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# Offgridburbia

Homesteading in the Suburbs

## Sitemaps

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## Posts

- [Earthworks: Sunken Hugel Bed, Terraced Gardens and a Living Roof](https://offgridburbia.com/earthworks-sunken-hugel-bed-terraced-gardens-and-a-living-roof/) - Four years(2022) ago we dug a pit (approximately 10’ wide x 20’ long x 6’ deep) at the front of our property with the intention of installing a natural swimming pond. We ultimately decided the location was not very good. There was a lot of canopy cover which meant lots of leaves in the swimming
- [Subscribe to Offgridburbia Daily](https://offgridburbia.com/subscribe-to-offgridburbia-daily/) - Want more regular updates about what we're up to on our suburban homestead? Subscribe to my Offgridburbia Daily YouTube Channel. On this channel I post more regular video updates about smaller projects that may never be featured on Offgridburbia.com or my primary YouTube channel. For example, here is one about building a blackberry trellis. Or
- [Cabin Porch Conversion: Exterior Finishing and Final Walkthrough](https://offgridburbia.com/cabin-porch-conversion-exterior-finishing-and-final-walkthrough/) - We wrapped up construction on the Timber frame cabin porch conversion late February/early March. Here is a video covering the exterior finishing with a walkthrough at the end: Here are some before pictures: And here are some after:
- [Cabin Porch Extension: Interior Finishing and Light Clay Straw Wall Removal](https://offgridburbia.com/cabin-porch-extension-interior-finishing-and-light-clay-straw-wall-removal/) - Lathe and Plaster install and light clay straw wall demolition
- [Timberframe Cabin Porch Conversion - The "Dry-In"](https://offgridburbia.com/adding-on-to-the-timberframe-cabin-the-dry-in/) - Last fall we started a little addition project to the cabin to bring our home's footprint from 384 square feet to whopping 478 square feet. I think that officially carries us out of the the tiny house category. How very bourgeois. I covered the rationale behind the expansion here and made a post about building
- [A Tale of Thermal Bridging and Raised Floors](https://offgridburbia.com/a-tale-of-thermal-bridging-and-raised-floors/) - We're converting part of our wrap around porch to be a dining/living room space. To insulate the subfloor we created a break to prevent thermal bridging.
- [Loft Conversion Completed - Full Build Video](https://offgridburbia.com/loft-conversion-complete/) - We added a cool loft space to our suburban off grid cabin, built an alternating tread stair, installed a new mini split system and fabricated our own windows
- [Timberframe Cabin 2024 Remodel plans](https://offgridburbia.com/timberframe-cabin-2024-remodel-plans/) - You build your first house for your enemy, your second for your friend and your third for yourself Over the past four years of living in our suburban off grid cabin I've discovered many things I wish I had done differently. In lieu of building a third house I'm planning to undertake a fairly major
- [SKIP 2024 at Wheaton Labs](https://offgridburbia.com/skip-2024-at-wheaton-labs/) - My brother and I just back from a two week SKIP event. SKIP is a crowdsourced homesteading skill accreditation system. Paul Wheaton and Mike Haasl devised a framework dividing homesteading skills into 22 broad subjects or badges (e.g. Gardening, Natural Building, Tool Care). Within each badge there are several individual skills referred to as badge
- [Trellises, Humanure Bins and Food Forests](https://offgridburbia.com/trellises-humanure-bins-and-food-forests/) - A walkthrough of our brand new trellis system, state of the art humanure compost bins and a brief look at our burgeoning food forest.
- [Cucumber and Quail in the Garden](https://offgridburbia.com/cucumber-and-quail-in-the-garden/) - The quail garden has housed nine birds for three months. Despite their trampling, one cucumber plant thrived and covered much of the structure. Robust door struts support this weight. Additionally, blackberry and rosemary shrubs are growing, and wheat grass is sprouting well. Several cucumbers have already been harvested.
- [Earth Berm Cottage - Final Walkthrough](https://offgridburbia.com/earth-berm-cottage-final-walkthrough/) - A tour of our diy off-grid earth sheltered tiny house built with natural materials
- [Building a Better Bucket Toilet](https://offgridburbia.com/building-a-better-bucket-toilet/) - We've been using a bucket toilet compost system for almost four years now. Here are some problems we had with our bucket toilet and how we fixed them.
- [An outdoor shower: Transforming my life](https://offgridburbia.com/an-outdoor-shower-transforming-my-life/) - One of the more unorthodox design decisions for the cottage was to move the shower outside but I think it turned out well. Perhaps even life changing.
- ["Living" Roof Install](https://offgridburbia.com/living-roof-install/) - We installed the living roof on the cottage over the course of several days that were spread over many months. I was going publish a post showing the living roof fully planted and growing lushly but I’ll have to make a follow up post for that. Here I’ll cover the structural design considerations for supporting
- [Raising Quail in the Garden](https://offgridburbia.com/raising-quail-in-the-garden/) - A natural environment for the quail and pest control for the garden. We built an enclosure that allows us to rotationally graze Coturnix quail.
- [Homestead Project Mini-Workshop Series](https://offgridburbia.com/homestead-project-mini-workshop-series/) - We're starting a series of workshops in November to take on small homestead projects. We'll start off with making Adirondack chairs in November, installing a rain water collection system in December, and building raised bed planters in January. The workshops will be small (less than 10 participants) and be aimed at people who are interested
- [Water Collection System](https://offgridburbia.com/water-collection-system/) - Here's the plan for our water collection system. Red circles are down spouts. The blue circles are rain tanks.We finished our water collection system in mid March just in time for our spring rainy season. Check out previous posts about installing the rain water tanks and gutter below.Water Tank InstallGutter InstallThe last step of the
- [Off-grid Living during a Texas Heat Wave](https://offgridburbia.com/off-grid-living-during-a-texas-heat-wave/) - My Google news feed is determined to feed me a constant supply of stories regarding Texas’ unprecedented drought and heat wave. The summer of 2023 in central Texas has been the one of the hottest and driest in recorded history. ERCOT, the organization that handles the flow of electric power for most of Texas, has
- [Berming the Earth Berm Cottage (Part 3)](https://offgridburbia.com/berming-the-earth-berm-cottage-part-3/) - The cottage can officially be called the Earth Berm Cottage now. Check out our latest video here: And here some stills with more details:
- [Berming the Earth Berm Cottage (Part 2)](https://offgridburbia.com/berming-the-earth-berm-cabin-part-2/) - During a build I’ll inevitably get hung up on some detail that bogs me down. I just can’t wrap my head around it and I’ll avoid it working on some other part of the build until I can’t proceed unless I figure out the problem. For the T-Brick shed it was how to attach the
- [Berming the Earth Berm Cottage (Part 1)](https://offgridburbia.com/berming-the-earth-berm-cabin-part-1/) - The cottage has finally transitioned to being the earth berm cottage. Quite a bit when into the berm so I'll post about it in a series of three articles. Part 1: Waterproofing, exterior insulation, siding, drain and vent system Part 2: Building a lime stabilized cob retaining wall, installing a french drain and an earth
- [Another go at an Earthen Floor](https://offgridburbia.com/another-go-at-an-earthen-floor/) - We decided to put an earthen floor in the cottage because we wanted to minimize the amount of concrete used in the build. Earthen floors are softer under foot than concrete and have an aesthetic that we like. I also tried installing an earthen floor in our shed several years ago. It developed some cracks
- [Ice Storm](https://offgridburbia.com/ice-storm/) - Our area experienced a freezing rain/ice storm Wednesday with significant repercussions. Most of our neighborhood lost power for most of Wednesday with many (including my parents) still without power five days later. We lost internet Wednesday and didn't get it back until Friday. The forecast leading up to the ice storm looked fairly innocuous. There
