Sallie wrote:
> Deanne,
> Have you ever thought of an inground house on the hillside? Don't =
know
how expensive it would be though!
Oooh, years ago we looked at such a one. It was wonderful but too small =
for
us. We loved how it seemed so in tune with the landscape.
Pat
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The house I designed and had built in 1998 was a bermed house. Only =
problem was that Bob the builder didn't know the meaning of the word =
"berm" and planted the house too deep in the ground. To make a long =
story short (which I don't want to bore poor Margaret with yet again!), =
I was able to get most of the mistakes fixed over the next few years and =
by the time I sold my precious little home last spring, the lower level =
was toasty and dry and heatable with one small ETS heater. I rented it =
for a year before selling and my renter didn't even turn on the ETS most =
of the winter. He liked sleeping down there in the coolness, 55-60 =
degrees F.
Lee Ann
ps--this is too funny! Even my spellcheck doesn't know the meaning of =
the word "bermed." 8-) Must be that Bob the builder is working for =
Microsoft now, eh Margaret?
Sallie wrote:
> Deanne,
> Have you ever thought of an inground house on the hillside? Don't =
know
how expensive it would be though!
Oooh, years ago we looked at such a one. It was wonderful but too small =
for
us. We loved how it seemed so in tune with the landscape.
Pat
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I was never bored, Lee Ann. Amused and concerned for you about the nitwit's
ordering men to install the subfloor upside down, even though stamped "this
side up." Standing in the basement, I suppose it was up to him...Margaret L
The house I designed and had built in 1998 was a bermed house. Only problem
was that Bob the builder didn't know the meaning of the word "berm" and
planted the house too deep in the ground. To make a long story short (which
I don't want to bore poor Margaret with yet again!), I was able to get most
of the mistakes fixed over the next few years and by the time I sold my
precious little home last spring, the lower level was toasty and dry and
heatable with one small ETS heater. I rented it for a year before selling
and my renter didn't even turn on the ETS most of the winter. He liked
sleeping down there in the coolness, 55-60 degrees F.
Lee Ann
ps--this is too funny! Even my spellcheck doesn't know the meaning of the
word "bermed." 8-) Must be that Bob the builder is working for Microsoft
now, eh Margaret?
--0-659748227-1110442205=:80482
I believe they are built more in Arizona and New Mexico which is dry and would not retain the water in the soil as much. I think a rammed - earth house can also be used in connection with a bermmed house. The roof is usually a garden also I think. Sue
Plant Spirit Herbals in No. Calif.
Tony and Moira Ryan
Patricia Ruggiero wrote:
Could you explain, please, exactly what you mean by "a berm house". We
use this word "berm" but obviously with some completely different meaning!
If, as it seems, you imply a house that is partly below ground level,
the major problem, as I understand it, is keeping ground water out of
the below-ground part of the house. And in some situations the
possibility of the house actually being shifted by water pressure
on the foundations!
Tony
--
Tony & Moira Ryan,
Wainuiomata, North Island, NZ. Pictures of our garden at:-
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cherie1/Garden/TonyandMoira/index.htm
NEW PICTURES AND DIAGRAMS ADDED 20/Feb/2005
--0-659748227-1110442205=:80482I believe they are built more in Arizona and New Mexico which is dry and would not retain the water in the soil as much. I think a rammed - earth house can also be used in connection with a bermmed house. The roof is usually a garden also I think. SuePlant Spirit Herbals in No. Calif.
Tony and Moira Ryan <tomory@XTRA.CO.NZ> wrote:Patricia Ruggiero wrote:
> Sallie wrote:
>
>
>> Deanne, Have you ever thought of an inground house on the hillside?
>> Don't know
> how expensive it would be though!
>
> Oooh, years ago we looked at such a one. It was wonderful but too
> small for us. We loved how it seemed so in tune with the landscape.
Could you explain, please, exactly what you mean by "a berm house". We
use this word "berm" but obviously with some completely different meaning!
If, as it seems, you imply a house that is partly below ground level,
the major problem, as I understand it, is keeping ground water out of
the below-ground part of the house. And in some situations the
possibility of the house actually being shifted by water pressure
on the foundations!
