Ok, how would you live and build your home ?

Catfish · 11-15-14, 07:19 PM

... in any context, just:
a) as the world is now..
b) if you expected a falling down of energy, and communications..
c) if all goes wrong, and you are on your own (maybe add children, relatives, friends..)

This was inspired (while i may have drank a bit) by another house/how do you live/Zombie apocalypse/survival thread.

What would you like to have thought of earlier, when something really bad happened, but you survived it by happenstance.
Like oil running out,
electricty fail (incorporating internet/telephone/communications fail),
buying anything in a store near you failed,
and so on.

Ok i do not expect that to happen anytime soon, but if you could design your own house, or way of living, what would you do or change ?
There may be different points of view, like age, personal fitness of craftmanship and so on .. just interested.

Skybird · 11-15-14, 07:28 PM

How many volumes of novels do you want for a reply?

I have prepared food and water and heating and light and such for 2 comfortable weeks or accordingly more weeks if rationing the resources. That's as far as I can get with my limited options. With detoriating health and a very unpleasant outlook in that regard, just surviving as long as possible is not necessarily my priority. Life quality and meaning of life I rank higher for me personally, and if these lack, I am ready to fold my cards earlier. Half of my financial assets is turned into precious metal. If there should be a prohibition coming for these, I know that liberty has come to its ultimate end and tyranny is all around. I then will grab a weapon and fight a last fight. I am 47, I have pains, I really do not expect nor want to live forever. Imortality I think is the utmost punishment in a universe of transitory things only: you only exist to see all that you loved and everything you liked, dying. That is cruel if it lasts forever. I am a happy mortal, therefor.

Oberon · 11-15-14, 07:42 PM

a) Fully powered by solar and wind energy, perhaps also water. Nice and open, with a well near by. As off the grid as possible in order to reduce amenities bills. Otherwise, a swimming pool would be nice, a garden model railway and man cave, lots of storage space for the items the wife would collect en mass and a similar house next door for the mother with the usual home-help items to help her out in her old age. Minus the pool and railway though, but she would like to keep chickens.

b) Same as the above but with less leisure items and more fortifications and farming material.

c) A castle with plenty of land for farming space.

ikalugin · 11-15-14, 09:27 PM

The issue is the self reliance on:
- basic safety.
- heating.
- water.
- food.
- power.

My point here is that a lot of complex systems (such as power generators) have a very limited life time, hence you either need the uber reliable systems (such as a long term solid nuclear power plant design with no moving parts in it and 0 maintenance life time of hundreds of years) or some sort of industrial capacity to keep your technology going (and replace it as it wears out).

However if it is a limited time period we are talking about (up to several years) then nothing could beat an old fashioned fall out shelter sufficiently stocked with expendables and with reliable equipment (water, air filters, power generator).

Eichhörnchen · 11-16-14, 04:02 AM

Agree with all of Oberon's suggestions, but on a more prosaic level (not in survivalist mode quite yet) I do regret not going for a bungalow when we bought the house. Much easier to get at roof for repairs etc. and wouldn't be as nervous when we get such strong winds as we do out here.

Ideally, a low peat-thatched dwelling like you see in old paintings of Highland scenes, or one sunk into the side of a hill and covered with turf.

Living in a tree ain't so much fun any more...

Jimbuna · 11-16-14, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oberon

a) Fully powered by solar and wind energy, perhaps also water. Nice and open, with a well near by. As off the grid as possible in order to reduce amenities bills. Otherwise, a swimming pool would be nice, a garden model railway and man cave, lots of storage space for the items the wife would collect en mass and a similar house next door for the mother with the usual home-help items to help her out in her old age. Minus the pool and railway though, but she would like to keep chickens.

b) Same as the above but with less leisure items and more fortifications and farming material.

c) A castle with plenty of land for farming space.

Works for me but only when minus the mother/mother-in-law

Catfish · 11-16-14, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Works for me but only when minus the mother/mother-in-law

^

Yes, Oberon summed it up nicely, would also work for me. Garden railway always was a dream ... but at least i already have two locomotives.

We already have a freshwater supply, or more a kind of hose 8 meters deep, to pump water from.
We also have solar collectors (coll. for warming water, no solar cells for electrical power), but it does not support the heating system - too few roof surface for that.
There's also a wood-burning oven installed, but its chimney is still below the roof. We also plan a smaller building along with a garage, for repairs, and as a man cave. Well maybe next summer..

In case of a power-out, our heating system would not work: No spark to ignite the gas, no electrical pumps for warm water convection.
I always thought it would be nice to have a strirling engine to pump water through the heating system, the engine would get heat to run from the oven, and would drive the circulatory pump .. no electrical current needed as long as you have wood, or coal.

