The Internet is full of people demonstrating how to make a smokeless fire pit. The problem is: they’re all using the same design. It’s a good design, but it’s a bit pricey and not exactly the easiest thing to make. Firstly, you need a lot of pavers or solid concrete blocks. At a price of…
Slab on Grade vs. Pier and Beam Foundations
A few months ago I built a slab on grade foundation for our new house, so I thought it would be interesting to write an article comparing slab on grade to another common type of foundation: pier on beam. I considered several types of foundations for our new home, including pier on beam, so this…
Why Are Precut Studs 92-5/8 Inches and What Are They Used For?
The last time I bought a bunch of 2×6 studs, I noticed a few studs in my trailer that looked quite a bit shorter than the others. The guy helping load up, quickly snatched them out of the trailer and said, “Oh sorry, I guess some 92s slipped in the pile.” He was referring to…
Guide to Buying Solar: MPPT, APP, MC4… What’s It All Mean?
My wife, who also happens to be my editor – I don’t exactly have a payroll for this blog – was reviewing an article I wrote the other day, and had no choice but to admit she didn’t have a clue what I was talking about. It’s kind of hard to edit something when everything…
Why I Always Paint My Framing and Sheathing Lumber
When I was a kid, there was this new-construction, two-story house down the street from us. It was your typical Florida build – slab on grade, concrete block, etc… The second story was stick-framed, of course. It was fascinating watching the process, but then… one day… nothing. Construction stopped. Days turned to weeks, weeks turned…
Best Portable Solar Generators 2022
Portable solar generators have come a long way since I first started writing about them more than four years ago. They’ve advanced so much, no longer are they just an emergency backup power supply for small appliances; the models I am going to share with you in this post could power a small house, if…
Cellulose vs. Denim Insulation: Which Plant-Based Material Wins?
I recently wrote an article comparing fiberglass insulation to stone wool. It seemed like a fair comparison because they are both mineral wools that are typically installed in cavities as batts. Today, I thought it would be fun to do a similar comparison of cellulose and denim because they are both eco friendly insulations made…
Fiberglass vs. Rockwool: Why You’re Wasting Your Money
I spent a long time thinking about whether I’m going to use Rockwool or fiberglass batt insulation in the new house that I’m building. After lots of research, I decided on fiberglass, and in this article I’m going to explain exactly why. Many consumers assume Rockwool is far superior to fiberglass, but what they don’t…
DIY Passive Solar Greenhouse Made from Reclaimed Windows, Pallets, and Scraps
I’ve built a lot of things out of reclaimed materials over the years. I’ve built birdbaths, fences, mirrors, and all sorts of other stuff; but this is by far the biggest and best thing I’ve built out of someone else’s junk. In simplest terms, a passive solar greenhouse is a greenhouse that does not need…
Building an Off-Grid House Part 2: How to Make a Monolithic Slab on Grade
A building’s foundation is uniquely different from every other part because you only have one chance to get it right. You can fix walls, floors, ceilings, etc… but if you screw up the foundation, there are no do-overs – at least, none that you’re going to want to do. A monolithic slab on grade foundation…
