Catarina Log
Thu Feb 26, 2015
Sat Jan 17, 2014
- Overview of Solar Shades/Screens
- How to Select Solar Shades
- Sun shades for exterior use are more energy efficient than interior solar shades. Because they block the sun’s rays before they have a chance to enter and convert to heat.
- solar shades supplier
Sat Jun 7, 2014
Mon April 7, 2014
- Left message at Jamesport Lumber asking for contacts of contractors in the area: 660-684-6404
- Left message with two contractos recommended by Jamesport Lumber: Marvin Yoder - 660-772-3003; Jamesport Builders - 660-684-6931
- Jamesport Hardware Store: Parton Hardware 210 S Broadway St., Jamesport MO 660-684-6418
Mon Mar 10, 2014
TO DO
- Swimming Pool: check delivery date
- Microhouse: order additional water heater, replace busted pipe, check and repair water leak.
- Solar Cabins: clean, paint, floor, whack weeds + lay straw.
Spring Residency
Design work in the morning, infrastructure work in the afternoon.
Sat Mar 8, 2014
Fri Mar 7, 2014
Vertical Garden Materials Suppliers
Plants
- Sedum Master - Located in Canada, ships to US. Regular mat (17 varieties): $3.5 sq ft. Feather mat (lightweight): $4 - $4.50 sq ft. Mats not appropriate for walls (drainage and nutrients problems). Custom grow: need estimate. They also sell sedum in 4 inch pots.
- Plant Delights Nursery (North Carolina) - $11 for 3.5 in pot of John Creech sedum.
- Monrovia (California) - $14.99 for .65 Gallon of John Creech sedum
- Digging Dog (California) - $7.5 for 6-9 in. pot of John Creech sedum (not clear if this is the correct pot size)
- Succulent Gardens
- Oikos - $68.75 for 25 plants in pots (2.75)
Structures
Sedum
For vertical gardens (short):
- John Creech: height: 2-4 in, zones: 2-9, spread: 3-12 in (plant 8 in apart), evergreen
- Silver Gem: height: 2-4 in (other source says up to 12 in), zones: 3-9, spread: 12 to 24 in, evergreen in mild regions only
- Dragon's Blood: height: 3-4 in, zones: 3-9, spread: 18-24 in (plant 10 in apart), evergreen except in coldest climates
For horizontal gardens (taller):
- Ogon (3-6 in) - zones 6 to 9
- Tricolor (4-6 in) - zones 2 to 9
- Palmeri (8 in) - 15 to 20 F (but it has been known to survive in 0F)
- Tetractinum (up to 6 in) - zones 5 to 8
- Sieboldii (6-12 in) - zones 3 to 9
My favorite variety: Sedum Spurium John Creech: "A very low mat-forming selection, this Stonecrop has rounded deep green leaves and small clusters of pink star-shaped flowers in the summer. Tolerates light foot traffic. Full sun / partial shade. Mauve / pink flower. 2-4 in. (5-10 cm). Zone 2-9." Some sources say it's deciduous, others that it's evergreen (?).
Sedum has shallow roots and easily propagates from cuttings - they'll take root within 7 to 10 days.
We could purchase a few specimens and use those to propagate a sedum horizontal garden - which we'd then use to get cuttings for the vertical gardens.
Vertical Garden Models
Living Pictures
Shallow wood box filled with soil and covered with galvanized mesh. Appropriate for succulents. This is probably the approach we want.
- How to Make a Succulent Wall
- Living Pictures
- How to Make a Vertical Succulent Garden
- Make your own living succulent art
- Woods appropriate for planters
Challenges
- Size: We may need to make several of these and tile them as in this example (plywood and mahogany frame, root barrier behind soil behind landscape fabric held in with wire). We can also make our own large tray (a wood grid) rather than individual boxes - but individual boxes may be more manageable (can be removed more easily). Victoria Gardens built wall-sized panels which appear to use burlap in between the wire mesh and the soil (more Victoria Gardens photos) - they probably have wood shelves behind the burlap.
- Water flow/drainage: make holes at the bottom of each tray?
- Weight: will the wall withstand the weight? Perhaps use bookshelf approach where most weight rests on the ground and picture hanging hooks keep flush to the wall (may require a row of bricks below the bottom tray).
Pallet
Not appropriate for succulents.
Vertical or Angled Pockets
Not appropriate for succulents.
Trays
Plastic trays with individual vertical compartments. Appropriate for succulents.
Thu Mar 6, 2014
HabLab To Dos for this Week
- Check water / install pipeline if needed
- Clear rubble outside
- Lay straw in front of the house
- Clean room for Chris
- Hang storage area curtain
- Finish cleaning fridge
- Wipe front door
- Wash sheets
- Wash vacuum filters
- Install new water heater
- Weld chimney
- Close old chimney hole
- Insulate new chimney hole
MicroHouse To Dos for next Week
- Internet
- Cell phone signal booster
- Fridge
- Repair water leak
- Stucco south and east walls
Whitewash Recipes
Mother Earth News
Fiasco Farm
Homemade DIY Paint
Yahoo
How to Whitewash Furniture
BoM
Mon Mar 3, 2014
FeF Requirements for Year-round Operation
HabLab
- Insulate bathroom/kitchen wall
- Robust water heater
- Sufficient heating for common room, kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms
- Finish interiors (paint walls/floor, close holes, finish ceiling, etc)
- Mud room (physically separate from main room)
- Covered porch/patio
- Outdoors and indoors firewood racks
- Finish exterior rooms
- Robust plumbing
- Robust water system
- Robust electrical system
- Robust internet
- Cell phone signal amplifier
Exterior
- Gravel or wood chip paths connecting all buildings - for both pedestrians and vehicles
- A way to shovel/clear snow-covered paths
- Solar lights or reflective cells along the paths
MicroHouse
- Draft insulation
- Permanent (buried) water system
- Permanent sewage system
- Permanent electrical system (30A)
- Internet connection
- Cell phone signal amplifier
- Two additional modules (bedroom + living/working room)
- Heating on all modules
- Covered porch/patio
- Outdoors firewood rack
Workshop
- Second stove
House Painting
I think the best contrast colors for dark brown walls are white, yellow and apple green. See for example:
http://www.colourlovers.com/palette/844425/Da_Lime_inda_Coconut
Menards doesn't have any bright greens (only boring ones), but Home Depot does have one that looks pretty nice (bamboo leaf). So here's the palette I suggest:
Inline image 3
Links for the paints at Home Depot:
Bamboo Leaf (green): http://www.homedepot.com/s/Bamboo%2520Leaf%2520%2520paint?NCNI-5
Lemon Lime (yellow): http://www.homedepot.com/s/lemon%2520lime%2520paint?NCNI-5
Chalkboard Paint: http://www.homedepot.com/s/chalkboard%2520paint?NCNI-5
For the MH I think we should go with white for the walls as that will make the space appear bigger.
Fri Jan 16, 2014
Looked into Swimming Pool idea for morale management.