I bought an english book some years ago, by John Seymour, title is "The new complete book of self-sufficiency", and i think it is great. You would need more time and acres for really being independent, but a lot of good ideas and how to build and maintain, with information on plants and harvesting; at least the basics.

Armistead · 11-16-14, 09:13 AM

Family has a farm in the foothills of Va, so I guess we would go there. Very few people around and most of us still have old farming skills should we need them...

I also keep a list of known preppers, so all failing, we arm and like aliens go from site to site feeding off their goods..

11-15-14, 07:19 PM	#1
Catfish Dipped Squirrel Operative Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: ..where the ocean meets the sky Posts: 17,805 Downloads: 38 Uploads: 0	Ok, how would you live and build your home ? ... in any context, just: a) as the world is now.. b) if you expected a falling down of energy, and communications.. c) if all goes wrong, and you are on your own (maybe add children, relatives, friends..) This was inspired (while i may have drank a bit) by another house/how do you live/Zombie apocalypse/survival thread. What would you like to have thought of earlier, when something really bad happened, but you survived it by happenstance. Like oil running out, electricty fail (incorporating internet/telephone/communications fail), buying anything in a store near you failed, and so on. Ok i do not expect that to happen anytime soon, but if you could design your own house, or way of living, what would you do or change ? There may be different points of view, like age, personal fitness of craftmanship and so on .. just interested.

11-15-14, 07:28 PM	#2
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,725 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	How many volumes of novels do you want for a reply? I have prepared food and water and heating and light and such for 2 comfortable weeks or accordingly more weeks if rationing the resources. That's as far as I can get with my limited options. With detoriating health and a very unpleasant outlook in that regard, just surviving as long as possible is not necessarily my priority. Life quality and meaning of life I rank higher for me personally, and if these lack, I am ready to fold my cards earlier. Half of my financial assets is turned into precious metal. If there should be a prohibition coming for these, I know that liberty has come to its ultimate end and tyranny is all around. I then will grab a weapon and fight a last fight. I am 47, I have pains, I really do not expect nor want to live forever. Imortality I think is the utmost punishment in a universe of transitory things only: you only exist to see all that you loved and everything you liked, dying. That is cruel if it lasts forever. I am a happy mortal, therefor. __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert. Last edited by Skybird; 11-15-14 at 07:40 PM.

11-16-14, 09:13 AM	#8
Armistead Rear Admiral Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: on the Dan Posts: 10,880 Downloads: 364 Uploads: 0	Family has a farm in the foothills of Va, so I guess we would go there. Very few people around and most of us still have old farming skills should we need them... I also keep a list of known preppers, so all failing, we arm and like aliens go from site to site feeding off their goods.. __________________ You see my dog don't like people laughing. He gets the crazy idea you're laughing at him. Now if you apologize like I know you're going to, I might convince him that you really didn't mean it.

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11-15-14, 07:42 PM	#3
Oberon Lucky Jack Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 25,976 Downloads: 61 Uploads: 20	a) Fully powered by solar and wind energy, perhaps also water. Nice and open, with a well near by. As off the grid as possible in order to reduce amenities bills. Otherwise, a swimming pool would be nice, a garden model railway and man cave, lots of storage space for the items the wife would collect en mass and a similar house next door for the mother with the usual home-help items to help her out in her old age. Minus the pool and railway though, but she would like to keep chickens. b) Same as the above but with less leisure items and more fortifications and farming material. c) A castle with plenty of land for farming space.

11-15-14, 09:27 PM	#4
ikalugin Ocean Warrior Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Moscow, Russia Posts: 3,212 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 0	The issue is the self reliance on: - basic safety. - heating. - water. - food. - power. My point here is that a lot of complex systems (such as power generators) have a very limited life time, hence you either need the uber reliable systems (such as a long term solid nuclear power plant design with no moving parts in it and 0 maintenance life time of hundreds of years) or some sort of industrial capacity to keep your technology going (and replace it as it wears out). However if it is a limited time period we are talking about (up to several years) then nothing could beat an old fashioned fall out shelter sufficiently stocked with expendables and with reliable equipment (water, air filters, power generator).

11-16-14, 04:02 AM	#5
Eichhörnchen Starte das Auto Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: The Fens Posts: 17,483 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	Agree with all of Oberon's suggestions, but on a more prosaic level (not in survivalist mode quite yet) I do regret not going for a bungalow when we bought the house. Much easier to get at roof for repairs etc. and wouldn't be as nervous when we get such strong winds as we do out here. Ideally, a low peat-thatched dwelling like you see in old paintings of Highland scenes, or one sunk into the side of a hill and covered with turf. Living in a tree ain't so much fun any more...