Tony
--
Tony & Moira Ryan,
Wainuiomata, North
Island, NZ. Pictures of our garden at:-
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cherie1/Garden/TonyandMoira/index.htm
NEW PICTURES AND DIAGRAMS ADDED 20/Feb/2005
--0-659748227-1110442205=:80482--
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Technically, a bermed house is built on a normal site, and the earth is =
bermed up around the base. Mine was built into a slope and supposed to =
be a combination of partially underground and partially bermed up, until =
the major error was made that turned it into a two-level house with more =
of a basement than a berming on the lower level. (It was supposed to be =
like a bank barn, with berming built up toward the back for a =
ramped-earth entrance to the upper level.)
My soil was a mix of clay and gravel. I used waterproofing to keep the =
moisture from seeping through the concrete block walls, and rebar to =
give strength to those walls to resist the pressure of the earth against =
it. They should have built French drains also, but Bob the builder said =
with all that gravel, I didn't need them. Of course he was unable to =
identify the blue clay running through that gravel! Although the berming =
concept was screwed up, the lower level did turn out to be quite dry =
after I corrected the grading problems caused by the house being set in =
too deeply. Of course, that stripped off my topsoil, the little that was =
left after the initial digging for the "basement." I solved part of that =
problem by planting a portion of my yard with native seeds for a native =
lawn. These hardy plants were able to survive and thrive in less than =
ideal soil.
Lee Ann
Could you explain, please, exactly what you mean by "a berm house". We
use this word "berm" but obviously with some completely different =
meaning!
If, as it seems, you imply a house that is partly below ground level,
the major problem, as I understand it, is keeping ground water out of
the below-ground part of the house. And in some situations the
possibility of the house actually being shifted by water pressure
on the foundations!
Tony
--
Tony & Moira Ryan,
Wainuiomata, North Island, NZ. Pictures of our garden at:-
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cherie1/Garden/TonyandMoira/index.htm
NEW PICTURES AND DIAGRAMS ADDED 20/Feb/2005
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This would be an underground, not a bermed house. There is one of these =
in the next county that was built about 25 years ago. The entire house =
is underground except for the southwest-facing front where there the =
solar collecting windows are totally aboveground. (The other three sides =
are totally bermed with the soil covering even the roof.) This house has =
lawn and landscaping on the roof. It's a good concept that didn't catch =
on well in our area in the northeast. You're right that these types of =
houses are more common in the dry and warm southwest.
Lee Ann
I believe they are built more in Arizona and New Mexico which is dry and =
would not retain the water in the soil as much. I think a rammed - =
earth house can also be used in connection with a bermmed house. The =
roof is usually a garden also I think. Sue
Plant Spirit Herbals in No. Calif.
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Patricia Ruggiero wrote:
> Sallie wrote:
> Deanne, Have you ever thought of an inground house on the hillside?
> Don't know
> how expensive it would be though!
> Oooh, years ago we looked at such a one. It was wonderful but too
> small for us. We loved how it seemed so in tune with the landscape.
Could you explain, please, exactly what you mean by "a berm house". We
use this word "berm" but obviously with some completely different meaning!
If, as it seems, you imply a house that is partly below ground level,
the major problem, as I understand it, is keeping ground water out of
the below-ground part of the house. And in some situations the
possibility of the house actually being shifted by water pressure
on the foundations!
Tony
--
Tony & Moira Ryan,
Wainuiomata, North Island, NZ. Pictures of our garden at:-
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cherie1/Garden/TonyandMoira/index.htm
NEW PICTURES AND DIAGRAMS ADDED 20/Feb/2005
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Yes, we use berm to denote the roadsides too. As in "When the police =
turned on the siren when I was speeding, I pulled over onto the berm." =
8-)
Lee Ann
OK, thank you. The NZ use of the word is for the "spare" space between
the footpath (sidewalk) and the fronts of home properties, along
suburban streets here.
This "berm" is usually about 8-10 feet wide and is normally grassed,
often with Council-planted small trees, one in front of each property
(flowering cherries along our road). Home owners normally mow this berm,
although it is technically Council-owned.
The only other use for the word in our dictionary (and not one I have
encountered in use) is for a flat rim or walkway along the edge of a =
slope.
Tony
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> Tony
> --
Tony, you know I mention quite often how extorbitant the prices on land are in Denmark (most of Europe too). Well, some years ago, it became very popular to buy up gravel pits that had been abandoned and were just about free. Then people built a house against the back wall of the pit and after a while could start gardening.
There are lots of Danes who garden organically but call it just old-fashioned gardening as I do. And just about every one has a compost pile or bin, also because you can save money on garbage disposal by composting.
I don't know if a house such as I describe in a gravel pit would be a berm house?
