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Woman builds and lives in 84 sqft house

Discussion in 'Environmental Discussion' started by zenMachine, Jul 20, 2007.

  1. zenMachine

    zenMachine Just another Onionhead

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    In case you haven't seen this one...

    Olympia woman shrinks her footprint — to 84 square feet. Small house uses solar energy to stay off power grid

    When Dee Williams started this “experiment,†she wanted her house to be as green as possible. So it was built using many salvaged products. She used second-hand wood, a flat-bed trailer and doors from a Dumpster and boat.

    She used shredded blue jeans for some of the insulation. It must work: she said she spends about $6 a month for heat in the winter and less in the summer.

    All of her electricity is supplied by two solar panels, an inverter and a big battery. She has a small propane tank for heat and cooking. She also uses a composting toilet, because she does not have running water.

    The home looks like a log cabin inside and out. She optimizes space with a folding table and hidden drawers. She climbs a ladder to get to her bedroom, which is more like a loft with a skylight...
     
    #1 zenMachine, Jul 20, 2007
  2. SSimon

    SSimon Active Member

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    It wouldn't be all bad living in such a small sized house. Less cleaning!

    If I lived in a warm climate all year 'round, I could see this accommodating me. In warmer weather I'd rather be outside anyway.

    Doesn't seem like she has a shower. There goes her resale value.
     
    #2 SSimon, Jul 20, 2007
  3. Godiva

    Godiva AmeriKan Citizen

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    I saw this on TV.

    "The $10,000 house on wheels usually is located in Hugh O’Neill’s and Annie McManus’ backyard in west Olympia.

    “I know the backyard is where I belong,†Williams said. “Right now, it’s where I want to be.â€

    Williams depends on the hospitality of O’Neill, McManus and their neighbor, O’Neill’s aunt, Rita Harrigan. Williams takes showers at their houses and gets water from them."

    So she's not completely independent and self-sustaining. She is dependent on the "kindness of strangers."

    And ask a homeless person what complications arise when you have no permanent address or phone number.
     
    #3 Godiva, Jul 20, 2007
  4. Rae Vynn

    Rae Vynn Artist In Residence

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    My parents built their own home, in the mountains of Idaho.
    It's about 200 sq ft, off the grid, with a composting outdoor toilet (outhouse with composting design), wood heat, and a gas refridgerator.
    They use a solar shower, which they hang in their indoor shower stall to use.
    People have been doing this for years and years.

    Shredded blue jeans? are they fireproofed? I've heard of shredded fabric insulation, but I believe that, if you get it commercially, it's treated with a fire retardant. Fabric rots over time, and can become very combustable. Of course, people used to insulate with newspapers.

    And, being portable makes it a camper. Okay, so she built herself a camper.
     
    #4 Rae Vynn, Jul 20, 2007
  5. SSimon

    SSimon Active Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rae Vynn @ Jul 20 2007, 11:09 AM) [snapback]482245[/snapback]</div>
    They're starting to use this fabric more and more for insulation. It's not toxic, it traps heat better and is more effective as a sound retardant. Good question on the fireproofing though. If they had to apply a chemical to make it so, I'm sure that's not very environmentally sound.
     
    #5 SSimon, Jul 20, 2007
  6. Marlin

    Marlin New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Jul 20 2007, 11:55 AM) [snapback]482237[/snapback]</div>
    Which makes her footprint equal to theirs, which pretty much invalidates what she claims to be doing.
     
    #6 Marlin, Jul 20, 2007
  7. NoMoShocks

    NoMoShocks Electrical Engineer

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    I thought people had been living in 10 foot travel trailers for years.
     
    #7 NoMoShocks, Jul 20, 2007
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