>Now, let's look at the actual problem of building a "safe cabin". I am
>still hoping that we will all take up the challenge as a group to define an
>ethic (for the person who needs the building) and solve the problem of how
>to build it. Any takers?
I can add a little more information on sealing concrete
foundations. Called a contractor who suggested some of the
following:
1. Bentonite (a waterproof clay)
2. Pond liners (plastic)
3. IPDM (rubber membrane)
4. Roofing coatings available at roofing supplies.
Options 2,3, and 4 have their own toxic quotient which i think
will be less than Blueboard (more data is needed). There are
some other factors here we might look at. Blueboard comes in
sheets like plywood and can be 3-4 inches thick. It is laid on
a prepared surface and has a crack between each sheet. Also, it
may crack with light earth tremors (earthquakes), or with shifting
foundations. The options listed above are more forgiving and
easier to seal.
Another factor is cost. Last i looked Blueboard was expensive
and other manufactures have come out with competing products.
There may be an eco alternative (has anyone talked to building
material suppliers?)
And finally, we used a product which is similar to Blueboard
on our roof and then used recycled swimming pools as shingles
to keep the water away <grin>. The swimming pools are those
big plastic things people put in their back yards and then forget
about. They make a very good building material and this is better
than putting them in the dump. We have dirt and rock over all
this and it has held up to one small earth quake. For underground
houses and basements the earthquakes are real killers, so this
is an important consideration.
Anyway, water anywhere near a house can cause problems and
this would be my first priority. Water wicks the heat away,
impacts the life of materials, and finds the smallest crack.
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Jeff Owens ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) Zone 7
Underground house, solar energy, reduced consumption, no TV
