I'm in Minnesota and seeking affordable home repairs. Situation is:
I'm in about a 35-year old double-wide, without much peak on the roof.
Snow & ice pack in the winter creates leaks annually, despite my patch-
efforts with tar / sheet metal. Tends to have freeze-heave in the
floors, and I'm sure this affects the roof.
Walls are about 4 inches thick, in other words, need help for
insulation, and anything is an improvement.
Laws are: I can 'roof / build up', long as I stay within the ground
footprint without needing permits or septic inspection. (I'm sure they
wouldn't care about walls being insulated.)
Mostly wooded, shady, fairly moist area, ants a problem in summer;
high humidity much of the time.
I'm trying to remedy these situations without much cash (extremely
limited, prohibits putting a new roof on, using spray foam, or
residing the unit).
I knew there had to be other materials that could somehow be used,
and "papercrete" is a wonderful solution. I'm working mostly alone on
this, and am hoping suggestions may be given on papercrete for
exterior metal walls - attaching / free-standing / mudding, thickness,
freezing?
Roof - is this a product that could be 'lightly framed', providing
both insulation and peak for snow? Any suggested thickness and
fastening recommendations? It's been shingled a few times previously,
has a large addition on one side, and I threw sheetmetal on it when a
major leak erupted a few summers ago. I could remove the sheetmetal if
advised, or leave it.
In the furthest stretch, I could attempt even a small second-floor
room, with roof slanting off; not sure I should go that far, and
supports are one of the main issues for increased weight, yet the
extra room would be well-used. It's within the legal "go up"
requirements for adding space, currently about 1000 sq. feet for 3
generations of females, 3 dogs, my home office, and no garage. So - "I
would if I could, but not sure it's practical."
I do have a cement mixer (stored here by a friend), access to shredded
paper, some minor experience with cement, and farmer "do-it-yourself"
blood.
These are the problems I'd like to address, and no suggestion is
unworthy; if folks thought a small dome could be built on the roof,
without good reason as to "why not", it becomes viable in my world!
To try and replace this structure takes me into the legal conflicts of
permits and inspection and setbacks, before I ever spend a dime on
another unit - neither of which is affordable. I'd dig down, but water
and supports are big problems.
I'll be experimenting with a few bricks as soon as possible, but
before I do anything as permanent, I'm hoping for some advice so I
don't create a freezing / cracking disaster when winter hits.
ANY ADVICE IS WELCOME - thanks in advance - elaine
PS - If I get this accomplished, my 'fun idea' is to make the back
yard a miniature golf course for personal use - which is weird,
because I don't golf, but it'd be fun and my property faces Madden's
golf course (high-end enterprise, has their own small airstrip). I'd
just like to design the odd pieces of it, and papercrete would be an
ideal material. That's something I could work on in the winter, and
put together next summer. :)
------------------------------------
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/papercreters/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/papercreters/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:papercreters-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:papercreters-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
papercreters-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
