I like the way you are dialing-in your environment while inching your way to an Adirondack paradise!!

@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid

2 ай бұрын

Thank you! The Adirondack environment is one of the reasons we chose to live here...so much amazing nature to enjoy!

Great to see you in the feed again 👍

@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid

Ай бұрын

Thanks 👍

Thanks guys kitchen looks great. Hope you’re having a great memorial weekend. !!👍🫶🏼

@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid

Ай бұрын

Thank you! You too!

The green roof looks great 👍

@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid

2 ай бұрын

Thank you! It can only get better from here❤️

I'm glad you guys like the Tony Chacheri's creole seasoning. If I could only have 1 spice or seasoning for the rest of my life, it would be Tony's. It really is great on everything. Pizza, eggs, chicken cutlets, wings, and fish are my favorites. Corn on the cob is awesome too. Enjoy my friends.

@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid

2 ай бұрын

It's so good! Thank you so much for sharing it with us!!

Love following your experience and how you are learning and adapting. Thanks for the videos!!

@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid

2 ай бұрын

We appreciate that so much!

I remember seeing an underground concrete and steel house with a glass front near Detroit. The kid was mowing the roof. Always wondered how well it worked out. I have a small block and brick building with dirt on three sides as a workshop.The dirt insulates quite a bit. I have a bigger building that was built into the bank as a motorhome garage 50 feet away that has a spring that came up in it. It is useless because of dampness. I keep wanting to get it dug out with drainage around it. There was no sign of water in either location before. The wet building was tarred to the foundation too. The other building needs a dehumidifier at times but is fine. Mountains of WNC. Lots of rock.

@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid

2 ай бұрын

If it’s a dirt floor moisture will in no matter what. The spring definitely doesn’t help though. We have plastic under the slab, over the top, and full drainage around entire perimeter to help. Nothings ever perfect though👍

I guess I'm saying this for myself too, rome was not built in a day, it's about the progress :)

@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid

Ай бұрын

We couldn’t agree more!

Love the kitchen, beautiful. Ya black flies are bad this year…how about wood bees, have any ? You guys are doing a great job. Keep up the good work.😊

@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid

2 ай бұрын

Thank you! Haven't seen any wood bees....🙂

Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning is awesome. Try it on grilled salmon, chicken, or zucchini.

@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid

2 ай бұрын

It’s delicious! We actually added it to egg salad today!

Thanks guys.

@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid

2 ай бұрын

Thank you, we really appreciate you taking the time to stop by 🙂

Well we aren't getting new video notifications from KZread anymore. Your doing great on the interiour temperatures. We are in the low 90s outside ab72 to 74 inside. Question on the wall coverage you used Was it QUIKRETE Wall Float 50-lb Mortar Mix found at Lows? How much coverage will the 50lb bag cover and how long does it take to dry for paint? To get the interior doors out of the way we installed our interior doors but found they didn't provide the 6" door jams for our 2"x 6" walls in the master bedroom and bathrooms so we are going to nee to improvise on trim for them. The master bedroom double doors were quite the job to install and align. I have been working on excavating an alcove in the hill next to the house where I put the pipe chase going into the home to install my 500 gallon propane tank. My first time using a backhoe so it was a bit of a learning curve for the controls. Hooking it back up to the tractor was also a bit of fun to line up and mount. I already have 33hours on the new tractor and have used 15 gallons of diesel. While we don't have a house payment anymore the tractor is every bit as much as a house payment but for 7 years not 15 or 30 years like the garage. I bought a new 20' high cube shipping container to protect the tractor in. We decided $46,000 for a 30'x30' garage was too much for just storage of a tractor and would just add to our property taxes. The high cube container will for now be next to the north east retaining wall and eventually be moved to on top of and behind the house. The tractor is too tall for our other 20' container we used for our Montana open station tractor that we sold.