- [Arched Front Door with Bottle Window](https://offgridburbia.com/arched-front-door-with-bottle-window/) - When explaining the concept of an earth sheltered house I often resort to, “Well, it’s like a hobbit house.” The arched door is a nod to the round door described in the book that provides a little whimsy without requiring any special framing or hinges. Bottle windows are often incorporated into earthen structures and I
- [EBC: Interior Finishing - Walls, Ceiling, and Trim](https://offgridburbia.com/ebc-interior-finishing-walls-ceiling-and-trim/) - We finished infilling the interior walls of the cottage at the end of August. You typically want to give light clay straw a month or so to dry out completely. Fortunately, we had several things to do before plastering the walls: 1) Framing and infilling interior walls 2) Finishing the ceiling 3) (Building &) Installing
- [Roof Installation](https://offgridburbia.com/roof-installation/) - Back in April we installed the 2x6 tongue and groove roof decking and put down some felt paper to provide some waterproofing until we could get the materials together to complete the roof. A very wet end of April and beginning of May kept us from the work until a couple of weeks ago. The
- [Larry Haun: House Framing Wizard](https://offgridburbia.com/larry-haun-house-framing-wizard/) - While researching for this project I've watched many a diy construction video. Several months ago I stumbled upon Larry Haun. With his genial and easy going manner Larry Haun struck me as kind an amalgamation of Bob Ross and Mister Rogers who does house framing. Larry passed away in 2011 but someone posted a how
- [EBC: Infilling walls with cob and light clay straw](https://offgridburbia.com/ebc-infilling-walls-with-cob-and-light-clay-straw/) - The walls of the Earth Berm Cottage are infilled! We used a combination of cob and light clay straw. I wrote a blog post about the thermal and structural properties of cob. In addition I like both infill materials for a variety of reasons including: 1) The aesthetic and feel of earthen plaster which adheres
- [Roundwood Building Workshop](https://offgridburbia.com/roundwood-building-workshop/) - I went to a Roundwood Building Workshop this weekend. Roundwood is timber that is left as logs rather than being cut into planks. We constructed a shelter for a cob pizza oven (yet to be constructed).The timer is a mix of red cedar and ash juniper. Before doing anything with it we had to take
- [Building a Light Clay Straw Tumbler](https://offgridburbia.com/building-a-light-clay-straw-tumbler/) - A light clay straw tumbler is a tool for coating straw with clay slip to create light clay straw which is then typically used for infilling wood framed walls. While making light clay straw by hand is easy if you want to make it in bulk (say for a house) I recommend building a tumbler.
- [Why put Cob in the Walls](https://offgridburbia.com/why-put-cob-in-the-walls/) - The Earth Berm Cottage (EBC) is an earth sheltered tiny house. The walls are light wood framed (2x6 studs on 16" centers). We’re infilling the stud bays of the side and back walls with cob. The front (non-bermed) wall will be infilled with Light Clay Straw (LCS). So, why put mud in the walls? Thermal
- [Septic System: The Install](https://offgridburbia.com/septic-system-the-install/) - Note: This is part 3 of a 3 part series covering the design and install of conventional septic system for our cabin. Part 1 goes over my unsuccessful attempt to get a variance for a smaller system. Part 2 covers the considerations and process for designing a conventional septic system. The Machinery I rented a
- [Earth Berm Cottage(EBC) Design Overview](https://offgridburbia.com/earth-berm-cottage-design-overview/) - The earth berm cabin has be rechristened the earth berm cottage. I've also updated the design details on the project page and uploaded a video going over the basic design and build process.
- [EBC: Framing and Sheathing](https://offgridburbia.com/framing-and-sheathing-the-earth-berm-cottage/) - Wall Framing I used pressure treated 2x6s for the sill plates. I cut them them to length, drilled holes for the anchor bolts and test fit them on the grade beam before framing the wall. Once I had the sill plates down and confirmed everything was square I removed the sill plates and temporarily attached
- [EBC: Plumbing, Electrical & Mechanical Rough-In](https://offgridburbia.com/ebc-plumbing-electrical-mechanical-rough-in/) - Drain Waste Vent (DWV) The drain, waste vent system is pretty simple. The half bath will have a composting toilet so I put in a drain pipe for the urine diverter. There's also a 2 inch PVC pipe that runs up through the stud bay and out near the top of the wall for the
- [First Chip Drop](https://offgridburbia.com/first-chip-drop/) - Chip drop is a service that connects arborists who need to get rid of wood chips generated from their jobs with people who want lots of wood chips. Flexibility is the key though. I signed up for a chip drop in April and there wasn't an arborist who needed the service in my area until
- [EBC: Rubble Trench Foundation](https://offgridburbia.com/ebc-rubble-trench-foundation/) - Site Preparation While waiting for a septic inspection I spent a couple of days using the mini-excavator to remove a large portion of earth from a slope on the back section of our property. I’ve had this vision of a little cottage tucked into the hillside under a canopy of trees. There are three large
- [Repairs to the T-Brick Shed](https://offgridburbia.com/repairs-to-the-t-brick-shed/) - We finished the T-brick shed about five years ago. To recap that construction project here are the primary parts: 1) Rubble trench foundation with a french drain 2) Lime stabilized soil (sand, clay & lime) grade beam 3) 1 foot wide lime stabilized soil (sand, clay & lime) stem wall (bottom two feet of the
- [Septic System: The Design](https://offgridburbia.com/septic-system-the-design/) - A conventional septic system consists of a septic tank and an absorptive drain field. I’ll cover sizing and locating both in this articles. I’ll also refer and link to Texas Administrative Code Chapter 285 fairly often. It’s the statewide code for on-site sewage facilities otherwise referred to here as septic systems. Sizing the Tank A
- [Septic System: In Pursuit of a Variance](https://offgridburbia.com/septic-tank-in-pursuit-of-a-variance/) - This is part 1 of a 3 part series of designing and installing our onsite sewage facility or septic system for the timber frame cabin. Part 1 covers my attempt to get a variance which was ultimately unsuccessful. In the end we installed a conventional gravity system but you might find my tale of lofty
- [Melted Battery Terminal](https://offgridburbia.com/melted-battery-terminal/) - Our power shut off rather abruptly around 8pm this past Wednesday. The convection oven was running so I thought perhaps a perfect storm of the water pump and fridge compressor kicking on at the same time may have managed to trip our main breaker. Going outside to check out on our electric panel I was
- [Swimming Pond: Design, Concept and Initial Excavation](https://offgridburbia.com/swimming-pond-design-concept-and-initial-excavation/) - Last week I rented a mini-excavator under the pretense of finally installing a septic system for the timber frame cabin. However, the first thing I did with the excavator was spend two days digging a massive 6' deep, 20 feet by 8 foot hole for a swimming pond. Here's a brief video about the design:
- [Plumbing Revision/Winterization](https://offgridburbia.com/plumbing-revision-winterization/) - In February 2021 central Texas experienced some extremely cold weather. There were at least five days where the temperature did not get above freezing which is pretty unprecedented here. Three days into the winterpocalypse our pipes froze. This fall/winter I've been working on making the plumbing system more robust. I focused on reducing above ground
- [Permablitzing](https://offgridburbia.com/permablitzing/) - This is what I did during the part of the weekend I wasn't shoveling gravel. Looks like fun huh?Removing a wasp laden Hackberry tree that was way to close to the house.Grading an overflow basin and creating some berms.I wasn't there for the second day but this is how the overflow basin turned out. Ready
- [One of the these eggs is not like the other](https://offgridburbia.com/one-of-the-these-eggs-is-not-like-the-other/) - I guess we've put on enough daylight hours since the winter solstice that my parents' chickens have starting laying again. They're not messing around either. There are five hens and one day my Mom found seven eggs. I was making an omelet last week from some eggs they gave us and the first one I
- [Peppers at last](https://offgridburbia.com/peppers-at-last/) - I planted a Tabasco, cayenne and poblano pepper plant on our balcony back in June. They quickly got big and bushy and took over a good swath of the balcony. However, only recently have they started producing peppers. Good thing central Texas has such a late freeze date.
