First off: TUAK Management has informed me that we need a name change here. Since it’s now sorta-kinda underground, henceforth it’ll be known as Ian’s Cave.
Lots more dirt could be hauled to blend it into the hill better, if we could only figure out how to pay somebody else to do it. But the dome and powerhouse are as buried as they’re ever going to be anyway. If you click for embiggenation you can see the heat exchanger for the water heater and the mast for the cell antenna, though clearly some prettying-up remains. We’ll be moving the solar panels up here at some point as well.
Ian has spent the past several weeks working on the interior…
First he finished the interior stucco, which was a real joy. It instantly transformed the interior space from “unusually horrible warehouse” to “unusually horrible warehouse with white walls.” Then he vacuumed up a brazillion tons of stucco dust, which helped a lot toward making the place livable. Seriously the white stucco does allow you to move around even in the storage space in the very rear without the need for a caver’s helmet.
Believe it or not, he actually got a final sign-off with that shower. And now it’s got hot water. Ian tells me the construction of an actual artsy shower stall is the next step now that the kitchen is functional. He didn’t stucco in here because he has other plans for the walls.
Bedroom with built-ins. That’s the same cedar T&G siding I used, only vertical to accommodate the curved walls. For a ceiling, we stretched a bunch of white canvas. Still needs some trim. Unlike me, he may actually install his.
There’s the new, improved Forgotten Weapons Central.
And of course the heart of any self-respecting man’s cave, the library. Ian tells me this is the first time he’s ever had all his books together in one place.
In reviewing my pics I realize I completely missed taking any shots of the kitchen, but it’s still kind of a disaster area anyway. Needs a great deal of cabinetry, TBD. Fully functional, though! Yesterday he hooked up the propane for his stove, and his permanent sink is up on temporary concrete blocks. This morning we moved in the fridge, which will properly stress test his electrical system.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO not pex…..man, I hate that stuff.
Have you had to pay for copper lately? I like pex well enough (especially with the dialator tool rather than crimping rings) and it’s the only economical choice. It’s also quite a bit more tolerant of freezing than copper too.
Yeah, man. I’ve done it with copper, iron and PVC, and in terms of ease of use Pex is the way to go.
Wait a sec, what do you mean signed off on the shower? Do you require permits out there?
For residential buildings, yeah. Not for agricultural or utility.
So you’re living in an agricultural outbuilding? Cool! 😉
Congrats to Ian. that looks like quite an accomplishment.
Or utility. Whatever works. 😉
Yeah, he’s gotten a lot done so far this summer.
Reminds me of my place last year – kinda.
I started with a field, or meadow if you’re upmarket. Lived there from the get go. Finished is better.
I did use Pex and crimp rings in the plumbing. Lots of small leaks which I never had with copper. All fixed now so guess it’s ok. As R says, it handles freezing better.
Refrigerators will test solar, especially this winter when the sun doesn’t shine much and he’s run down his batteries a few times.. Ian might want to get a state of charge meter and make sure the batteries cycle from 80-100% each day. Down to 50% on an irregular basis is ok but not much of that if he wants them to last more than a couple of years.
He might want to go with a propane frig. Mine works great.
I hate propane fridges – I’ve used 3 different ones over the years, and they all sucked. I think it’s because the altitude here is getting close to the maximum practical for them. Anyway, I checked my batteries first thing this morning, after the first night running the fridge and before the sun came up. Voltage (on my 24V system) was at 25.1V, which is 92% charged.
PEx is awesome. Why the hate?