[TheForge] Underground house

[dann at wctatel.net]

My favorite "tornado proof" walls are foam forms with a poured concrete
center.  The interior wall gets sheet rocked over the foam form, and the
exposed exterior wall gets stuccowed.  R -factor of the walls can be in
the R-50 range.  I watched and got to help a bit while the husband and
wife built their own walls on an acreage that I sold them.

http://www.hometips.com/cs-protected/guides/concrete/concrete_foaminsulation.html

Most of the "underground" homes in Iowa and Minnesota that I saw built
went in during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Financing them can be an
issue: they are a problem for Banker-lenders, writing mortgage loans, 
because there are relatively few comparable sales for data that meet
apraisal standards.

Ventillation can be another issue. Especially if your living area is
adjacent to your metal shop.  You might be introducing additional health
risks by breathing metal oxides and epoxy side-grinder dust that carries
into your living quarters.

Dann

> ? We have been thinking about doing an underground house on property that
> we bought in eastern Colorado.? We have tornados that come to our area to
> visit and see the option of a shop/house underground as a strong option.??
> ? We have been concerned about the things that have been listed, radon,
> water, etc...? We are fortunate that the land is?on the side of a hill and
> well drained, no ground water troubles since eastern Co. is a semi-arid
> desert.??
> ? I would like to be put in touch with any ideas that you folks have.?
> Plan to put the forge and my 200# Russian hammer in the Quonset hut for
> now since the we are placing a CNC VMC and the machine tools in the
> shop/house.??
> ? Looked at formworksbuilding.com?and Earthshelter.com,?a couple of
> brothers building the same thing?but don't get along well enough to work
> together, but have been warned of business practices by a person that had
> prior dealings with one of them.
> ? Any help is appreciated.
> ?
>
>
> Trusting HIM,
> Steve Rollert
> keenedgeknives.com
> doveknives.com
>
>
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