- [Homestead Fair](https://offgridburbia.com/homestead-fair/) - Homestead Heritage is an agrarian and craft based intentional Christian community located in Waco, Texas (about 100 miles north of Austin). For over 25 years they've hosted a craft fair the weekend of Thanksgiving. In addition to selling wares the community residents lead a plethora of crafting, gardening, building and animal husbandry demonstrations and lectures.We
- [Winter Fun and Fitness: French Drains and Tree Pruning](https://offgridburbia.com/winter-fun-and-fitness-french-drains-and-tree-pruning/) - Being mostly office bound of late, I've really been missing my weekly cob building workout. And with all the rain we've been receiving Barton Springs pool is probably rife with a bacteria cocktail. Since my disease fighting skills are only imaginary and it's cold I went in pursuit of a bit of productive exercise. I
- [Chickens!!!](https://offgridburbia.com/chickens/) - My Mom got a whole flock of baby chicks a few weeks ago. They're growing up fast.
- [Quail Tractor](https://offgridburbia.com/quail-tractor/) - For a while now I've been talking up quail as an alternative to chickens. With a small footprint (0.5 sqft/bird), quick maturation (~ 8 weeks), great egg production (1/day), and relatively quiet they seem ideal for the suburban farmer trying to evade the heavy handy of the HOA.While I'm waiting for the shed floor to
- [Quail!!!](https://offgridburbia.com/quail/) - On our way back from Enchanted Rock last Friday we picked up 14 quail chicks from a breeder in Dripping Springs.14 1-2 week old Coturix quail. Coturix are predominantly brown but occasionally you'll get a white one. Texas A&M has bred an all white variety. They're pretty tiny but well on their way to getting their
- [Quail Update: Eggs!](https://offgridburbia.com/quail-update-eggs/) - Over the Easter weekend I made a few modifications to the quail tractor including upgrading the water reservoir from the half gallon coffee can to a 2 gallon bucket, reorienting some doors and adding a loft dust bath area. I transferred the males and a couple of females into a vacant chicken brooder at my
- [Shed Down](https://offgridburbia.com/shed-down/) - With the T-Brick shed in operation the time for the removal of the old shed is long overdue . Over the past couple of weekends Paul and I have dismantled the structure.Paul working the sledge hammer to remove a particularly obstinate piece that we believe would bring the old structure tumbling down. Our father who
- [New Project New Blog](https://offgridburbia.com/new-project-new-blog/) - I've started a new project. I'm planning to build a small cabin on a wooded lot. Here are some details:Square footage will 384 square feet plus a 192 square foot loft.The load bearing structure will be a hybrid timber frame construction consisting of rough sawn large dimension timbers (e.g. 8x8s, 8x12s) using a combination of
- [July 2019 Recap: Appropriate Technology Course in Montana](https://offgridburbia.com/july-2019-recap-appropriate-technology-course-in-montana/) - I spent the first half of July in Montana attending an Appropriate Technology Course(ATC). Check out the video slideshow here:
- [The Front Door](https://offgridburbia.com/the-front-door/) - I was inspired by this custom made door on an earth sheltered house I toured while in Montana this past summer. You can see it's a pretty sturdy. It's about six inches thick. There was something about the heft that I found appealing. The cabin already has lot of over-sized elements so why not the
- [Solar Power Install](https://offgridburbia.com/solar-power-install/) - The cabin is now powered by the sun! Check out the video below:And here are some stills:Wiring the cabin circuit breakerMaking battery cablesWiring the 48 volt battery bankInstalling cable to run power from the solar array to the charge controllerMoon rise over the cabinThe first link in the chain of the solar panel lifting effortThe
- [Earthen Plaster (Finish Coat)](https://offgridburbia.com/earthen-plaster-finish-coat/) - We finished plastering the inside of the cabin a couple of weeks ago. Check out the recap video here:And here are some stills with more details:With the highest sections of the wall plastered it was time to remove the scaffolding.For most of the house we we're going for a buttermilk color with our plaster. In
- [Water Distribution System](https://offgridburbia.com/water-distribution-system/) - Within a few weeks of plumbing in our gutters to our water tanks the tanks were full. The next thing was to get the water from the tanks to the house.Here's the video documenting the process:And here are some stills with more details:The first step of the process was building a central hub for water
- [Flooring](https://offgridburbia.com/flooring/) - Sorry for lack of posts recently. We're were pretty pushing hard in June and July to get the cabin livable so we could move in by the first of August. We're in now and my computer is set back up so I can start processing pictures and videos again.In May, we installed 3/4" tongue and
- [Kitchen and Dining/Living Room Furnishings](https://offgridburbia.com/kitchen-and-dining-living-room-furnishings/) - With the flooring finished it was time to get started finishing the interior. Several months ago we found a giant apron style hammered copper kitchen sink we really liked so we decided go with copper or antique bronze for all our metal finishes. We got cabinet quotes from Home Depot and several on line suppliers. We
- [Earthen Plaster (Base Coat)](https://offgridburbia.com/earthen-plaster-base-coat/) - Sand, Clay and Straw, the cornerstones of a well balanced natural building endeavor. We've had many conversations with people that go something like this:"What are you using for insulation?""Straw light clay.""What's that?""Well, it's straw covered in clay with some sand. We'll also use cob in some places.""What's that?"It's sand, clay and some straw.""And what are
- [Windows Install](https://offgridburbia.com/windows-install/) - "Dry-In" means that the building shell has been completed sufficiently to keep out wind, rain, or the weather in general, thus assuring that weather-sensitive materials or work can begin indoors without those materials suffering weather damage by rain, wind, snow, etc.InspectAPediaWith the windows installation complete as of mid February we are very close to having
- [Electric Wiring](https://offgridburbia.com/electric-wiring/) - We finishing up wiring the house in early January. I'm currently working on installing the solar power system so we don't know yet if everything is working correctly. Check out the video recap of the wiring process below.And here are some stills with more details:This is the circuit diagram for the ground floor. You can
- [Straw Light Clay Curved Wall](https://offgridburbia.com/straw-light-clay-curved-wall/) - In her book Light Straw Clay Construction Lydia Doleman has loads of diagrams like this one that really flesh out building details.We added some sections of curved wall around our windows and in the office and foyer. Check out the video for more details:
- [Straw Light Clay Tumbler Design and Build](https://offgridburbia.com/straw-light-clay-tumbler-design-and-build/) - We've moved on from the straw light clay phase of the build. I'll have some posts up soon about pulling in electrical and putting in windows soon. But I decided do one last video about the design and build of the Straw Light Clay tumbler itself.
