Building an Off Grid Berm House

[nu2solar]

Hi everyone. I am a new member here and would like to share. My husband and I think times are going to get much worse than they are so we are doing something to protect ourselves.

We bought 40 acres in the East Tennessee Mountains and we are in the process of building our self sustainable homestead. We are building an off grid, berm, solar and wind generated house.

My husband is designing our system to be very people friendly and we will be building ourselves(except for all the concrete).

Anyway I am posting our whole processss on another forum if anyone is interested.


http://www.city-data.com/forum/tennessee/359683-going-off-grid-east-tennessee.html

I hope I am not going against any rules but I am not so great with the computer and it's hard enough for me to post on 1 site.

Lisa :)

[machinemaker]

Looks like a beautiful place to live.
kent

[TNDadx4]

Lisa,

Thanks for sharing. It's a beautiful piece of property... so picture perfect.

I wish you all the best!

[DavidOH]

Oh wow.... Nice neighborhood. :D

Stick around... keep posting.... I'd love to hear how it goes.

[nu2solar]

Thank you everyone for your support and interest. Mike and I are having a great time with this new adventure. I will be posting chapter 3 and more pictures tomorrow night on the City-Data/forum.

I hope you continue to enjoy our story.

Lisa

[nancy1340]

Nu, that is a beautiful homestead. I am almost jealous. ;D

Make sure you have the land where you are going to put the house tested to see if there is any methane in the ground. On the house makeover shows they had someone build a berm house in WO I think it was and they had to tear it down and start from scratch.

Please post many more pictures. It really is beautiful country there.

[CarolAnn]

New2solar - very lovely site! And there aren't any rules against posting links to your own website as long as you're not selling stuff, as they consider that spam. (Unfortunately, we've had a few people sign up ONLY to sell their stuff & not to contribute anything to the forum here. Those are ex-members now!) *:P

I built earthshelter in 1980, and waterproofing (even thought we built into the side of the hill and water should have taken the easier route away from the house) - was a difficult task. So I'll be interested in seeing how you waterproof it. (I can tell you all about what DOESN'T work!) *;)

What an absolutely lovely home you'll have when you're done!

Thanks for sharing with us!

[Lake_Lady]

What a breath taking piece of property! My DH and I are currently looking for a property here in Tn also. I wish you luck in this adventure of yours.

[MotherCharlotte]

Welcome to the forum Lisa--and thank you so much for sharing! Some of us here, like me, are trying to live vicariously through those here who are building their first homestead, and it's always a joy to see someone realize their dreams!

Your pictures are indeed breathtaking--everything looks so green and beautiful. You must be pinching yourself on a daily basis. :)

[nu2solar]

Hi everyone,

Fir those that are intrested I posted chapter 4 last night. Here is the link:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/tennessee/359683-going-off-grid-east-tennessee.html

Lisa

[nu2solar]

Hi everyone. For those who are following my story I just posted Chapter 5.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/tennessee/359683-going-off-grid-east-tennessee-5.html

Lisa

[Fred_47460]

WOW....that looks so awesome. Absolutely BEAUTIFUL country. That is gonna be a heck of a view!

Good Luck!! And keep up with the pics!!

Fred

[Deberosa]

That pic of you sitting on top of the framing gave me the goose bumps!

Looks like you are doing it all yourself - no help with those rafters? *Just the trusty tractor I take it?

Thanks for sharing - that's going to be an awesome place when you get it done.

[MotherCharlotte]

WOW...what a view you'll have from your house! I don't even think I have any words to describe it! :)

[nu2solar]

Thank you for your replys.

Deberosa- at the time we couldn't use the other trusses for support because they weren't stable enough. So it was Mike, me, andthe tractor.

I posted the end of chapter 5 for those interested.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/tennessee/359683-going-off-grid-east-tennessee.html

Lisa

[ms-woman]

Beautiful! *Thanks so much for posting the pics and being so detailed. *Can you give me an idea of how much concrete you used? What are the dimensions of the house? Was there any hassle over a permit? *Was it easy to find someone experienced in building berm houses in the area? *If you don't mind how much did it cost for the concrete work?

My husband and I are very interested in building something similar here in Ms. Our landscape is very similar to yours, not quite as high though.

