Sustainable Building Day 4

Every tuesday and thursday i meet, discuss and work on, my focus project (Solar electric system) with my Dan my focus instructor. So the morning was filled with consulting with the client, about his energy needs, and trying to reduce his use so that his price for the total system would drop. And it did we were able to drop about 900 dollars.

Even though it is some what of a mock situation, getting to research, size a system, present a figure, and then cunsult with a client and tend to his energy needs, feels like a job that i would like to learn how to do proffesionally.

Its fun providing a service for people, that makes a positive difference in their life.
I am glad i chose renewable energy to focus on while I am this programe. But check out my other blog for mor info on this topic. http://solarvisfi.blogspot.com/


The rest of the day, lets see, we talked about Earthen floors.

Earthen floors are floors that are made from compacted earth. for example, mud/clay/straw these are the elements we will be using to construct our floor in the Bohio. Basically we be putting in an adobe floor.

We were assighned a research project to find out the following about adobe...

1. What are our concerns?

• drainage- we dont want water to absorbe from the top, and we dont want water to pool up beneath the floor. A french draine could help the water to flow away and not pool up. A sealent prefeably a natural non-toxic sealent like boiled linseed oil could be applied to seal and coat the top of the adobe. Thus preventing water from absorbing through its poures texture. A vapor barrier will be placed under the adobe and above gravel to block any water from being absorbed through the bottem.
• cracking and fragmentation- this happens when the amount of clay in the mixture is to high or to low. More than25-30% clay in mixture, it will crack. Less then 15-25% clay in mixture it will fragment.

2. What are our recommendations?

• Level out the ground, build a frame, place 2-3" of gravel, find correct soil and add proper amount of straw, etc..

3. What materials do we need?

• Adobe- 25% clay 70% mud/dirt/sand, 5% choppod straw, and H2O
• seelents- beeswax, linseeoil
• Gravel
• bamboo, form boards
• vapor barrier - tarp, plastic

4. How to test for quality adobe soil.

• Jar test- Place one cup of soil in a jar with a 1teaspoon of soap to help seperation of material. fill rest with water, leave some air in jar. SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE!!!! Let it sit for a few days. Gravel will be on bottom follwed by sand, silt, clay, water, and orgaic matter. This method lets you see what type of soil you are dealing with.

The rest of the day was nice and mellow, decided not to go to Ultimet frisbee, i need to let my toe heal up from a sprain.

SO just kicked back and relaxed played some music. And took the raft into the pond for a relaxing bamboo flute session.

Blessed