- [Straw Light Clay Wrap up](https://offgridburbia.com/straw-light-clay-wrap-up/) - We had another small work party in early November that got us to around 85% complete. Over the latter half of November we knocked out lots of detail work and the bottle walls.Here's a video recap:And here are some stills with more details:Ferrying straw bales to the worksiteMixing the slip. Adding dirt to the slipI determined
- [Straw Light Clay Packing Party Part II](https://offgridburbia.com/straw-light-clay-packing-party-part-ii/) - The walls are about 2/3rd packed at this point. We had another work party last weekend that put a significant dent in the walls downstairs.Here's a video of packing day: And here are some stills with more details:We moved the tumbler to other end of the porch so the the tumbled straw could fall right
- [Inaugural Straw Light Clay Packing Party](https://offgridburbia.com/inaugural-straw-light-clay-packing-party/) - We invited a bunch of people over Saturday to help us pack the straw light clay in the walls and surprisingly a lot came and appeared to have a good time. Over the past week, Jean, my parents and I have been tinkering with the process, testing the equipment and chipping away slowly at some
- [Light Straw Clay Construction: The Orientation](https://offgridburbia.com/light-straw-clay-construction-the-orientation/) - The plumbing and electrical have been roughed in, the furring strips have been installed, and last week 109 bales of wheat straw were delivered. It's time to fill the walls in.Light straw clay (LSC) construction involves lightly coating straw with clay slip(a very liquid muddy mixture) and packing it into wall cavities using temporary or
- [Water Tank Pad Preparation and Tank Install](https://offgridburbia.com/water-tank-pad-preparation-and-tank-install/) - Well, we're on our way to rain water collection. In late August we ordered a couple of 1680 gallon water tanks. While we were waiting for them to come in we prepared two pads using screened road base and coarse sand.The tanks came in mid-September. With some help from our neighbors and family members we
- [Electric Rough-In](https://offgridburbia.com/electric-rough-in/) - The month is almost over and we're close to having the wall ready to be infilled with light clay straw.Over the past week I've been installing outlet, switch and light boxes and running PVC conduit to them. Eventually, I'll pull electric wiring through the conduit but in the meantime we can infill the walls.The conduit
- [Porch Roof Construction Part 3 - Gutters and Metal Cladding](https://offgridburbia.com/porch-roof-construction-part-3-gutters-and-metal-cladding/) - Central Texas has been experiencing something of a dry spell for the past few months. As the heat presses on through September and the vegetation turns a crispy brown I have this vision of pouring rainstorms coming in October and I think, "It sure would be nice to capture some of that rain." There are
- [Plumbing Rough-In](https://offgridburbia.com/plumbing-rough-in/) - My goal is to have the walls ready to be infilled with light clay straw by the end of September. To reach that end I have a whole list of things to get done including but probably not be limited to:- Roughing-in plumbing drain, vent and supply lines- Roughing-in electric lines and outlets- Installing Bathroom
- [Porch Roof Construction Part 2: Rafters and Decking](https://offgridburbia.com/porch-roof-construction-part-2-rafters-and-decking/) - Work continued this week on the rafters and decking for the porch roof. Cutting the rafters was the most complex joinery I've done but so far but it's looking good so far. Installation was a game of dodging the sun. Here's the time lapse video: And here are stills with more details:Cutting birds mouth joint
- [Porch Roof Construction Part 1: Posts and Beams](https://offgridburbia.com/porch-roof-construction-part-1-posts-and-beams/) - We had a big stack of lumber delivered a few weeks ago so I sharpened up my chisels and dusted off the chain mortiser and got to work.Here's a time lapse of cutting the joinery and raising the first section of the porch:And here are some stills with more details:It's feel good when piles of
- [Porch Roof Design and Construction Overview](https://offgridburbia.com/porch-roof-design-and-construction-overview/) - Construction has resumed after our mid-summer break. I finished up the porch deck a few weeks ago and have started on the roof. The roof design has been a point of consternation for me for a while now and has evolved fairly significantly from the original concept design. Here are some of the changes:Chain MortiserTimber
- [Porch Deck Installation](https://offgridburbia.com/porch-deck-installation/) - Our porch deck materials were delivered a week and a half ago. As we'll be on hiatus for the latter half of June and the first half of July we pushed forward with finishing the porch deck before our break. The reasoning being that lumber treated for being in close contact with the ground has
- [Framing and Porch Foundation](https://offgridburbia.com/framing-and-porch-foundation/) - Pouring the piers for the porchI've gotten a little behind with the weekly recap. Late April and early May we received some significant rain which kept us off the job site for several days. When the weather was good we were able to frame out the rest of the exterior walls, frame the interior loft
- [Framing and Furring Strips](https://offgridburbia.com/framing-and-furring-strips/) - Work continued this week on framing the exterior walls. We finished the front of the cabin but didn't have enough lumber to complete the rake walls. Our supplier had run out of the 2X8s we were using and wasn't able to get the rest of order to us until Friday afternoon. So, we started adding
- [Wall Framing](https://offgridburbia.com/wall-framing/) - After much deliberation as to how to frame the walls and some tinkering with window sizes and locations we started framing the walls this week. I also removed the temporary loft flooring and installed the tongue and groove decking.Here's a time lapse video of this past week: And here are some still shots with more
- [Roof Raising](https://offgridburbia.com/roof-raising/) - "Give a cob house a good pair of boots and a a good hat and she'll last forever."- The Hand Sculpted HouseWe were really fortunate that the thunderstorms that were forecast for raising day never materialized and this past week was beautiful. The biggest obstacle of the week was getting the ten rafters up in
- [Frame Raising Day](https://offgridburbia.com/frame-raising-day/) - Leading up to raising day the following questions had been dogging me:Will the weather hold up?Will enough people show up?Will all these pieces go together in real life like they do in my head and on the computer?I've gleaned from several frame raising accounts that these concerns are pretty common.Regarding the first point, the threat
- [Laying out the bents and preparing for the frame raising](https://offgridburbia.com/laying-out-the-bents-and-preparing-for-the-frame-raising/) - This week we made preparations for raising day. Top of the list of the preparations was assembling the bents (wall sections). To do this we laid out the posts, beams and braces on the floor and put all the joinery together. Then we checked that everything was square and that the posts parallel. Happy with
- [It's only a model: Planning Framing Day](https://offgridburbia.com/its-only-a-model-planning-framing-day/) - The joinery is cut, the sub-floor is installed and so the time has come to raise the frame. Barring adverse weather that day will hopefully be this Saturday. To work through the raising process myself and to help everyone get on the same page I made this animation of how the raising should theoretically go.Of
- [Floor leveled and rafters cut, sanded and stained](https://offgridburbia.com/floor-leveled-and-rafters-cut-sanded-and-stained/) - When we installed the grade beams I didn't have complete confidence in the stick level readings. So on Monday, I rented a builder's level (transit) and took some readings. We checked the elevation of the floor at each pier and found there about 3/4" height difference between the highest point and lowest point. Using a
- [Sub-Floor Finished](https://offgridburbia.com/sub-floor-finished/) - This week was all about flooring. Structural flooring that is. The architectural, aesthetically pleasing portion of flooring is still a ways off. We started off the beginning of the week doing the joinery for the floor joists for the loft and finished the week putting the plywood sheathing on the ground floor. With the sub
- [Last Beam Finished and Floor Construction Begun](https://offgridburbia.com/last-beam-finished-and-floor-construction-begun/) - I had hoped that I could I have titled this post "Last Beam and Floor Construction Finished" but alas the elements conspired against me. The week began warmish and dry but soon devolved into cold wet nastiness.I finished the last beam on Monday which completes my principal joinery. I have a few joists to finish
- [Timber Framing Joinery: The Beams](https://offgridburbia.com/timber-framing-joinery-the-beams/) - The joinery continued on this week with the tie beams and plate beams. We also managed to do some rafters and braces as well.The building has three tie beams that tie the two long walls together. They are the most complex pieces calling for a tenon on each side and mortises for braces and a
- [Timber Framing Joinery: Continued](https://offgridburbia.com/timber-framing-joinery-continued/) - We finished up the posts this week and moved on the first of the beams. I thought the 8x8 posts were heavy but the 8x12 are real monsters. I'm really glad we upgraded the wheels on the timber cart.Loading up the first 8x12 beam on the timber cart.This will be a tie beam that supports
- [Timber Framing Joinery: The Posts](https://offgridburbia.com/timber-framing-joinery-the-posts/) - The lumber for our timber frame was delivered last week before we poured the piers. My friend John came out to the site Monday to show me how to lay out the mortise and tenon joinery. I started cutting on Tuesday. The weather took a weird twist. I started out the week in short sleeves
- [Foundation Poured](https://offgridburbia.com/foundation-poured/) - This week we did the form work and poured the concrete pier foundation. I cleaned out the holes we dug last week, leveling out the bottom with road base and adding some gravel. I'd been vacillating for a while regarding how to create the piers and creating the form work took longer than it should.