Carol
Lee Ann Reiners wrote:
OK, thank you. The NZ use of the word is for the "spare" space between
the footpath (sidewalk) and the fronts of home properties, along
suburban streets here.
This "berm" is usually about 8-10 feet wide and is normally grassed,
often with Council-planted small trees, one in front of each property
(flowering cherries along our road). Home owners normally mow this berm,
although it is technically Council-owned.
The only other use for the word in our dictionary (and not one I have
encountered in use) is for a flat rim or walkway along the edge of a slope.
Tony
--
Tony & Moira Ryan,
Wainuiomata, North Island, NZ. Pictures of our garden at:-
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cherie1/Garden/TonyandMoira/index.htm
NEW PICTURES AND DIAGRAMS ADDED 20/Feb/2005
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Tony,
That's what we are talking about. When we had our new septic system =
installed the installer placed a pipe with holes on the top all around =
our septic system to keep it from getting a lot of ground water in it. =
It drains out in the woods. I wonder if something like that would work =
around a berm house.
Sallie - Zone 6 - SW Ohio
If, as it seems, you imply a house that is partly below ground level,
the major problem, as I understand it, is keeping ground water out of
the below-ground part of the house. And in some situations the
possibility of the house actually being shifted by water pressure
on the foundations!
Tony
--
Tony & Moira Ryan,
Wainuiomata, North Island, NZ. Pictures of our garden at:-
=
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cherie1/Garden/TonyandMoira/index.htm
NEW PICTURES AND DIAGRAMS ADDED 20/Feb/2005
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In a message dated 3/13/05 7:58:41 PM Eastern Standard Time,
sarah31640rose@MSN.COM writes:
<< That's what we are talking about. When we had our new septic system
installed the installer placed a pipe with holes on the top all around our septic
system to keep it from getting a lot of ground water in it. It drains out in
the woods. I wonder if something like that would work around a berm house. >>
I believe that's called a French drain.
Mary Ann
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That's a French drain and yes, it would help around a bermed house or a =
basement.
Lee Ann
Tony,
That's what we are talking about. When we had our new septic system =
installed the installer placed a pipe with holes on the top all around =
our septic system to keep it from getting a lot of ground water in it. =
It drains out in the woods. I wonder if something like that would work =
around a berm house.
Sallie - Zone 6 - SW Ohio
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--0-904460190-1110779944=:73243
Usually a large pipe with holes in it. Very commonly used. My husband has them in our front yard, so I don't have much wet soil. It is the highest part of our property. He's a contractor, that's why we have them.
Cheers, Sue
Plant Spirit Herbals in sunny No. Calif.
TonyandMoira
I thought a French drain was simply a trench that had been back-filled
with stones?
Tony
Mary Ann Mikulski wrote:
--0-904460190-1110779944=:73243Usually a large pipe with holes in it. Very commonly used. My husband has them in our front yard, so I don't have much wet soil. It is the highest part of our property. He's a contractor, that's why we have them.Cheers, SuePlant Spirit Herbals in sunny No. Calif.
TonyandMoira <tomory@XTRA.CO.NZ> wrote:I thought a French drain was simply a trench that had been back-filled
with stones?
Tony
Mary Ann Mikulski wrote:
>In a message dated 3/13/05 7:58:41 PM Eastern Standard Time,
>sarah31640rose@MSN.COM writes:
>
><< That's what we are talking about. When we had our new septic system
>installed the installer placed a pipe with holes on the top all around our septic
>system to keep it from getting a lot of ground water in it. It drains out in
>the woods. I wonder if something like that would work around a berm house. >>
>
>I believe that's called a French drain.
>
>Mary Ann
>
>
>
--0-904460190-1110779944=:73243--
So did I, Tony. Reminds me of a wonderful experience. I went to a local
plumbing supply place (for the do-it-yourselfer), and told them I needed
stuff to drain my greenhouse because a concrete floor was going to be laid.
I gave them approximate location of the drain, and the fellow sketched
something out on paper, then walked around the store and assembled all of
the items necessary, gave me the sketch, and told me if I had questions to
come back. Pieces were self-explanatory, and it was easy...Margaret L
Another form of french drain, and probably the first, was rocks.
This eventually failed because it filled in with silt if the angle
from one end to the other was not sufficient. I think the same think
will happen with modern drains. They can't be level.
I thought a French drain was simply a trench that had been back-filled
with stones?
Tony
Mary Ann Mikulski wrote:
