9
votes
What's the best way of getting an eco-friendly off-grid house?
I think you're right that building your own is likely to be necessary (we're in the same position). What I've discovered in Australia is broadly applicable in the global north, so:
An earthship can't ...
- 3,955
8
votes
What's the best way of getting an eco-friendly off-grid house?
I suggest that you question some of your assumptions.
Difficulties of off-grid.
Off-grid is HARD, and generally isn't worth it unless you are a long ways from the power lines. If you are looking at ...
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5
votes
Accepted
Bottle Bricks : Are there any demerits to stuffing plastic bottles with non-bio-degradable dry waste ex:polythene covers,chocolate wrappers etc?
Stuffing plastic bottles with other plastic items makes them unsuitable for recycling. In recycling processing centres, plastic items are sorted by type prior to reprocessing into raw material. By ...
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4
votes
How should I dispose of scrap lumber from renovating?
You need to sort it.
Dimension lumber can be burned. Can either remove ironware or leave it and separate from ash, or dispose of with ash.
Treated lumber (green or brown) landfill. Note that it may ...
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4
votes
Is there a business model to do carpentry without a vehicle?
No affiliation, but I have proof-ridden an Urban Arrow Tender at a large bicycle trade fair in Germany, and it would seem to fit a lot of stuff:
Urban Arrow Tender. Source: Greenbike Shop
...
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3
votes
Accepted
Does painting an aluminum heat reflector make it useless?
Probably not. Reflection is a process that happens in the surface.
Think about mirror. It reflects visible light. Now if you paint it, does it reflect visible light anymore?
Heat reflectors are simply ...
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3
votes
Is cutting down trees and building something from them good or bad for the climate?
Deforestation per se, without replanting trees to compensate for the trees felled, is bad for the environment.
Replacing steel and concrete with lumber/timber from trees for construction purposes is ...
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3
votes
Embodied carbon in limecrete vs concrete
A paper on the St Astier website (not independent - they quarry and produce lime building products) gives the following figures in kg CO2/tonne for Natural Hydraulic Lime grade 5 vs. cement:
product ...
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3
votes
Accepted
Which sustainable building techniques are most code friendly?
Strawbale has established codes in many jurisdictions. Try the SB-R-US group on Yahoo groups for details. Note: 2 story bale is much dicier for standards.
Notably: California has a bale code that ...
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3
votes
What are some ways to affordably furnish a temporary apartment?
I have been building bed frames, tables, chairs, wine racks, and many other different things out of old pallets. I look for companies that are giving them away and collect as many as I can store. I ...
2
votes
What's the best way of getting an eco-friendly off-grid house?
We would like to implement as many sustainable strategies as possible, ideally being nearly off-grid, with solar panels, rainwater storage, grey water recycling, humanure / methane tank toilets, ...
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2
votes
Is Bamboo Plywood More Sustainable than ("traditional") Birch Plywood?
This is not an answer, but rather my attempt at a road map of what you need to know to answer your question.
Much depends on externalities.
Wood is an awfully cheap resource. You plant trees, and ...
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2
votes
Best sustainable shade option for windy terrace
As a longer term sustainable option, but one that would require time and effort to become established is to put large heavy, sturdy pots/tubs at close intervals along the frame along the side of the ...
- 3,517
1
vote
Accepted
Siding for weather resistant cover over outdoor equipment
For a few years, wood treated with flaxseed/linseed oil is probably one of the more sustainable options out there. It should last for the time required, and should be entirely bio-degradable.
Other ...
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1
vote
Does painting an aluminum heat reflector make it useless?
I put white factory painted aluminum sheeting behind my wood burning stove. Had to replace it with unpainted aluminum because it got very hot. Unpainted aluminum stayed cool. Aluminum foil works but ...
1
vote
How should I dispose of scrap lumber from renovating?
I was present as my house was built; we burned about 80 % of the scrape . Actually as the owner, I had to keep the framers from burning good new wood for heat. After it was built ,a grader moved soil ...
- 560
1
vote
Do timber buildings remove carbon from the atmosphere in the long run?
Wood buildings do remove carbon in the mid-term, although not without risks: they can catch fire, and in this case the carbon would obviously be released.
Also, if a wood building is demolished, we ...
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1
vote
How should I dispose of scrap lumber from renovating?
Depending on where you live, you may have a local 'builders tip': a waste/refuse centre that specialises in construction and demolition waste recycling and recovery.
While they usually deal with ...
- 1,341
1
vote
Alternatives to concrete for a flat roof
Maybe you could use natural building materials? Do you have access to lots of clay and straw/other fibres? If so, then maybe cob would be an option?
Look around, see what sort of natural materials ...
- 2,889
1
vote
How to filter/dewater water mixed with water-based paint
This is easy, but it means additives and process.
1% Ferric Sulphate or Ferric Chloride w/w,
5% lime solution w/w (50grm/ltr solution,
1.5% Bentonite solution (50gr/ltr solution),
1% Perlite body aid ...
1
vote
What reuses are there for surplus building materials?
Junk to useful:
Plastic barrels: Take a vertical slice off of one side, leaving an opening about 16" Adjust as needed. Good bad weather generator cover. Would also make a good barbecue cover.
...
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1
vote
What are eco-friendly substitutes of wood?
Well, steel that is recycled in arc-furnaces produces less air-pollution than iron-ore processed in blast-furnaces.
One way to increase the recycling of steel would be to use stainless-steel which ...
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1
vote
What are eco-friendly substitutes of wood?
A good sustainable substitute for wood is Clay and Stone as they are renewable and stronger than wood. Although it is costy, it is worth it
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