- [Ground Broken](https://offgridburbia.com/ground-broken/) - We finally broke ground on the timber frame cabin this week. This is the first hole of total of nine for the pier/piles. Each hole is at least 18" in diameter and 18 inches deep. We typically encountered 6-8 inches of dark loose foil followed my a caliche clay/limestone mix. After hand digging this first
- [Pier and Beam Foundation](https://offgridburbia.com/pier-and-beam-foundation/) - I'm planning on using a raised floor, pier and beam foundation. Most houses in my area are on a single monolithic slab (termed slab on grade). I have several reasons for choosing pier and beam over slab on grade:Logisitics: To pour a slab the site would have to be accessible to a concrete truck which
- [Exposed rafters and Insulating the Roof Deck](https://offgridburbia.com/exposed-rafters-and-insulating-the-roof-deck/) - I'll be using 4x10 rough sawn timbers for the rafters. The roof deck will be 2x6 tongue and groove cedar planks. Exposed on the interior of the cabin those elements should look rather dramatic. Moving from drama to the practical side, the question of where to put the insulation surfaces. In a house with an
- [Requested Estimates for Timbers](https://offgridburbia.com/requested-estimates-for-timbers/) - I requested estimates for the timbers and 2x6 tongue and groove decking from Ryan Wholesale and McCoys. I also requested an estimate for just the decking from Wamplers in Bastrop. Ryan Wholesale and McCoys both supply Douglas Fir. A friend of mine with a lot of timber framing experience highly recommended Ryan Wholesale. McCoys supplied the
- [Saw Horses](https://offgridburbia.com/saw-horses/) - Paul made me a couple of sawhorses for working the timbers. For timber framing you want shorter than typical horses because you'll be climbing over timbers to cut mortises. They also need to be sturdy to handle the large timbers.
- [Updated 3D model with wrap around porch](https://offgridburbia.com/updated-3d-model-with-wrap-around-porch/) - I updated the 3D sketchup model with walls, windows and the wrap around porch. Click on the design tab to check it out.I also found a timber framing extension for sketchup that I wish I had come across earlier. It will make quick work of creating shop drawings.
- [Design Page Updated with Floor plans](https://offgridburbia.com/design-page-updated-with-floor-plans/) - I added floor plans to the Design page.
- [Water Usage Calculator](https://offgridburbia.com/water-usage-calculator/) - This week I've been studying water usage to determine rain water collection tank sizing. Texas A&M Agrilife Extension has a useful rainwater harvesting calculator. Plugging in roof water catchment area (in my case 870 square feet for the main building and porch roofs), monthly average rainfall amounts, rain water collection tank size and monthly water
- [Site Preparation: Felling Dead Tree](https://offgridburbia.com/site-preparation-felling-dead-tree/) - More clearing today including felling this large dead tree
- [Site Layout and Preparation](https://offgridburbia.com/site-layout-and-preparation/) - On Friday I staked out approximate corners of cabin footprint and flagged trees to be felled. On Saturday and Sunday we cleared the under story and some of the larger trees.Exposing the roots to cut themAttaching a cable to the upper section of the treeA Stumpery
- [](https://offgridburbia.com/91-2/) - Staked out approximate corners of cabin footprint and flagged trees that need to be felled. Planning to call in professional help to take out larger trees. I'll use our 14 inch electric chainsaws to limb and get the smaller ones.
- [](https://offgridburbia.com/92-2/) - Received Learn to Timber Frame by Will Beemer yesterday. Has cleared up square rule layout method I've been having difficulty wrapping my head around.
- [Quail: More Hatchlings](https://offgridburbia.com/quail-more-hatchlings/) - I received a second batch of fertilized eggs(this time from Minnesota) a couple of weeks ago. 19 of the 31 eggs have hatched.Drying off in the incubatorInstead of the water trough this time, I installed a hanging bottle with water nipples. The chicks didn't have any issues with using them.The warmth cave I like the warmth
- [Quail: Hatchlings](https://offgridburbia.com/quail-hatchlings/) - Here are some pictures from their first week.11 of the 20 eggs hatched out. For warmth I draped a heating pad over curved section of metal fencing to form a cave. You can see the edge of it at the top of the picture.The rocks in the water are to prevent the baby quail from
- [Quail: First Hatch](https://offgridburbia.com/quail-first-hatch/) - Continuing in my quail husbandry experiment I decided it was time to hatch some quail on my own I was also having a difficult time sourcing quail locally. I ordered an egg incubator and since I processed all of my roosters several months ago I had to order some fertilized quail eggs online.The shiny new
- [Quail Tractor Beta](https://offgridburbia.com/quail-tractor-beta/) - In the quail husbandry R&D department I've devised the Quail Tractor beta model building on and revising the quail tractor alpha design I built in the spring.The Quail Tractor Alpha DesignThe Quail Tractor Beta Design Design differences include:A larger footprint. The alpha was only 2'x2'. This seemed a bit small for any more than four
- [Black Soldier Fly Larva Harvester](https://offgridburbia.com/black-soldier-fly-larva-harvester/) - Black soldier fly larva are voracious decomposers. Here's a video of a some larva completely devouring a hamburger over the course of five hours. And here's a video of some chickens completely devouring some black soldier fly larva.Black soldier flies have some curious qualities that make them particularly well suiting for cultivating their larva as fodder
- [T-Brick Shed: Shelves](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-shelves/) - Yes, a very exciting moment the shed's life. We have shelves now.
- [T-Brick Shed: Floor Finish](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-floor-finish/) - After the floor dried completely I applied a thin (1/4" - 1/2") layer of a sand/clay mix (approximately 80/20 ratio) over the entire floor to fill in cracks and provide a base to lay some saltillo tiles in the entry way. I also used the mixture as grout between the tiles. After about a week
- [Peaches and Monsters in the Garden](https://offgridburbia.com/peaches-and-monsters-in-the-garden/) - The garden is doing really well this year. I've been a little tied up with quail tractors and other projects but my Mom filled in the garden quite nicely. The onions and oregano have really taken off (foreground) as well the comfrey (right). Squash, peppers, and tomatoes are in middle and a variety of melons are
- [T-Brick Shed: Poured Adobe Floor](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-poured-adobe-floor/) - I finished the poured adobe portion of the floor today. The section we did last week was still too wet to walk on so I estimate we have at least two weeks to wait before we can think about sealing it with boiled linseed oil. I'm sure I can find something to keep me busy
- [T-Brick Shed: Sub-Floor](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-sub-floor/) - While I have quite a list of future extensions to the T-Brick shed (including but not limited to, rain water collection system, biogas digester, solar panels, more shelving and more cob sculpture) we're moving on to what I'm going to consider for the near future the final phase of this project, the floor. With the
- [Jean's lawn jihad](https://offgridburbia.com/jeans-lawn-jihad/) - "I want to buy a house so I can tear up all the grass."