@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid

Ай бұрын

We have been thinking about you guys! Yes, we heard that from a lot of people (that they weren't seeing our videos). Anyway, your interior temps sound pretty good too. Hows the humidity? Probably low because you are in a low humidity area? We are learning how to play the system (erv) to maintain an acceptable level. We also had the same problem with doors in 6" walls and have become quite adept at making it all work. The doors were clearance and we love them. For the concrete walls we use a rapid set mortar to fix all the larger holes and smooth out the area by the I beams. Then we do a layer of QUIKWALL® Surface Bonding Cement (No. 1230-1231). It comes in gray or white (really an off-white). We recently found the gray for $15 a bag (compared to $27 per bag for the white). It was such a good deal we couldn't pass it up. Note that it does have fiberglass fibers in it to add strength because it is normally meant for adding strength to dry stacked cement blocks. However, if you look at the specs it is used indoors as well. It dries pretty quick, but we have never really painted right away so not sure how long you would need to wait. Note that we did rough up the wall with a rubbing brick - especially in areas where the concrete was shiny smooth. Apparently we are supposed to add some additive in so that it sticks to our walls better, but we didn't and so far everything is ok. After we apply it we take a sponge and give it a swirl finish (I can't think of any other way to describe it!). Here are the advantages (link: www.quikrete.com/pdfs/data_sheet-quikwall%20sbc%201230%201231.pdf) : • One-coat application provides both structural strength and textured finish • Integral color capability eliminates painting • Creates concrete block wall with greater flexural and racking strength than conventional mortar construction • Increased productivity and lower in-place cost when using drystacked concept • Improved fire, water, air and sound control properties • Thermal insulation benefits • Low maintenance costs • Variety of finishes and accent capabilities • Damp-proofing of basement walls • No additional waterproofing necessary for water storage containers Anyway, after a lot of research we really like the advantages it offers. And to answer your last question - one bag covers the 6' area between two I beams up to about 7-8' (this is dependent upon how thick or thin you spread it). Hope that helps!

@keppypaul

Ай бұрын

@@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid Well we will look into it. Is there a reason one should not use drywall mud and just paint it. I can see the need for higher strength materials in the patch areas and along the edge of the beams. Our humidity outside is about 17% but inside is 40% to 50% and seems to go to the higher side of 40% when my wife does laundry. Our ERV is not hooked up yet because it is upstairs and we have yet to begin interior framing upstairs. It goes in one of the upstairs bedroom closets. So that may contribute to the interior humidity levels. Seems the older we get it takes twice as long to do half as much. We are likely going to higher a day laborer to help me as my wife is not up to heavy work any more. She will turn 70 in January and the stamina for heavy lifting and heavy labor work just isn't there for long. However it has seemed to revitalize her and make the age not as much of an issue for now. Her Mom installed a sprinkler system by herself at age 80. I had to use my jackhammer on the rock ledge for the alcove where we are making a spot for the propane tank and it took a ton out of us after 3 hours labor. Our electric jackhammer weighs about 90# and I had to stand in the tractor bucket while my wife raised it to get it high enough to use it on the rock ledges. We are just making room for the tank and drainage behind the retaining wall that will go behind the tank. We do our outdoor work in the early AM and at dusk due to the heat and intense sun now. The coolest area in the home is the garage and we think it is because we have 3 openings in the top of the dome for solar tube lights that we have but have not yet installed them. we also have a chimney opening for the propane fireplace. they all radiate heat into the dome as they are temporarily covered by metal 55 gallon drums to keep the weather, wind and dust out.

@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid

19 күн бұрын

Only just saw this! I believe dry wall mud will eventually crack and fall off, but not 100% sure.

Just curious why you built a concrete "dome" structure? Was it because the winters are cold?

@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid

Ай бұрын

It is an extremely energy efficient home. Saves on both heating and cooling, especially here where we have cold winters and hot summers.

The only downside is those nasty bugs. Otherwise it's paradise. 👹👍👍🇨🇦

@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid

2 ай бұрын

They’re not here all the time, Paradise when they’re done😊