In about 5 years, my DH & I will be ready to start building our "permanent" home. We're on about 5 acres in Northern Michigan, and have a nice hillside site picked out. Since I'm a "research it to death" kind of person, I'd like to start reading up and designing now, and would like suggestions for good books to help guide me. I'm thinking of the ideal, start-from-scratch homestead

The elements I need help with (and it's a BIG list!) are: cordwood masonry masonry stoves mortgage-free home building wind-powered water and electricity solar power energy-efficient home design alternative sanitation attached greenhouses (not heated separately, but included in the home) solar power outbuildings (for chickens, rabbits,& a cow) home design (something that has a "good old-fashioned" look, and PRACTICAL landscaping?)

That's all I can think of now, but I'm sure everyone has a favorite that can help! I'd like to get as complete a list as I can - I read while I nurse the baby, so I have a lot of reading time - and winter is my time for designing (and I've sworn off gardens this year, so that's out!).

-- Becky Michelsen (beckymom@kjsl.com), January 02, 2000

Answers

Check out enertia.com They have log homes designed to not need a heating or cooling system.

-- Vaughn (vdcjm@ix.netcom.com), January 02, 2000.

Hi! I'm also starting a homestead from scratch. I'm using rock and concrete which has many advantages. The books by Scot and Helen Nearing are a great inspiration and informative. I'm building as I have the money and have just completed the first room which is a self contained cabin until its added onto. Anyway its a very cheap if you do all the work yourself as I have done. I have some pictures at this site if your interested in this style. http://www.geocities.com/PicketFence/Garden/8784/Rock3.html Kirk

-- Kirk A Davis (kirrkay@yahoo.com), January 03, 2000.

Sorry! To many r's in Kirkay e-mail. Kirk http://www.geocities.com/PicketFence/Garden/8784/Rock3.html

-- kirk a davis (kirkay@yahoo.com), January 03, 2000.

Rob Roy runs the Earthwood building school and has a comprehensive list of books on these topics. The web site is WWW.interlog.com/~ewood. He is undoubtably the authority on cordwood and also teaches about earth-sheltered.

A good overview book on various techniques is Alternative Housebuilding by Mike McClintock. it's in bookstores and I think Rob Roy sells it too.

The Humanure Handbook by Joseph C. Jenkins and Goodbye to the Flush Toilet by Carol Hupping Stoner cover the alternative sanitation subject well.

Another good book is Homing Instinct by John Connell. It gives a lot of theory on how houses are built and determining what works for you.

Hope that is a good start. There are lots of others on more specific topics.

-- Rod Perrino (redjouster@aol.com), January 04, 2000.

You are wise to put in alot of time studying. My wife and I spent five years studying, two years drawing plans and still did it mostly wrong. We built our own 2,000 sf earth-sheltered house with composting toilet, solar water, windmill, photovoltaics, organic garden, etc., etc.. We studied Ken Kern's books, all of the Mother Earth News, Countryside Magazine and Backwoods Home to no avail. Don't get me wrong, we wouldn't trade our present situation for Donald Trump's penthouse but everyday I encounter something I wish I had done differently - and we've been here 15 years! The list of don'ts is too long to adress here so I'll give just two of our major blunders. 1. Especially relevant to your climate...build your home in a "U" shape. You live in one side of the "U", the bottom is your garage/shop and the far side of the "U" is the barn/storage. The center of the "U" is a paved courtyard. I'm told the Germans do it this way. Seems we spend all our time walking from one task to the other. 2. Build your workshop/storage building first! If you don't, most of your homebuilding tools are going to end up ravaged by weather and you will end up building your kitchen cabinets on two sawhorses in the backyard. 3. I had to add this one....We built our own composting toilet and love it! No odor or maintenance for first 14 years. Cleaned it out then and it should be good for another 20 years with just the two of us now. (Had five kids...it had to be big). Anyway, it would have been no more expensive and much easier to buy a commercial unit. Good luck, John and Pat

-- john and pat james (jjames@n-jcenter.com), January 07, 2000.

The Enertia.com site is a great site although the homes are a little pricey. The double wall concept on the north & south side of the building is ok but there is only 6 inches of wood wall on the east & west sides. Seems to work fine in areas that don't get too hot or too cold but I don't think this would provide the heat one would need in a north michigan winter.

I wouldn't see why you couldn't build this concept yourself using thicker(16" maybe) cordwood on the east & west non load bearing walls and your own logs on the double wall north & the greenhouse space south side.

Best idea is to build a little model of your design. Its pretty cheap to build your little model & live with that a while to see if that is really the way you want it to be.

Also check out the masonary stove/fireplace plans that have been posted on the net via a thread elsewhere here.

Good Luck and enjoy the whole process! Michael C

-- Michael C (noemailon@webposts.com), January 20, 2002.