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<blockquote data-quote="wkmac" data-source="post: 240089" data-attributes="member: 2189"><p>Sorry Sammie, didn't mean too and you are right about not knowing what Diesel has or hasn't done. Earlier in this thread I posted a post on some ideas of things I had done in the hopes of changing the discussion with no end in sight to something where we could share what we ourselves had done on an individual basis to make a difference. And big thanks to you <img src="/community/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/group1/thumbup1.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":thumbup1:" title="Thumbup1 :thumbup1:" data-shortname=":thumbup1:" /> for the things you've done for your home to try and make a difference. To steal a "very overused" tagline from Sean Hannity, "You're a Great American" Sammie in the truest sense of the word. </p><p> </p><p>As for siding, I was lucky in that our house is brick on all 4 sides so the siding issue was limited to the overhangs, gables but we also expanded the front of the house and it would not be brick. We did go with insulated vinyl ourselves but also being over 50 years old, I didn't want to climb ladders to paint anymore so now except for the new front porch I'm in the process of finishing up myself that I built, my exterior is completely maintenance FFFRRRRREEEEEEEEEEE!<img src="/community/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/group1/thumbup.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":thumbup:" title="Thumbup :thumbup:" data-shortname=":thumbup:" /><img src="/community/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/group1/thumbup.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":thumbup:" title="Thumbup :thumbup:" data-shortname=":thumbup:" /><img src="/community/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/group1/thumbup.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":thumbup:" title="Thumbup :thumbup:" data-shortname=":thumbup:" /></p><p>I hope my celebratory attitude was subdued. <img src="/community/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/group1/laugh.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":laugh:" title="Laugh :laugh:" data-shortname=":laugh:" /></p><p> </p><p>I've got about 10 more years at UPS and then I'm retired. My wife and I want to leave the area we live in because it is a ratrace. We've even discussed going to a couple of different countries as well but we'll see. Nothing to do with the politics but rather climate advantages. We have started planning our retirement home and we are seriously planning for a home completely off the grid with all the modern thingies of life, a rain collection system that provides all our water needs and then a recycle waste system for gray and blackwater that once the blackwater is processed through a primary septic tank for solids breakdown using solar collection and then passing the liquified remains through leechfields planted in terraces with a variety of plantlife that feeds on the waste product so that by the time the water comes out the end you can just about put your glass down and drink it. My wife and I love plants so we just think this is great. </p><p> </p><p>The rainwater collection is an old idea but several years ago a man in Arizona built a 37k gallon concrete cistern on his property and then installed a metal roof on his home with gutter collection system. It took about a year of rainfall to fill the cistern but now if he gets no rain at all and using water at a normal use rate, he can go about 10 months. Another added benefit of this especially in urban evironments with lots of impervious surfaces causing excessive rain runoff into streams and creeks or overwhelming the wastewater system, this would save on the runoff and the more homes that could do this, would save on loal infrastructure costs and in our case locally where we are fighting surrounding states over water rights in our watershed, any large scale use of this process would lessen the pressures and maybe eliminate the problem altogether. My wife and I have worked with some local county officials (democrats but please don't tell Diesel because I have a stereotype to uphold) on a number of these type ideas from relaxing building codes that in some cases prohibited solar arrays, not because they were unsafe, etc. but the rules were so exact that there was no flexibility in the regs for the inspectors and zoning dept's to even consider them in the first place. Alot of alternative housing and construction processes are very safe and even more so than current home construction but because the laws don't even speak of them at all, this places pressure on local inspectors who can only rule to the letter of the regs written. This is really changing across the country I'm glad to say.</p><p> </p><p>Keep up the effort Sammie where you can and there are tons of resources our there on doing real things around your house to make a diference. Next time you are at a large chain bookstore, go to the magazine rack and look for a copy of Home Power magazine. Not suggesting you buy one but look it over to see what people are doing. The mag. is loaded with techno-jargon that can be almost engineer level stuff but the resources are out there to figure it out for those who want to. I'm watching the submersible micro generators where you immerse the business end into a flowing stream of water and you've got electrical power. I live on a fast flowing stream so you can understand my interest. Another article I read is the idea of same technolgy on even smaller scale that could be used by backpackers. I can just see it now, someone on the trail with a bigscreen TV.