We’re finally getting around to sorting through paperwork from the 2018 summer build season. I thought it might be interesting to share photos of the installation of the vapour barrier and drainage system.
I know is some areas water (and therefore drainage) is not as much of an issue as it is for theDoighouse. We are located in a Coastal Rainforest with annual average rainfall of 872.11 mm in 2018.
The township of Bowser is the closest weather reporting. Here’s a glimpse at our average rainfall pattern. NOTE: this does not include annual snowfall.
In many earthship build locations water is not as much of an issue as it is for theDoighouse. Along with the rainfall, our water table is quite high.
What you see here is the methodology we need to follow in order to meet the building code requirements for the Regional District of Nanaimo, BC. It may be different in your location.
Vapour Barrier Methodology
The tires were placed on compacted undisturbed soil following the layout of the string lines outlined in inspection #1 – Base Prep. A thorough check was made against the drawings. Section by section we moved the tires and placed 10mil Poly vapour barrier under before replacing the tires.
We assured that a 12 inch overlap could be maintained on all overlap joints For each overlap we placed a double row of acoustical sealant as specified on the drawings. We ensured that this double row closed the route of all ingress of moisture into the conditioned space. The pictures show both the pattern of sealant and the 12 overlap allowance. The overlap will be maintained as it follows the exterior of the tire wall both with sealant and approved tape.
Drainage Methodology
The methodology was to locate 4″ perforated drainpipe adjacent to the lowest course of tires (considered the footings) and on top of the insulation board. The pipe was laid on filter cloth and drain rock forming a tube.
Standing cleanouts were installed at the furthest most point from the drain and midpoint along the rear wall.
The same methodology was repeated at the base of the vertical insulation 4 ft out from the tirewall. These two drains were connected at each end of the rear wall to continue around each end of the house (east at garage and west at greenhouse. the pipe was installed with a slope 15″ over the length of the run.
The following are a series of photos taken during the installation of both the drain at the base of the tire wall and at the base of the out-board insulation.
Drainage completed and backfilled to course 6
Can’t wait for the snow to go so we can unwrap theDoighouse and get back to pounding tires.
If you’re looking for a chance to hang out and help, we are always looking for people interested in learning about Earthship building, community gardens, and food forests! Email susanmdoig@gmail.com if you want to know more.
Or join us for our monthly fireside@theDoighouse chat connecting professional builders, enthusiasts and individuals curious and/or passionate about natural building. If that sounds like you, or someone you know, we meet the 3rd Tuesday of each month.
NOTE: 6:00pm start time – come a little early, stay a little late!
We frequently have guests and visitors to theDoighouse and love spending time sharing our journey. I thought it would be fun to compile a list of articles featuring the work that’s been happening at theDoighouse over the past many months. We look forward to sharing the coming year’s highlights; including the day we celebrate the installation of the last of the approximately 1000 recycled car tires used in the construction of theDoighouse Earthship!
It’s been a pleasure to get to know Doug Harrison from the Lighthouse Country Living Newsletter (LCL). A copy is delivered to every household in the area on a monthly basis. The LCL is the new kid on the block; creating a space that is strictly news from Area H.
Linda Tenney has graciously shared space for our words in her long standing and wonderful EyesonBC magazine. The Eyes (as Tony and I call it) keeps us “in the know” about Parksville, Qualicum and Lighthouse country. We have been reading and enjoying it since the first copy we picked up while having a coffee at the Sandbar Cafe & Art Gallery.
Adam Kveton from Parksville Qualicum Beach News has written over 800 articles for the PBQ. We were thrilled to meet and chat with Adam on the build site. He really took time to look, listen and share his thoughts with us. His article was also noted in the PBQ year in review. Thanks again Adam! Come back anytime!
Our monthly fireside@theDoighouse chats provide a space and place for professionals, enthusiasts, and the general public to come together and share thoughts and exchange ideas.The Permaculture ethics of Care of Earth, Care of People and Sharing of Abundance informs and guides our discussions.
Join us….