- [Community Table: First Bents Go Up](https://offgridburbia.com/community-table-first-bents-go-up/) - Lots of visible progress on the Community Table today. We installed the first four bents and beams to tie them together. Note: A bent is a section on wallGetting organized for the day. The bents are laid out on saw horses on the right side of the building. The beams are on the left.Raising a
- [Garden Olla Test Run](https://offgridburbia.com/garden-olla-test-run/) - In exploring irrigation options I came across the olla. An olla is a non-glazed clay pot. Traditional ollas have a wide base and a narrow neck. The olla is buried with just the top of neck left above ground. It is then filled with water and the opening covered with a rock or a lid.
- [Garden Mulch Fest](https://offgridburbia.com/garden-mulch-fest/) - Garden bed preparation continues this week with mulching. A very, very serious mulching. Watching this video recently about a guy growing a food forest in his suburban lot in Arizona made me realize that perhaps I haven't been taking mulch quite seriously enough. Jake, the guy in the video, has built up close to a foot
- [Garden Fence Installation](https://offgridburbia.com/garden-fence-installation/) - Spring is coming on fast which means there's no time like the present to get those beds ready for planting. First order of business however is installing some deer protection. On this lovely Sunday afternoon I managed to rope in a few participants for the endeavor.The participants. Some were more willing than others. I'll let
- [T-Brick Shed: Wrapping up Interior Plaster](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-wrapping-up-interior-plaster/) - I haven't been slacking off the past few weeks. It's just I haven't had the most interesting pictures to post. I'm about ready to call the interior plaster finished and start preparations for the floor.After some clean up, the bottle windows in the pony walls are looking pretty good.Cleaning up the bottle window
- [Community Table: Beginning Floor Installation](https://offgridburbia.com/community-table-beginning-floor-installation/) - After months of sawing and chiseling mortise and tenons the time has finally come for some assembly. We had all hands on deck as there were lots of large timbers to move around.Positioning the sill platesPulling the joists and sill plates together. Our fittings were usually a little tight so we often had to do
- [Inaguration Day](https://offgridburbia.com/inaguration-day/) - Heating wax and comfrey'lavender infused oilIn the spirit of contrarianism I thought I should try to get something useful accomplished this inauguration day. First thing in the morning, I performed the not so glamorous duty of rotating our compost bins. The bins are twenty gallon plastic trash cans with holes drilled in the sides and
- [T-Brick Shed: Exterior Shelving](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-exterior-shelving/) - In case your wondering I have not finished/given up on the shed. It's been a bit cold and rainy, weather that's not conducive plastering. I built some exterior shelves on the back (north side) of the building. I'm planning to use the shelving to stack lumber. Reasoning for this placement is as follows:Sunlight can cause
- [Peppers: Let the fermenting begin!](https://offgridburbia.com/peppers-let-the-fermenting-begin/) - A freeze finally took out the pepper plants on our balcony. Even so, I had already harvested more than we could reasonably imbibe. Rather, than let them spoil in the fridge I'm making a go at fermentatation.An assortment of poblano, cayenne and tabasco peppers. For reference, the tabasco peppers are the smallest ones. I typically
- [T-Brick Shed: Wrapping up the Exterior Plaster](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-wrapping-up-the-exterior-plaster/) - Shredded PaperThe exterior plaster work is drawing to a close. Well, for now at least. We'll see how it looks after the rain storm next week. But for now, it's looking pretty good.I'm still struggling a bit with cracking. I've been playing with different ratios of sand clay and straw over the past month. My
- [Community Table: Finishing the sill plates](https://offgridburbia.com/community-table-finishing-the-sill-plates/) - I've become a regular at the Community Table project. This Saturday I was able to rope in Jean and some friends to volunteer with me. We're close to wrapping up carving all the floor timbers which puts us close to 50% complete overall.Jean boring out a mortise on a floor sill plate.Currell and Regan cleaning
- [T-Brick Shed: Doors and Plaster](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-doors-and-plaster/) - Wall plastered a week beforeWork goes on in the plastering department. Sifting out the bigger lumps makes a huge difference. The plaster applies well and looks good. When it dries it you can run your hand along the wall and nothing sloughs/dusts off like it did before plastering. However, some hairline cracks are still forming.
- [Community Table](https://offgridburbia.com/community-table/) - I came across the volunteer opportunity in one of my natural building forums to build a pavillion that will serve as a meeting area and dining hall at the Community First! Village in east Austin. The village is a development of affordable micro/small homes.The structure will be timber frame mortise and tenon construction. That means,
- [T-Brick Shed: Wall Leveling](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-wall-leveling/) - We had a relatively cool August which gave me false hope that September would be more fallish rather than summerish. So with the building pretty well protected I felt I could skive off until cooler temperatures arrive. A few days this month I've dabbled with the first leveling coat of plaster. The walls are pretty
- [T-Brick Shed: A Little Labo(u)r on Labor Day](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-a-little-labour-on-labor-day/) - So I managed to cajole my bride into spending her Labor day working on the shed. We got a lot done including installing the door frame, a screen window and some mud detail work.Passing cob balls through the windowThe threshold solidified quite nicelyCapping the walls insideInstalling the door frame.It took some shimming and pounding with
- [T-Brick Shed: Thresholds and Windows](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-thresholds-and-windows/) - This thresholds needs some TLCAfter the push to get the roof on, I took a couple of weeks off from the shed. It was nice knowing that as August turn unseasonably wet the it wasn't going to melt away.I got back to business last week. There are still lots of details to go before plastering.
- [T-Brick Shed: Progression Video](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-progression-video/) - Apart from finishing securing the metal panels I took a breather from the shed this weekend. At the end of this month it will be a year since I started the project. Here are a couple of time lapse videos I put together of our progress thus far.
- [T-Brick Shed: Drip Edge, Felt Paper and Roof Paneling](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-drip-edge-felt-paper-and-roof-paneling/) - Give a cob house a good pair of boots and a good hat and she'll last forever.- Old English sayingO frabjuous day! It's been a long time coming but the shed now has permanent rain protection. Hurrah!First task of the day was trimming off the decking extending out past the flying rafters and fascia boards.