[HockeyFan]

The photographs are beautiful. I hope your progress is faster than mine. If interested, I'm also building an earth home, although not exactly like yours and it wont be off the grid (at first).
We have a website at: www.freewebs.com/stocktonunderground

There's a guestbook on that, and it's kind of a vanity thing, but it would be nice that if you go see the site, put an entry in the guestbook and let us know what you think, and how you found the site so we know it was from Backwoods Home.

Good luck on the off the grid bermed home. I've seen a lot that guys like Rob Roy and Mike Oehler(sp?) have done and look forward to seeing what you and your husband come up with.

[nu2solar]

HockeyFan-

That is so exciting for you. I wish you the best and I'll check in and watch your progress. Are you building yourself? How long do you expect it to take?


Just to let everyone know I will be writng the first part of chapter 6 with photos when we get back home tonight.

Lisa

[Funkhouser]

That view looks like something you'd see around Trade TN...are you close to that area? I have family right across the line in Ashe County, NC.

[HockeyFan]

HockeyFan-

That is so exciting for you. *I wish you the best and I'll check in and watch your progress. *Are you building yourself? *How long do you expect it to take? *
Lisa
I'm doing most all the work myself. I have a full-time job too, so progress is slow. I expect that it'll be another couple of years before I'm done.

[rAcErRicK]

Lisa and Mike, thank you very much for sharing your new home's birth with us. The view is breathtakingly beautiful. I love the mountains but was born a flatlander, and am still here. You do an excellent job of first taking the pictures of what needs to be taken, and then putting it all together, it is very interesting to read and see your dreams come together. Mike is also very good at making things work. I am thrilled, and proud for you both. The best of luck to you, and please don't get so busy you forget that you guys have us addicted now. I hope you will allow us all to continue the journey with you.

rick

[nu2solar]

Just to let everyone know. Chapter 6 is out.

Lisa

[QueenoftheFlock]

Hi Lisa, I am new here (but a long time lurker). Your posts on your house inspired me to join so I could tell you and your husband that you are total rock stars! I can't wait to see your place when it's done. You should both be so proud of yourselves - and what inspiration to those of us still needing to move off grid.

You go girl!! :D

[nu2solar]

Hi everyone.

Our weekly Off Grid story has been revived in case anyone is interested.

I just wanted to let you now that after 6 months of being away I am back and posting every Monday in our Off Grid story.

This is today's link:
http://www.city-data.com/forum/13598963-post1789.html

Have a wonderful night!!!

[TNDadx4]

Welcome back! I love reading about you guys!

[Teg]

Welcome back.

[NotSoFast]

Hi Lisa. Thanks for posting here too. I've been following you for almost a year now and I love what you two have done. Because of your openness and honesty about your experiences in building and experimenting, I have learned a lot and have gotten more confident that I too can build my own homestead even if I might not equal the wonderful results you have had.

Regards,
Chuck aka OldCharlie aka NotSoFast

[nu2solar]

Thank you everyone.


Hi Lisa. Thanks for posting here too. I've been following you for almost a year now and I love what you two have done. Because of your openness and honesty about your experiences in building and experimenting, I have learned a lot and have gotten more confident that I too can build my own homestead even if I might not equal the wonderful results you have had.

Regards,
Chuck aka OldCharlie aka NotSoFast

I am so happy to be able to help. I'm glad if anyone can learn from our mistakes. Yeah, sometimes I wish others were as honest...it would really be helpful, lol.

[nu2solar]

I just wanted to let you know that my DH and I are back home in TN. We have a lot of projects planed for the summer. I just posted a new story tonight.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/18377875-post2148.html


And this is the original link.
http://www.city-data.com/forum/tennessee/359683-going-off-grid-east-tennessee.html

Have a great night.

[Teg]

Cool, I'll have to check it out.

[offgridbob]

I see in one picture your hubby is standing on the top of a ladder trying to hold one of the trusses or keep it up right with a solid cement floor below. As a male I know there are times when we want to get things done with not much help, BUT it is not worth getting crippled over. Please be careful so both of you can enjoy the blessing of your place

[nu2solar]

Cool, I'll have to check it out.

Enloy it.

I see in one picture your hubby is standing on the top of a ladder trying to hold one of the trusses or keep it up right with a solid cement floor below. As a male I know there are times when we want to get things done with not much help, BUT it is not worth getting crippled over. Please be careful so both of you can enjoy the blessing of your place

Oh I know. We tend to do some crazy things but now it's 3 years later and we are slowing down. With age comes more caution, lol.