Follow Me

  • YouTube
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Arizona Adam

Building Science and Off-Grid Living

  • Building
  • Home & Garden
  • Off-Grid Living
  • Rainwater Catchment Calculator
  • Solar Power Calculator
You are here: Home / Archives for Arizona Adam

Arizona Adam

How to Make a Smokeless Fire Pit for Less than $100

April 20, 2022 by Arizona Adam

smokeless fire pit

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…

Read More »

Filed Under: Building

Slab on Grade vs. Pier and Beam Foundations

April 10, 2022 by Arizona Adam

Slab being poured

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…

Read More »

Filed Under: Building

Why Are Precut Studs 92-5/8 Inches and What Are They Used For?

April 8, 2022 by Arizona Adam

precut studs

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…

Read More »

Filed Under: Building

Guide to Buying Solar: MPPT, APP, MC4… What’s It All Mean?

April 4, 2022 by Arizona Adam

Solar panels

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…

Read More »

Filed Under: Off-Grid Living

Why I Always Paint My Framing and Sheathing Lumber

April 1, 2022 by Arizona Adam

painted studs

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…

Read More »

Filed Under: Building

Best Portable Solar Generators 2022

March 31, 2022 by Arizona Adam

Point Zero Energy Titan

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…

Read More »

Filed Under: Off-Grid Living

Cellulose vs. Denim Insulation: Which Plant-Based Material Wins?

March 29, 2022 by Arizona Adam

old newspapers

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…

Read More »

Filed Under: Building

Fiberglass vs. Rockwool: Why You’re Wasting Your Money

March 28, 2022 by Arizona Adam

fiberglass insulation

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…

Read More »

Filed Under: Building

DIY Passive Solar Greenhouse Made from Reclaimed Windows, Pallets, and Scraps

March 24, 2022 by Arizona Adam

passive solar greenhouse

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…

Read More »

Filed Under: Building

Building an Off-Grid House Part 2: How to Make a Monolithic Slab on Grade

March 24, 2022 by Arizona Adam

slab on grade foundation

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…

Read More »

Filed Under: Building

« Previous Page
Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Footer

Pages

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Rainwater Catchment Calculator
  • Solar Power Calculator | No Personal Info Required

Amazon Affiliate Disclaimer

The owner of this website is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon properties.

Copyright © 2023 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptReject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT