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Homesteading

"When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe." --Thomas Jefferson. Rural America now accounts for just 16 percent of the nation's population, the lowest ever. In 1910, the population share of rural America was 72 percent, with rural areas holding a majority of Americans until 1950.

"A prudent man sees danger and hides himself; but the simple go on, and suffer for it" Proverbs 22:3.

Notes and resources

Driveways

  • BlueMaxMaterials.com. Sells gravel pavers. See Gravel Pavers PDF.
  • core6systems.com. COREgravel® gravel stabilizer panels are made from recycled or virgin PP (polypropylene) material, and the underside incorporates a durable geotextile that prevents weed growth without sacrificing drainage. Top 4 benefits: (1) Stabilize gravel. Get gravel to stay put, no ruts, no sinking, no problems. (2) Its' Green. Environmentally friendly porous paving allows the rain to drain over entire surface. (3) It's Beautiful. A pea gravel walkway or gravel driveway offers stunning curb appeal. (4) Low Cost. This permeable paving costs less than concrete, asphalt, or block pavers.
  • coregravel.ca. Based in Canada. Stabilized Gravel and Turf Surfaces.

Hacienda Style House

Dome homes

  • InterShelter Dome. FEMA-approved dome home. It's a hurricane resistant dome shelter, made of a high-tech aerospace composite material. Insulated to stay warm or cool in extreme weather. One Dome can be assembled by three people in two hours with nothing more than a screwdriver, wrench and step ladder. See pricing here.
  • AmericanIngenuityDomes. Made of concrete and insulated on the inside. Cheaper than the above InterShelter Domes.
  • EconoDome. Has some cool floor plans. See here. The 30 foot diameter, 2-story, 1400 sq. ft. floorplan is the most interesting to me, with room for 3 bedrooms, 2 bath, kitchen, utility and living room.
  • NaturalSpacesDomes.
  • TimberlineGeodesics. The "Birch" 35 foot diameter, 2-story, 1994 sq. ft. home kit will cost from $37K to $57K depending on add-ons. However, you have to add costs for foundation/slab, plumbing & electrical, roofing, interior partition walls, insulation, flooring, septic syste, etc. See here for a breakdown of one homeowner's estimated costs. It may take another $50-$60K or more to finish it.

Solar power - Solar panels, etc.

Consider going partial-solar. That is, stay connected to the grid, but use solar to handle 25% of your needs. For example, use solar to take care of your lights and low-power demanding appliances (e.g. computers, refrigerator, etc) and use the grid for the heavier appliances such as washer, dryer, electric stove, etc. In Tennessee, for a single-family home, such a system would require a 2 kWp (kilowatt-peak) system size taking 200 sq. ft. of space. The estimated cost is $14K or $9K after incentives (i.e. credits and rebates from state and federal). If you want to go completely "off the grid", you are looking at 4 times the power and cost. (Each kWp generates 105 to 135 kWh of electricity each month.) So, in this example, we estimated 900 kW per month usage. This calculator from FindSolar will give you a more accurate idea, since it's based on your actual zip code (so they can tell how much sun you're getting) and how much you're paying for electricity each month (so they can tell how much electricity you're using). Here is another calculator from Sharp with more information on costs, savings, etc. Of course, the above says nothing about a DIY project.

In Tennessee: The Clean TN Energy Grant Program ended for this year (April, 2012), but it will be available for the next 3 years. Currently you get a 30% federal tax credit, 1 year accelerated depreciation, and a $1000 payment from TVA. TVA will pay you $0.12 per kWh over the retail rate for 10 years. However, the $0.12 premium is reduced to $0.09 starting in 10/1/2012, then $0.06 in 2014, then $0.03 in 2015, and no premium after 2015. Also, TVA will only pay the premium on the amount you use. Tennessee Solar Energy.

  • I Installed a Power Plant Myself | HUGE DIY Solar Panel System. Duration 12:24. A professional DIY installation by a first-timer. Free information available online from the author.
  • Wholesale Solar. A pallet of 22 each, CHSM 6610P 250-Watt solar panels for $5,225.00 as of 1/8/2013, or $0.95 per watt. Amazingly cheap. Add the inverter ($2-3K), wiring, and batteries, and you have a system. For a typical home, you probably need two pallets at a cost of $10K+ for the solar panels.
  • Installing your own small, remote off-grid solar system. Posted 4/1/2008.
  • Solar Power. Tennessee Valley Authority information page on solar power. On average, a 10-kW PV system located in the Tennessee Valley will generate between 12,000 to 14,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) a year, or a little more than the total amount of electricity used in a typical home.
  • SolarEdge. Has a grid-tie (24-solar panel, one-inverter, no batteries) system priced at $12,000 or $2 per watt which is on the high end, but gives an idea of what an average home (at 800 kWh/month usage) would cost. This system qualifies for a Federal Tax Credit of 30% of the installed cost. One producing up to 1,300 kWh/month costs $20,000 here. It has 40 solar panels and 2 inverters.
  • Installing a Solar Energy System. Christ Martenson site. First discusses solar heating then solar panels.
  • Saving Electricity. Contains tons of information on solar and everything electricity.
  • The Cost of Solar Panels. Pricing guides and solar energy costs.
  • Cheapest Solar Panels. Average of $1 to $2 per watt.
  • Nanosolar.com (film-based solar cells). Company produces large-scale, cheap solar electricity (article written in 2006, so it's old). A more recent article here. The company started selling panels mid-December 2007, and plans to sell them at around $1 per watt. When first announced that was just one fifth the price of the silicon cells, but in 2010 brand name silicon cells sell from around $1.70 reducing Nanosolar's cost advantage significantly.
  • Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency. Map of all the U.S. states.
  • Residential Energy Credits (IRS Form 5695). (This one is for 2011.) Allows federal income tax deductions for solar electric property costs, solar water heating property costs, geothermal heat pump property costs, etc. This is the Federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC), and there is substantial savings.
  • Tennessee: Sales Tax Credit for Clean Energy Technology. No need to pay sales tax on the equipment, assuming it is installed by a contractor.
  • Kansas Wind Power. Make your own electricity with Solar, Wind, Hydro & Diesel Generator. Lots of products and ideas for generating electricity.
  • Sunelco. The Sun Electric Company. Has education on good practices regarding solar.
  • 20 Watt Economy Do-It-Yourself Solar Energy Kit. Charges a 12V 18AH Sealed battery. Costs $300.00.
  • (YoutTube) OffGridSolarGuy. Homepage of a guy who educates on setting up a solar system.
  • Portable Solar Power Biz. Sells Lithium batteries with their systems.

