Sure. Why not?
Discussion
Seems legit 🤷♀️
this is so funny! We nearly going there tbf. But I still NEED fiber optic internet! 🤓🤣
I don't. But... It would be nice. I think, eventually, I'll probably give up the internet at home.
When I say "we" I meant my fam lol. But I am no where near to this though. It is a wishful thinking. ☺️
It's not so wishful for me. I'm capable of building a very cozy sod house.
so what is stopping you?
Money, time, and taxation regimes.
It makes sense. Hopefully you get there soon 🤞🤞🤞
I won't, but, that's OK. I'll get there eventually.
Thoughts on managing humidity in a sod-roofed or otherwise "underground" home?
airflow.
That will work, but then you need to heat and cool the incoming air.
Counterflow air-to-air heat exchanger?
the “earth-ship” method.
greenhouse on the front of the house, large thermal mass on the back. greenhouse has manual vents on top, thermal mass has a culvert coming though it. to cool the house, you open greenhouse vents and cooling tube. to heat, close cooling tube.
I know the theory, but the blogs I read by people living in them complain endlessly about mould and humidity.
Sealing the walls properly should help. Wood fire, too, as long as sufficiently ventilated.
You could seal the walls with clay.
Clay will release and absorb moisture, from both air and surrounding soil. Great for traditional ovens, not great for a room with books, electronics...
Drywall: same problems.
Concrete less so but still permeable. Can be sealed on the surface but risk of water pressure pushing it off after rains.
Metal will corrode.
Not fond of fibre-reinforced plastic, but maybe best option.,,?
You could fire the whole interior... 😅
Y'know, best idea yet!
I have good ideas at times.
You do.
I could also wimp out and tile everything. Less dramatic failure modes, but nowhere near as fun...
Tile is hard to come by if you're building with materials you find on the land. Fired mud brick comes to mind.
Mud brick will still be porous unless first hard-fired then glazed. Finding adequate clay isn't THAT hard around here, but firing at a high enough temperature is.
Hmmm. Gets really hard if you depend on locally made materials.
Firing them isn't too hard. Glazing might be more difficult, but, not impossible.
Yes, but, every place holds the solution to the issues, it seems.
Traditional Finnish sauna style
I don't know enough about those.
they used to build a small log house without windows, and would light a fire in the center of the room. keep it going for a while, then add stones, let it smoke and burn all day. then let it burn out, and sit in there smacking themselves with oak branches. quite a party.
Women would give birth in there, because they believed the smoke and steam drove out the evil spirits. which is another way of saying the heat, smoke, and steam completely sterilized the room.
