Terra-Dome Earth Shelter Build

[SamWalton]

Sam, I am really enjoying following your projects! Glad Kyle has such sharp eyes! Thanks, Brian

That is for sure! I will make sure he wears his gloves and glasses when he is working at the house.

 

[SamWalton]

Sam, that looks like pretty good progress. You got holes through the footings for electric etc.--we didn't. There have been a bunch of holes drilled (at $250 each) in the footings, plus our extra work trying to make the low spots on the roof not collect water...the concrete work could have been better. Your waterproofing looks pretty nicely applied.

Nice view of the house in 007. Hope you get tons more done this year.

We're getting an update from our contractor tomorrow on schedule; hopefully it will still be happening in December. I'd really like to refinance this year...

Steve

Steve,

We weren't sure about all the requirements for footing penetrations so we just cut eight rigid plastic conduits taped the ends closed and poured our footing over them. We are going to use all eight even if they are for future rough-in that may never get used. I knew boring through the footings was costly from someone else experience. It is a rough job forcing out the original pipe to insert a usable one but worth every moment.

We also have some low spots where water collects. I am looking for a product that we can apply over the Ecoline-T and R. I am thinking hot tar or a mixture that will harden via chemical reaction. We could pour in these low spots and get them to slope to the sides.

Appling the Ecoline-T and R was difficult. We brushed and rolled into the many imperfections to assure no water/ice could cause cracking on the cement structure. I am pretty sure the Berylex additive sealed out the water leaks on 90% of the roof. The cold joints and straps are the real concern.

 

[jayste]

Sam, good progress. I know absolutely nothing about earth sheltered buildings so it's all new to me. One thing that isn't new though are those blackjack oaks around your house! Actually, if I didn't know any better I'd think you were next door! Also, your house reminds me of the bomb bunkers at the McAlester ammunition depot in a way. Those have been there for years. I have noticed that a few years ago they had the earth removed from on top of them and added some tarp material and didn't put the earth back on? Anyway, looking forward to future progress.

Jay

 

[jinman]

Sam, good progress. I know absolutely nothing about earth sheltered buildings so it's all new to me. One thing that isn't new though are those blackjack oaks around your house!

Jay, our area in Tx is referred to by ol' timers as "little jack" because of all the scrub blackjack oak trees. It looks very much like Sam's place. This time of year, the only thing that adds color to the woods is cedars and blackjacks. The cedars are green and the blackjacks have reddish-brown leaves, but they hold onto them all through the winter and drop them just before budding out in the spring. All the postoaks lost their leaves a couple of weeks ago and stand bare all winter long. Along creeksides and bottom land we see lots of pecans that have dropped their nuts but not their leaves and big cottonwoods with bright yellow leaves. More than any other time of the year, it's easy to spot the different trees by their fall colors. Sam's place sure looks similar.

Sam, great progress on you house. I'm just an observer who notices that building your earth sheltered house has very few things in common with a stick-built house. It's like the difference between math and calculus.

Nice photo of that black widow. We find them from time-to-time, but we see many scorpions. Do you have scorpions in your area?

 

[jayste]

Jay, our area in Tx is referred to by ol' timers as "little jack" because of all the scrub blackjack oak trees. It looks very much like Sam's place. This time of year, the only thing that adds color to the woods is cedars and blackjacks. The cedars are green and the blackjacks have reddish-brown leaves, but they hold onto them all through the winter and drop them just before budding out in the spring. All the postoaks lost their leaves a couple of weeks ago and stand bare all winter long. Along creeksides and bottom land we see lots of pecans that have dropped their nuts but not their leaves and big cottonwoods with bright yellow leaves. More than any other time of the year, it's easy to spot the different trees by their fall colors. Sam's place sure looks similar.

Sam, great progress on you house. I'm just an observer who notices that building your earth sheltered house has very few things in common with a stick-built house. It's like the difference between math and calculus.

Nice photo of that black widow. We find them from time-to-time, but we see many scorpions. Do you have scorpions in your area?

Jim, same here. Blackjacks and Eastern Red Cedar=(quickly becoming the thorn in every farmer and ranchers side). I grimace everytime I've got to cut a limb or a whole blackjack tree that's dead. Like cutting through iron with a chain saw! If Sams area is like ours he'll start seeing those old scorpions show up in that new house. I find them alot in cool, moist and dark places here. mainly in the "fraidy hole". (storm cellar)

Jay

 

[moeh1]

Sam, how is your area of the country for radon?
Up here, it is a potential basement concern depending on the soil makeup which varies greatly and a decent idea to run a check. I know alot of our is from uranium rocks that the glaciers brought down from Canada, doubt they got down as far as you!

 

[dave1949]

Sam, how is your area of the country for radon?
Up here, it is a potential basement concern depending on the soil makeup which varies greatly and a decent idea to run a check. I know alot of our is from uranium rocks that the glaciers brought down from Canada, doubt they got down as far as you!

Good point. Now is the time to put in a radon abatement system - before you pour the concrete floors. Google 'EPA radon' for some good info. It is not expensive to prepare - now, it will be later.
Dave.

 

[SamWalton]

Sam, how is your area of the country for radon?
Up here, it is a potential basement concern depending on the soil makeup which varies greatly and a decent idea to run a check. I know alot of our is from uranium rocks that the glaciers brought down from Canada, doubt they got down as far as you!

We may have radon problems but the internal french drain will allow gasses to escape through the path of least resistance. I don't want to install a pump unless required.

 

[dave1949]

We may have radon problems but the internal french drain will allow gasses to escape through the path of least resistance. I don't want to install a pump unless required.

I don't know if you are making a good assumption there Sam.

We have a lot of radon gas here. I put radon collection loops in my stone below the slab, three loops and risers all tied together in the attic to one through the roof 4" vent stack. Did a radon test and had a reading of 3.5 - 4 picocuries/liter. Just at the safe recommended level.

I had issues with the ABS piping in the attic, should have used PVC to start with. It was leaking condensation at some joints after freezing and thawing. I blocked the risers off at the top of the walls and did another test - to see if I needed to fix it or not. That test came back at 15 pc/liter! Way too high.

So, I redid all the piping with PVC this Spring, waiting until January to run another test. That was the same month as the first test, just for a good comparison.

So, be fore warned. I have lots of french drains going to daylight under my slab. Apparently it is the chimney effect and thermal updraft that draws it up and out. I don't have a blower, just convection. If you put the collection loops in now and tie them to a riser or two, or at least bring them above the floor somewhere you could get to them if needed. I don't guess you will be going through the roof in any case.

For my installation, I could add an inline vertical blower in the attic if I had to. They make blowers specific for this applicatiion.

It's always a mystery as to how much radon is native to a building site and how much was 'delivered' from the quarry in stone and concrete aggregate.
For what it's worth- Dave.

 

[moeh1]

Sam, My experience is similar to as decribed above. I have perimeter French drains which go to a ground level crushed stone in the lawn and water isn't an issue but you could feel air coming in, not out of the basement slab drain hole I installed. SO I put a plug in. The french drains are supposed to be a great way to add a fan if needed, probably worth some plumbing consideration in case you ever want/need to add venting later. Just my two cents long distance, would love to be there taking this all in.....