Risk of bushfire!

Our number one risk on the property is bushfire. We are on the top of a ridge with Eucalypt forest on either side. The slope is at least 20% in some places and obviously fire prone (blackened trunks evident). So in the design we have aimed at using fire resistant materials and have a sensible design.

1. Fire resistant materials- Straw bale walls. Believe it or not the straw bale wall is one of the most fire resistant materials around. It's ecological foot print is low and it's insulation properties are fantastic. Alot of manual labour is also on the cards but is already looking satisfying. The lack of oxygen and air flow is a key and the cob and render on the outside also add to the fire integrity of the product.

2. New hardie materials, hardiflex or masonite like panels are easy to put up, no spaces between sheeting and fire resistant, will still need to put insulation and framing up.

3. Rokcore roofing (colourbond with poly infill)- A1 fire rating, low cost for structural support and easy to put up. Can take a low pitch design and easily rendered up to easves.

4. No gaps or spaces and limit ember catches.

5. Steel mesh guttering and window shutters.

6. Inbuilt sprinkler system.

For starters this is our main physical defense with 40,000 litre concrete tank and protected fire fighting pump in housing with cooling mechanism.

The last thing to think about is a fire plan which we are developing. Anyway food for thought....

Toilet drivers

The toilet choosen is a compost toilet. It is important for the positioning of the toilet to be north facing for maximum heating capability. Orginally the toilet was west facing and would only get afternoon sun. Now we have a north facing toilet to maximised decomposition rate and limit the amount of power used by the fan to initiate air flow. An example of the type of installation on the left, can be a glass (or perspex) window to the north with heat rocks on the floor with a vent. This addition took a slight alteration in the slab too. Next, to minimise fire risk!

Combustion stove

Cooking, heating and hot water "off the grid" required a bit of thought. Using my local materials, site orientation and a bit of surfing on the net and this is what I came up with.

The Scandia Banquet, plenty big enough for a few people and a roast and extras. It comes fitted with a wet back (for hot water topup) and is on the cheaper side of the Stanley etc. This little beauty provides the winter cooking, kettle, heating and hot water. By the way I have plenty of firewood handy. Reinforced sides and back allow the heat to be directed to the living areas.
It also has a temperature gauge which is essential for cooking and can put the wood underneath.

Found a great site for looking at all this stuff if you are interested.
http://www.pivotstove.com.au/index.php/products/cat/18

Checking out the toilet to use

My toilet system will definitely be a compost system with grey water being put into the orchard with a grease trap etc. The thing about the compost toilet is to make room for the unit which in this case is 750 mm (below the floor), which I can only just fit.

When going through planning make sure your waste water consultant knows what a compost toilet is and include design descriptions. My consultant cost me months with the wrong design. They started with a compost with a flush system and septic tank, but eventually I had to write it up myself (months can be costly for other holdups).

The Nature Loo seems to be the easiest and cheapest.

Toilet
http://www.nature-loo.com.au/toilets/SYSTEMS/classic750.html
Grey water system
http://www.nature-loo.com.au/greywater/holdingtankandgreasetrap.htm

We are going to have to learn to use our waste again by the looks of it, what a waste!

Planning and getting ready to start building

I thought you may be interested in the home that I am building. I am in Tasmania, Australia and have a nice north facing block that I wish to build a house on. So far I have acquire planning approval from the council and started to clear the regrowth forest from the house site. This has taken over 4 months for planning due to soil tests, waste water treatment and getting an excavator on site. Now winter is getting closer and if I don't get some gravel on the driveway I might be waiting for a while to start building. The house design has changed even since today as the site looks alot different now that it is cleared.

I am very exciting and the location is amazing, there is alot of beautiful forest around and a fantastic river running around the edge of the property. I hope to let you know of the materials I will be using and the issues that are raised when building a non-conventional home away from suburbia. So here we go!