February 19th 2019 6:00-7:30 pm Topic: Earthships – MORE than recycling on steroids Location: Lighthouse Community Centre
Join us on for a presentation on Earthships, the brainchild of Michael Reynolds of Earthship Biotecture, in general and theDoighouse specifically on the modifications necessary to meet the BC Building Code, the National Energy Code, the BC Step Code.
We will also be continuing to work together to formalize this space for natural building.
We’re looking for people with great research, web content and web editing skills. If you’re interested in finding out more, or in helping to make this happen please email susanmdoig@gmail.com.
I’ve been mulling over in mind what does 2018 mean?… for me, Tony, our kids, family, friends, our volunteers,… theDoighouse Farm & Learning Centre. It’s definitely been a year of moving the project forward, getting things done, celebrating successes and having fun.
Seriously… busy…
January
January kicked off with both Tony, and my birthdays… Our solar system for the 5th wheeler was installed and we continued to work building our community garden boxes. Tony was still working, but I spent my days doing what I loved doing… getting my hands dirty!
February was our eldest daughter Jessica’s marriage to Alan, including a trip to Mexico for a week. No… we didn’t do any work on theDoighouse that week, but what a fabulous time we had.
In March, we completed the installation of 9,000L rainwater collection off the four shed roofs. One downside – the water collection was just too far away from the gardens. In December we will be build a larger system and in 2019 we will incorporate 7,000L from this system into a new garden system. The remaining 2,000L (2 IBCs) of water will service our community kitchen needs.
Beautiful Qualicum Bay
The sea lions returned to Lighthouse country. The sea lions were following the herring fishery. There were so many of them we could hear them barking all the way to our property. Course it is only a few minute walk to our place from the bay… but hearing them was a first for us!
My sister Arlene
Arlene (my sister) and I ventured into the world of mushroom growing, taking a class with Jessica Wolfe. It was a fun day, and we took home logs inoculated with oyster and shiitake mushrooms. We decided to gather the sisters together and show them what we had learnt!
One of the things I appreciate the most about having moved back to Vancouver Island, is that we see and do things with most of my six siblings, and with Tony’s family too!
April
In honour of our friends Pat and Leonard we have a very special garden dedicated to Leonard.
In April, the daffodils bloomed.
Of course, May was also the arrival of David Koblos, our first volunteer of the season. This year we had several ‘regular’ volunteers that stayed and helped for most of the summer. Horizon (USA), David (Mexico), Chris & Iliya (Jamaica), Nigel and Christian. Others came and stayed for a few days, even weeks. In total there were over 35 volunteers at theDoighouse for 2018.
May
Kath is missing, but everyone else is sitting on Jessica and Alan’s wedding quilt
Tony’s friends at UVic sent him off with a reception held in the Faculty Club
On the family side of things, May was busy with Tony’s retirement and the “sister’s retreat”. Each year we sisters gather to sew the family wedding quilts. This years retreat included quilts for our daughters Jessica and Sarah. It’s not everyday that you get to spend time with your siblings; spending time with Diane, Kath, Karen, Arlene and Mary-Ann is incredibly special for me.
June
‘Dig in the Dirt’ doing the excavation for theDoighouse.
House construction kicked off with the excavation for the foundation of theDoighouse Earthship. The foundation for the main tire wall is 2 courses of used car tires. It was very exciting to see the first row rising from the ground.
Also in June, our daughter Cecilia graduated with a Master’s in Environmental Sciences. This meant a quick trip to Sweden for Susan, and a little holiday to Italy. Very precious time together
Proud Dad!
July brought Sarah (our daughter) and Ziggy’s wedding; a beautiful bride and a very proud dad!
There is just nothing like the moment you see your daughter in her wedding dress for the first time!
Our friend Jo-Anne and her daughter Riley stayed for a week and worked on the building of a cob oven. We followed the instructions… but have yet to put the final coat on the oven and fire it up. Something to be done in 2019!
My niece Alesha arrived to help work in the community kitchen. With 8-10 people for lunch and dinner, Alesha was a big help, getting veggies prepped and things organized. It turns out that Alesha is also a great tire pounder!!!
August
Row three – first official row of the main tire wall. The first 2 are officially foundation. At this point… only 9 more rows to go!