- [T-Brick Shed: Rafters and Decking](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-rafters-and-decking/) - This weekend we attached the rafters, fascia boards and installed the decking. It's beginning to look very roof like.Cutting a short rafter to install on the pony wall. Sure is nice to have a shady work space.Installing the short rafter on the pony wall.All rafters are attached apart from ones on either outside edge (flying
- [T-Brick Shed: Pony Wall Infill and Laying out the Rafters](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-pony-wall-infill-and-laying-out-the-rafters/) - We collected several interesting larger bottles whilst gathering beer bottles for the bottle wall on the south wall. I decided to put them to use infilling the western and eastern pony walls. I mixed up a batch of cob with an extra helping of straw. As the infill is as much bottle as well I
- [T-Brick Shed: Installing Bond Beam and Pony walls](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-installing-bond-beam-and-pony-walls/) - Sorry for the reporting delay. I started getting these on my computer:The dreaded BSODAnd it's taken me a couple of weeks to get it sorted out. All is well now though.We're on to the conventional building portion of our natural building project. Natural roofing options are few and tend to be difficult any time consuming.Setting
- [T-Brick Shed: Preliminary Roof Design](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-preliminary-roof-design/) - Here's a design I came up with this weekend for a monoslope roof. Granted, it's not terribly original nor natural it should do the job and be relatively easy to construct. Sheathed with plywood and metal panels.Here's the framing detail for the roof. We'll infill the side jack walls with cob and wine bottles(something like
- [T-Brick Shed:18th Course](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed18th-course/) - Summer has definitely arrived. It got up to a balmy 96 degrees today with a heat index over 100 degrees. Fortunately, the heavy lifting is just about over. Over last Friday and today we knocked out the 18th (and final) course. Whew!Installed the door lintelWestern wall complete! Yay! The good thing about 90+ degree temperatures
- [T-Brick Shed: 17th course](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-17th-course/) - "We sit in the mud... and reach for the stars" - Ivan Turgenev"Another one [course] bites the dust."- Queen On a rare sunny day we knocked out the 17th course. Only one more to go!Those tendrils are poly strapping. They'll secure the bond beam to the last two courses serving to tie the walls together.I filled
- [T-Brick Shed: 16th Course Down, Two to Go!](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-16th-course-down-two-to-go/) - Over the past month central Texas has been experiencing some extreme rain events which causes problems for us on several fronts:1) The yard where we get our dirt from closes down in wet weather (sometimes for days) because their equipment gets stuck.2) With a wetter mix of the forms have to stay on longer, so
- [T-Brick Shed: 14th and 15th Course](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-14th-and-15th-course/) - After two months of skiving off we're finally getting back to it. My friend Jeremy and his indentured servants joined us Saturday to finish off the 14th course and get into the fifteenth.Looks like our little building is outgrowing its tarps. Some water damage. Good thing it's easy to patchJeremy on the wall with Clara
- [Santa Fe: A Research Opportunity](https://offgridburbia.com/santa-fe-a-research-opportunity/) - Sorry, for the lack of shed updates. Taking two vacations in less than two months has really cut into my building time. It's a tough life, I know. On our most recent trip we did get an opportunity to do a little adobe research. On a road trip out west Jean and I stopped in
- [T-Brick Shed: An In-Law Assist](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-an-in-law-assist/) - When I was child, it seemed that whenever we had relatives visiting we would inevitably have some project going on. I remember laying down sod, doing decking and roofing with aunts, uncles and cousins. So, it's only keeping with family tradition that within a couple of hours of landing we had Jean's parents working on
- [Apartment Homesteading: Growing Sprouts in a Milk/Juice Carton](https://offgridburbia.com/apartment-homesteading-growing-sprouts-in-a-milk-juice-carton/) - Materials: Empty Carton, Funnel, Scissors, dry beansNo shed updates this week. Jean's parents will be visiting us soon. They'll be here for a few weeks so I wanted to leave enough for them to do to keep them out of trouble while Jean and I are at work.Instead of a shed update, here's the first
- [T-Brick Shed: Roles & Mud Delivery Logistics](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-roles-mud-delivery-logistics/) - So, I finally tricked someone who doesn't have the same last name as me into coming out and working on the shed. Cassandra is a good friend of ours who shares an interest in natural building. She's such a good a friend and so interested in natural building that she spent all day Saturday with
- [T-Brick Shed: 10th Course Complete](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-10th-course-complete/) - Checked off the 10th course yesterday and made a good start on the llth today. That brings the wall height to around five feet. The reach is beginning to get difficult. We're making do with step ladders for now but the time for scaffolding will be here soon.Adobe T-Brick Building: A CompositionBeginning of the bottle
- [T-Brick Shed: Eighth and Ninth Course Completed](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-eighth-and-ninth-course-completed/) - Over the past couple of weeks I've received lots of parental and spousal support to push the wall past the halfway point. From now on there are more courses behind us than ahead. Yay!I left the walls uncovered during the week and the seventh course dried up quite nicely.My drier mix caused the corners to
- [T-brick Shed: Seventh Course Completed](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-seventh-course-completed/) - Friday morning I had to pick up our car from the shop. Jean offered to give me a ride but it was such a nice day I decided to cycle.Plans are in the works to build a pedestrian/bike bridge up above but until then...Fording Barton CreekIt's been a couple of weeks since I last worked
- [T-Brick Shed: Sixth Course](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-sixth-course/) - My Mom forbade me from doing any work on the shed Christmas day. She didn't say anything about Boxing day though. I finished off the last of the dirt pile and made it about half way through the sixth course.Almost half way through the sixth course.Checking level. I'm keeping a close eye to make see
- [T-Brick Shed: Christmas Week](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-christmas-week/) - I had a few days off the week of Christmas so I was able to knock out the fourth and fifth course.About a quarter of the fourth course left to completeAnother issue I'm having with deadmen besides some cracking is that the deadmen cause the forms to stick. Here's one I flipped over. I think
- [T-Brick Shed: Third Course Completed](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-third-course-completed/) - Sunny days (or weekends rather) have returned at last. I knocked out the rest of the third course and made some modifications to my forms.Quite a bit of water is still pooled on the tarpThese forms have been on for a couple of weeks nowThe 18" and corner forms have a tendency to crack and
- [T-Brick Shed: Revised Plans](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-revised-plans/) - While the rain this weekend kept me from getting in any construction, it do give me the opportunity to revisit my original design and make some revisions. Here's what I came up with.
