Several months back, I asked you, dear readers, what you wanted to know more about, and one of the responses I got was, “What are you going to do now that the house is finished?” My goodness if that isn’t a loaded question. If you’re new to our adventure, my husband Mark and I just…
Mortar Mixes for Cordwood Masonry
Choosing the right mortar mix for your cordwood masonry construction project doesn’t have to be difficult. Here’s how we made ours and what you need to know to make the most of your mortar mix.
Comprehensive FAQs About Our Cordwood Building Project
It’s not super common for people to build their own houses without hiring a general contractor. It’s even less common for people to build with an alternative method the way we did. So naturally, we get a LOT of the same kinds of questions about our house.
10 Surprising Lessons We’ve Learned About Living Off The Grid
Living off the grid seems like THE DREAM for so many people. The idea of not relying on power and water companies and not paying their high bills is certainly appealing. There’s something romantic about the notion of living in a home that allows the freedom of self-sufficiency. But is it really everything you THINK it…
Is Rainwater Harvesting ILLEGAL?
Every now and again I notice in the various Facebook groups I frequent for homesteaders and off-gridders, people ask this question: “IS IT ILLEGAL TO HARVEST RAINWATER?”
13 Easy and Totally Normal Items That Reduce Plastic Waste (besides straws)
There’s a lot of fuss about single-use plastic straws right now. “They’re decimating ocean life!” “They’re ruining the environment!” “Why are we focusing on straws when there are other worse pollutants?” “But wait! Some people with disabilities need them!” I’m with ya. But no matter what side of the argument you come down on, one…
9 Questions Skeptics Ask About Cordwood Home Performance
This post is a continuation of some of our biggest cordwood FAQs. The first section was about some of the basics of cordwood and how it is constructed. This section is entirely about how well cordwood walls perform in different situations. How does cordwood handle the cold? The heat? Pests? Rot? FIRE???? We’ll explore those…
10 FAQ’s About Cordwood For Absolute Beginners
It is quite common for us to get questions about just what cordwood masonry is. While it is a centuries-old building method, it is not widely known compared to standard construction techniques. Many people wonder just what it is, how you actually construct it, and whether it’s just going to rot or not. That’s fair!
How To Safely Build a House With Your Kids
Building a house with your own hands is a remarkable feat in and of itself, but to build a house with kids is a different ballgame. We’ll show you how we managed to build our home safely while taking care of our young son.
How to Build Cheap Open Kitchen Shelves
Creating a beautiful kitchen from scratch doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. We’ll show you how we built a functional, versatile, and beautiful kitchen on the cheap with open shelving.