</p><p><img src="/community/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/group1/lol.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":lol:" title="Lol :lol:" data-shortname=":lol:" /></p><p> </p><p>Have a great weekend Sammie!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="wkmac, post: 240089, member: 2189"] Sorry Sammie, didn't mean too and you are right about not knowing what Diesel has or hasn't done. Earlier in this thread I posted a post on some ideas of things I had done in the hopes of changing the discussion with no end in sight to something where we could share what we ourselves had done on an individual basis to make a difference. And big thanks to you :thumbup1: for the things you've done for your home to try and make a difference. To steal a "very overused" tagline from Sean Hannity, "You're a Great American" Sammie in the truest sense of the word. As for siding, I was lucky in that our house is brick on all 4 sides so the siding issue was limited to the overhangs, gables but we also expanded the front of the house and it would not be brick. We did go with insulated vinyl ourselves but also being over 50 years old, I didn't want to climb ladders to paint anymore so now except for the new front porch I'm in the process of finishing up myself that I built, my exterior is completely maintenance FFFRRRRREEEEEEEEEEE!:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup: I hope my celebratory attitude was subdued. :laugh: I've got about 10 more years at UPS and then I'm retired. My wife and I want to leave the area we live in because it is a ratrace. We've even discussed going to a couple of different countries as well but we'll see. Nothing to do with the politics but rather climate advantages. We have started planning our retirement home and we are seriously planning for a home completely off the grid with all the modern thingies of life, a rain collection system that provides all our water needs and then a recycle waste system for gray and blackwater that once the blackwater is processed through a primary septic tank for solids breakdown using solar collection and then passing the liquified remains through leechfields planted in terraces with a variety of plantlife that feeds on the waste product so that by the time the water comes out the end you can just about put your glass down and drink it. My wife and I love plants so we just think this is great. The rainwater collection is an old idea but several years ago a man in Arizona built a 37k gallon concrete cistern on his property and then installed a metal roof on his home with gutter collection system. It took about a year of rainfall to fill the cistern but now if he gets no rain at all and using water at a normal use rate, he can go about 10 months. Another added benefit of this especially in urban evironments with lots of impervious surfaces causing excessive rain runoff into streams and creeks or overwhelming the wastewater system, this would save on the runoff and the more homes that could do this, would save on loal infrastructure costs and in our case locally where we are fighting surrounding states over water rights in our watershed, any large scale use of this process would lessen the pressures and maybe eliminate the problem altogether. My wife and I have worked with some local county officials (democrats but please don't tell Diesel because I have a stereotype to uphold) on a number of these type ideas from relaxing building codes that in some cases prohibited solar arrays, not because they were unsafe, etc. but the rules were so exact that there was no flexibility in the regs for the inspectors and zoning dept's to even consider them in the first place. Alot of alternative housing and construction processes are very safe and even more so than current home construction but because the laws don't even speak of them at all, this places pressure on local inspectors who can only rule to the letter of the regs written. This is really changing across the country I'm glad to say. Keep up the effort Sammie where you can and there are tons of resources our there on doing real things around your house to make a diference. Next time you are at a large chain bookstore, go to the magazine rack and look for a copy of Home Power magazine. Not suggesting you buy one but look it over to see what people are doing. The mag. is loaded with techno-jargon that can be almost engineer level stuff but the resources are out there to figure it out for those who want to. I'm watching the submersible micro generators where you immerse the business end into a flowing stream of water and you've got electrical power. I live on a fast flowing stream so you can understand my interest. Another article I read is the idea of same technolgy on even smaller scale that could be used by backpackers. I can just see it now, someone on the trail with a bigscreen TV. :lol: Have a great weekend Sammie! [/QUOTE]
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