Actually just re-read that page a few days ago. Yes, we'll be shooting the outside.
Maintenance? What, like new shingles or paint?
Financing? None involved, this is a cash deal.
Lower energy use? Try none. 68 degrees is great for me, I won't modify it at all. I do run a couple of 22w CF lights at night, and a confuzer or two. My electric bill sometimes gets above $10 a month when I get wasteful.
Condensation? Very low humidity area, and all incoming air will be buffered through earth tubes to get ground temperature before entering the dome. Any potential condensation should happen in the tubes.
Seepage? The water table is 400 feet down and sugar sand drains well.
Resale? None planned, maybe my kids will get "stuck" with it.
A lot of planning has gone into this, and it's not like I haven't built anything before. Not to mention several above ground domes that I have made, I hold a general contractor license and have been in construction for 35 years. David South and the monolithic crew have made many successful domes, along with a few failures. I don't consider them to be the final authority on anything, but they are a good source of manufactured airforms. Their school is very interesting with a lot of good information.
Spaceman
Dave wrote:
6" thick concrete would be like a bomb shelter, the monolithic guys normally only use 2-1/2" - 3" and add an inch for deeply buried domes. You're going to be shooting everything on from the outside, ecoshell-style, right? What kind of membrane will you be putting over the concrete or PC? Keep an eye on the condensation issue; http://static.monolithic.com/plan-design/belowgrade/index.html To me, it seems like digging a huge hole and dealing with all the potential headaches of any maintenance on an underground structure would outweigh the benefits of lower energy use, especially given the energy efficiency of an above ground dome. Regards, Dave Spaceman wrote:Re: [papercreters] Re: UG DomeThe shell will be 6" of reinforced concrete with the top insulated with papercrete. Sorry, not too clear in my first post. Of course, it doesn't rain a lot here, average 8" per year and I have deep sugar sand. This is fireproof construction and will not be filled with flammable stuff, and I'm not in an area with an enforced code so no federales in sight. I always build better than codes, which are minimum standards. My water table is 400 feet down - I have had papercrete in contact with the ground and partially buried for eight years now with no adverse effects. I would not trust it to hold up tons of sand. I think it will work fine as insulation for the part of the dome that is closest to the surface of the ground. I probably could get by with none, but I don't want any of the 108 degree summer temperatures seeping in. I think with the top skylight and windows by the door I'll have enough light, and the fiber later will be for detailed work. Most of my work is on computer anyway and computers supply their own light. It'll be great for sleeping - nice temperature and no noise. Actually it won't be much different from the dome I'm about to finish which has a window above the door and a clerestory below the top pent. It has plenty of light while the sun is up. With 12" of papercrete and solar hydronic heating/cooling it should be almost as comfortable as the underground dome. Spaceman ------------------------------------ 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: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
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