Anna entering one of the trees at Cathedral Grove
August was tire pounding, earthship building, garden work, volunteers and having fun. It was incredibly hot. We hosted the ‘annual friends and family’ summer party.
We also took several groups of volunteers to visit Pacific Rim National Park, Cathedral Grove, Tofino and Ucluelet – amazing beaches, surfing and of course stopped at Tacofino Cantina! the delicious food truck in Tofino.
Somewhere in the middle of all that we celebrated our anniversary at the Whiskey Creek Farm with Real & Laurel
Horizon and David doing a tire pounding demo at the Lighthouse community centre second sunday pancake breakfast and swap meet.
Cement pour of the vestibule (greenhouse) foundation. 3 tire rows completed
So hard to say goodbye to Horizon.
One last cuppa tea together
Nigel, David, Real, Laurel and Christian
One final hug with David
The earthship adventure ends … the cycling tour begins
September was full of tearful goodbyes, David and Horizon off on a cycling trip to California. Nigel and Christian headed back home. Tony and I continued to work, and were joined by Colin (Australia) to mill boards, paint and install the siding on the little sheds. I learned to make doors – this will be particularly useful when we start building the doors for theDoighouse.
On September 31st 2018, TheDoighouse Earthship building season ended. We have completed the first 6 rows, done the drainage for the north, west and east walls, the first foundation pour for the vestibule/greenhouse. The airtubes are in, and backfilled…. waiting for the water tanks to arrive in the Spring 2019. It’s been a great summer. We can’t thank our team of professionals, earthship builders, volunteers, friends and family enough. It has been wonderful to have your support and your help in making our dream of theDoighouse Farm & Learning Centre one step closer to reality!
October
theDoighouse Earthship building season is over for 2018.
fireside@theDoighouse
October kicked off the first of our monthly fireside@theDoighouse – these chats connect professional builders, enthusiasts and individuals curious and/or passionate about natural building. If that sounds like you, or someone you know, we meet the 3rd Tuesday of each month.
The fireside@theDoighouse group also met in November to discuss natural building. Our next meeting is January 15th 2019.
Susan putting the final touches on the re-purposed metal roof
December was spent working with Chris to build a 10,000L rainwater collection shed for the community gardens, doing the layout for a huge sunflower shaped garden, garden cleanup. We met local log home builder Frank and Courtenee and swapped logs for labour. We managed to move all the logs that were inside the community garden to new piles… one stack for the mill, one stack for log home building, one stack for firewood. With the splitting and selling of firewood it was pretty hectic.
Luckily the gates were not damaged
just think of it as new doors and fences….
100′ trees…
My wonderful bird house made by John Fowler is repairable
The big storm ended our year with 10 trees falling over the entrance blocking driveway access to the property. Another 5 fell a little further up the driveway. Family (Bill and Nicholas) and friends, (Real, Laurel, Mark and Adrian) came to help clear the driveway. The good news is the bird house is repairable, and the cedar trees will become our classroom/garage doors, the cedar branches part of the garden fence and the rest will be chipped and spread into garden paths. Days of clean up to follow in the new year…
I mean… what else could we possibly have to do with our time?
We started the summer with passion, some really great volunteers, a cleared building site, a desire to build and no building permit.
A bit of a pickle really.
We decided to move ahead and work to the first building inspection (foundations). A bit of a gamble as we are using tires as our foundation – but we felt confident in the work by our structural engineer, Mark Fleischhaker and our architect, Keith Tetlow and the unofficial feedback from the Regional District of Nanaimo that we decided to take the risk and just start.
First… getting the plans finalized and submitted to the RDN …and then waiting for approval, answering questions and following up with information.
These are the Earthship plans by Mike Reynolds modified to meet the BC Rainforest climate, the BC building code and the National Energy Code.
The RDN have been great to work with, a reflection of the quality of work and attention to detail by Mark, Keith and Daniel.
So..first things first.. if you want to host volunteers, you need some stuff.
The Bear Paw Cafe. Just saying it got it’s name from a couple of visitors (the black furry kind)… but that’s a story for another day.
