the tiny pieces for a total cost of less than $250 (truck expense included). While they were at it, they also obtained thinset mortar (which they'd need to bond the tiles to the slab) for $6.00 per bag, as opposed to the local price tag of $24.

Laying all the tile put both of them through weeks of knee-bruising labor, and Roger says that was the task that most reminded him of his age. We'd like to suggest, however, that the labor the McParlands have expended, and the feat they've accomplished, would be enough to make most folks, regardless of their age, pretty danged proud!

Though Doris doesn't intend to complete their bookkeeping until the kitchen cupboards, exterior rockwork, and finish work are done, she's guessing that they'll end up spending a little less than $20,000 for their 3,000-square-foot custom home. And of course, the cash that they don't have to pay out each month for a mortgage won't get spent to heat their dwelling or keep the lights burning, either. Through the North Carolina winter, passive solar gain-boosted by a morning warm-up from a fireplace insert Roger built—them cozy. And their electricity comes from the rush of water downhill.

The McParlands have derived a lot of satisfaction from designing their own home, building it right, and doing the job for as little money as possible. Yet they modestly claim that anyone who'll take the time, and stick to the task, can do what they've done. Of course, Doris and Roger aren't standing still yet! They've got some new nut trees to plant, a few garden ideas to experiment with, a Jean Pain water-heating compost pile to rebuild, a new solar water heater design to test, and another (larger) hydroplant to construct ... and then there are those kitchen cupboards. Mercifully, though, the backbreaking jobs are mostly done, so if anyone would like to buy a used, but well-maintained, flatland Caterpillar....

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