- [T-Brick Shed: Second Course](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-second-course/) - If you can't image molten lava cake, it looks like this While it was overcast and kind of gloomy most of the weekend it didn't rain which awesome. I was able to work on the the shed most of Friday and Sunday afternoon. The blocks I made last week looked really good. No slumping! My
- [T-Brick Shed: Post Flood](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-post-flood/) - The Buda area got somewhere in the vicinity of 20 inches of rain in the past two weeks. Buda gets on average 37 inches of rain per a year. So, I was anxious/excited to see what kind of damage the flood had done to our little construction project. My Mom had looked under the tarp
- [T-Brick Shed: First Course](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-first-course/) - Laying out the forms for the first course. We have five 12"X12" forms and one 18"X12" form.Forms are all filled in. Now for the moment of truth, removing the first form. It's had roughly half an hour to set upThe form slid off fairly easilyAnd the block kept its large fudge like shapeThe 12"X12" was
- [Earthbag Blitz](https://offgridburbia.com/earthbag-blitz/) - I took the weekend off from the T-brick shed because:A) I wanted to give the footer/grade beam a little more time to dry out.B) There was an Earthbag blitz this weekend!Earthbag uses the same adobe mix as T-brick but rather than using a rigid wooden form to build the walls it uses raschel bags. Raschel
- [T-Brick Shed: Pouring the Footer](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-pouring-the-footer/) - Dad finished up the forms earlier in the week so we were able pour the footer today. A footer is the surface on which the building rests. In stick frame structures typically use a concrete footer. A footer serves a couple of purposes:1) It helps distribute the weight of the building. In a stick frame
- [T-Brick Shed: Finishing the Foundation](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-finishing-the-foundation/) - The last load of gravel for a grand total of five cubic yards. There are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard. The trench is averages around 22" wide X 12" deep X 48 linear feet. I calculate that at 88 cubic feet or 3.25 cubic yards. Maybe it's all that tampingTampity, tamp, tampRakety, rake,
- [T-Brick Shed: Finishing the French Drain](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-finishing-the-french-drain/) - Finished up the installation of the french drain and went through two and a half cubic yards of gravel today. Getting kind of tired of gravel.Here we are in the process of covering up the perforated tubing. As an aside, Google hasn't been very forthcoming in answering a burning question I have. The french drain
- [T-Brick Shed: Rubble Trench French Drain Installation](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-rubble-trench-french-drain-installation/) - The last thing Jean told me before she left for the UK was that I had better finish the shed project before she gets back or else. The trench was a little soggy still but I decided to press on with the french drain installation for fear what that else may be (Although, I'm hoping
- [T-Brick Shed: Testing](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-testing/) - I had planned on starting installation of the french drain and rubble trench foundation today but unfortunately/fortunately it rained earlier in the week. According to my parents' neighbor it was a real gully washer clocking around 4 inches. So, the formerly rock hard soil has gotten a little squishy, especially the lower end of the
- [T-Brick Shed: Trench Leveling and Form Building](https://offgridburbia.com/t-brick-shed-trench-leveling-and-form-building/) - The MattockWe spend part of the Labor day weekend leveling and widening the foundation trench. I bought a Mattock on Friday which made the work significantly easier. We had planned to pick up gravel today but the supplier was closed for the Labor day holiday so instead we built a form that hopefully make it
- [Adobe T-Brick Shed: Trenching the Foundation](https://offgridburbia.com/adobe-t-brick-shed-trenching-the-foundation/) - The plan is to put in a rubble trench foundation. A rubble trench is a trench filled with rubble or gravel. Clever eh? The benefits are of the rubble trench are:No concrete required. The trench will be filled up to grade level and the building will be built directly on it.The rubble drains water away
- [Adobe T-Brick Shed: Concept and Design](https://offgridburbia.com/adobe-t-brick-shed-concept-and-design/) - As a test project for working with earthen materials I'm planning to build a small tool/storage shed. For the wall system I'm using cast In-situ Adobe T-brick technique. With traditional adobe, bricks are made in large forms on the ground. Once the bricks have dried they are used to construct the wall. With the T-brick
- [One Year: A Review in Pictures](https://offgridburbia.com/one-year-a-review-in-pictures/) - Note: If you watch the slide show in full screen mode, the Show Infobutton will give you details about the photo date, location and related post
- [](https://offgridburbia.com/750-2/) - "For dessert I'll have a fruit tart and my wife will have a loaf of bread." - Aaron at Elite Cafe in Fort Cochin, India

## Pages

- [Plans](https://offgridburbia.com/plans/)
- [About Us](https://offgridburbia.com/about-us/) - We (Jean & Aaron) live in an off grid* self built cabin on a suburban 1/2 acre property in central Texas. Aaron is interested in natural building, alternative energy, building science, permaculture design, small scale food production and animal husbandry. Jean is very tolerant of Aaron's interests. Contact Us aaron@offgridburbia.com
- [Olive Oil Soap Recipe](https://offgridburbia.com/plans/olive-oil-soap-recipe/) - Olive Oil Soap RecipeDownload
- [Latest Updates](https://offgridburbia.com/latest-updates/)
- [Earth Berm Cottage](https://offgridburbia.com/projects/earth-berm-cabin/)
- [Projects](https://offgridburbia.com/projects/) - Active Extending the loft in the timberframe cabin and taking in a portion of the covered porch for a larger dining/living room space. Previous An 18' x 12' earth bermed structure. Features a living roof, light clay straw infill walls, and outdoor shower. Click on the image for more details. A 16 foot by 24
- [Workshops/ Work Parties](https://offgridburbia.com/workshops-work-parties/) - Have questions? Want to get on the waiting class for a full workshop? Email me at aaron@offgridburia.com Sign up to be notified about future workshops Previous Workshops/Work Parties
- [Timber Frame Cabin](https://offgridburbia.com/projects/timber-frame-cabin/) - Posts
- [T-Brick Shed](https://offgridburbia.com/projects/t-brick-shed-2/) - Posts

## Categories

- [Uncategorized](https://offgridburbia.com/category/uncategorized/)
- [Plumbing](https://offgridburbia.com/category/plumbing/)
- [Timber Frame Cabin](https://offgridburbia.com/category/timber-frame-cabin/)
- [Plaster](https://offgridburbia.com/category/plaster/)
- [Electrical](https://offgridburbia.com/category/electrical/)
- [Straw Light Clay](https://offgridburbia.com/category/natural-building/straw-light-clay/)
- [Water](https://offgridburbia.com/category/water/)
- [Framing](https://offgridburbia.com/category/framing/)
- [Roof](https://offgridburbia.com/category/roof/)
- [Porch](https://offgridburbia.com/category/timber-frame-cabin/porch/)
- [Timber Framing](https://offgridburbia.com/category/framing/timber-framing/)
- [Foundation](https://offgridburbia.com/category/foundation/)
- [Reference](https://offgridburbia.com/category/reference/)
- [Floor](https://offgridburbia.com/category/floor/)
- [Site Preparation](https://offgridburbia.com/category/site-preparation/)
- [Homesteading](https://offgridburbia.com/category/homesteading/)
- [Natural Building](https://offgridburbia.com/category/natural-building/)
- [Quail](https://offgridburbia.com/category/animals/quail/)
- [T-Brick Shed](https://offgridburbia.com/category/t-brick-shed/)
- [Apartment Homesteading](https://offgridburbia.com/category/homesteading/apartment-homesteading/)
- [Gardening](https://offgridburbia.com/category/gardening/)
- [Quotes](https://offgridburbia.com/category/quotes/)
- [Community Table](https://offgridburbia.com/category/community-table/)
- [Earthbag](https://offgridburbia.com/category/natural-building/earthbag/)
- [Review](https://offgridburbia.com/category/review/)
- [Animals](https://offgridburbia.com/category/animals/)
- [Chickens](https://offgridburbia.com/category/animals/chickens/)
- [Workshops](https://offgridburbia.com/category/workshops/)
- [Swimming Pond](https://offgridburbia.com/category/swimming-pond/)
- [OSSF](https://offgridburbia.com/category/ossf/)
- [Earth Berm Cottage](https://offgridburbia.com/category/earth-berm-cottage/)
- [Cob](https://offgridburbia.com/category/natural-building/cob/)
- [Earthen Plaster](https://offgridburbia.com/category/natural-building/earthen-plaster/)
- [Doors & Windows](https://offgridburbia.com/category/doors-windows/)
- [Weather Related](https://offgridburbia.com/category/weather-related/)
- [HVAC](https://offgridburbia.com/category/hvac/)

## Tags

- [Troubleshooting](https://offgridburbia.com/tag/troubleshooting/)
- [tiny house](https://offgridburbia.com/tag/tiny-house/)
- [earth sheltered tiny house](https://offgridburbia.com/tag/earth-sheltered-tiny-house/)
- [framing](https://offgridburbia.com/tag/framing/)
- [cob](https://offgridburbia.com/tag/cob/)
- [light clay straw](https://offgridburbia.com/tag/light-clay-straw/)
- [slip straw](https://offgridburbia.com/tag/slip-straw/)
- [diy](https://offgridburbia.com/tag/diy/)
- [natural building](https://offgridburbia.com/tag/natural-building/)
- [earthen plaster](https://offgridburbia.com/tag/earthen-plaster/)
- [earthen floor](https://offgridburbia.com/tag/earthen-floor/)
- [natural build](https://offgridburbia.com/tag/natural-build/)
- [cob floor](https://offgridburbia.com/tag/cob-floor/)
- [outdoor shower](https://offgridburbia.com/tag/outdoor-shower/)
- [timber frame](https://offgridburbia.com/tag/timber-frame/)