    Solar power vendors:

Passive solar heating/cooling

Solar lighting/heating

Solar heating/air conditioning using pop cans or aluminum downspouts

Concrete or ICF (Insulating Concrete Form) Homes

Concrete Slab and Floor Heating

If you have tall ceilings or great rooms or large vaults or open staircase, heating the floor (rather than the volume of air) makes sense.

  • Foam and Pouring Slab. To insulate the slab.
  • Form-a-drain. Form-a-drain is designed to be used instead of wood to form the edges of concrete footings. Sold by CertainTeed.
  • Slab-On-Grad Foundation Insulation. Includes a useful diagram on where to put the vapor barrier (15-mil is preferable), rigid insulation, drainage, etc. Read also Slab Insulation.
  • How Are the Plumbing Pipes Installed in a Slab-Floored House?
  • Run all water & sewer pipes through even *larger* pipes so they can be replaced if there is a plumbing problem. All wiring would be run through large PVC.
  • Conditioned Crawl vs. Elevated Slab or Floor. Good discussion on elevated slab approach. The elevated slab prevents the damp and moss from building at the outside base of the house.
  • In-slab Heat Cable. Rather than using a liquid system (i.e. hot-water, in-floor heat using PEX tubing). However, seems that Heat Cable is more costly--about $500 per 100 sq. ft. Generally, electric radiant floor heating systems are the most practical, flexible choice for most projects. Because hydronic radiant heat systems require a boiler, initial installation can be costly. However, for large floor heating jobs, a hydronic heat system can have a lower operational cost than its electric counterpart. However, electric radiant heat is far less expensive to install, easily customizable and requires less maintenance. To read more: What are Radiant Heated Floors? Costs about $15/month during winter months to heat the house.
  • The hot water systems are more mainstream. They are straightforward and easy to install. They can be run with hot water heaters, or specialized heavy-duty hot water heaters, or dedicated boilers. Since PEX is designated for potable, the entire system could be integrated with your regular hot/cold plumbing. Even after going through the heating loop the returning water was still warmer than from the street, cutting down the energy needed to generate more hot water. Incorporating a geothermal heat pump and/or an auxillary external wood (or whatever) boiler can really save.
  • Radiant Floor Company. Has installation video to purchase or hunt on YouTube. For example, How to Install Radiant Floor Heat Tubing in a Slab On Grade.
  • Geothermal heating and cooling system. Using geothermal system on a floor hydronic heat system.
  • Design and construction of energy efficient and zero energy homes. Has lots of great ideas. See videos: Solar Powered Homes.

House plans

Bunker & Shipping Container "Homes"

  • Google: "Underground bunker plans".
  • Bunker using a Storage Tank. Shows pictures. Modifications might include: bury it completely, attach an anode to keep it from corroding, triple coat it in protective spray, encase the entire thing in reinforced cement, give it an L hallway entrance and two emergency tunnels.
  • DeepEarthBunker.com. Steel storm bunkers. Also see: Complete underground bunker kit. A complete, in then ground price for a 8'8" x 20' bunker is approximately $36K.
  • (YouTube) Shipping Container As An Underground Shelter. Posted 12/23/2009. Final attempt to record building of an underground shelter using a 20 ft. shipping container. For those wondering why I didn't simply pile dirt over it without pouring a concrete cap first..... These containers are mostly sheet metal. Heavy duty as it is, the roof and sides will push inwards from the weight. Eventually the metal will rust through and you'll be buried alive. Problem is, you'd better keep an eye on your sump pump. Also see: Burying a Shipping Container or CONEX, by Danny Papa. Posted 3/9/2009. Prepping and burying a shipping container for underground storage and protection. PLEASE NOTE: The cost involved in reinforcing the weak walls may be more than it's worth. Better to building entirely in reinforced concrete.
  • ModSpace. Sells mobile storage, office, etc.

Canvas Tent Cabins

Wood burning, Gasifiers, etc.

Security, self defense, firearms

"There are going to be situations where people are going to go without assistance. That's just the facts of life." - Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl Gates

Home defense starts with the outside perimeter. You don't want to wait until bad guys are inside your home and next thing you know, your in a shootout, Putting you and your loved ones in danger. Cameras, motion detecting lights, attention grabbing strobe lights, a guard dog, robust locks and doors, provide multiple layers of security/deterrence. Guns should be the last resort. If you shop around wisely, you can put up multiple security layers for pretty cheap.