The wood framing is coming up!
Concrete Slab
The new architect, Marios Molympakis, said that a concrete slab is necessary to stiffen the structure.
Concrete Beam on Top of the Stonewall
The wood framing and roof of the south half of the house had to be removed. The wood framing was directly anchored into the stone wall, which broke off stones at several locations making the construction unsafe. Water also had gotten into the roof. For that reason only the roofing tiles can be reused for building. The straw and sawdust at least can be used as mulch.
The top of the stonewall had to be repaired and a concrete beam was placed on top of the stonewall for the anchoring of the wood framing.
Drainage
This year was the year of problems. Dominic and Giannis from Stagones left last year without finishing the siding of the roof and did not want to return this year. Over winter the drainage ditch caved in. Nikos Tsouknakis quit.
Thanks to Babis the drainage got finished in July. Spiros did the water proofing all around the house and Panagiotis placed the drainage pipe which has geo textile around it to prevent clogging from soil. Babis filled the ditch with gravel, put geo textile on top and on the sides between refilled soil and gravel to prevent clogging of the pipe.
Through Kirsten I found a local architect, who actually just finished a straw bale house near by.
Roof - South Half of House
Dominic and Giannis and others from Stagones also did the south half of the roof. I was not able to collect enough sawdust for the roof insulation. So we used part sawdust, part straw between the beams, and wood fiber boards on top of the beams.
Wood Framing of the Straw Bale walls - South Half of House
I did not have enough money to do the wood framing and roof of the entire house. So Dominic, Giannis and others from Stagones did the south half of the house this year. I used treated wood. Because I would only notice a wood worm infestation, when it is too late, and the hole structure needs to be redone. Which I don’t think I could do a second time around.
Stonewall
Nikos built a really beautiful stonewall. It took a long time. It is really an art to fit the stone together.
The northeast corner of the house, where the food pantry will be, has a stonewall to outside. The food pantry is under ground level and I hope that it will work like a potato cellar. There is also an interior stonewall as thermal mass and stonewall to bring the straw bale wall 30 cm above ground level.
Concrete Foundation
Yes. There is a concrete foundation. Because of the building permit. It’s gigantic. I try to see it from the positive side. I think the house will be ok with earthquakes..
Excavation
Babis excavated the site of the house. He also made a temporary dirt road for the concrete mixers to be able to get up to the building site. Four olive trees had to be moved. He did that too and they all survived. :-)
Making Charcoal
I forgot about that! You can make charcoal with two barrels. That way, after the initial fire burning the small wood in the outer chamber, the fire becomes smokeless, as it burns the gases released from the wood in the inner chamber.
I talked to my neighbors, Ilias and Nitsa. It is too dry now to do anything with fire outdoors. Between November and March then.
There is a farmer who makes charcoal professionally higher up on the mountain. But the way he does it creates a lot of smoke. So I will try the small patch barrel way.
