Archive for January, 2012
-
30 January 2012
Cabinets In A Straw Bale House
Here is a view of the cabinets installed in this straw bale house in British Columbia. The PaperStone countertop is a polished addition to the cherry cabintery. Although small, the house design optimizes the use of space to create a very comfortable nest for family of three.
With the open concept of the main floor, the wood stove easily heats the space, and bigger windows on the south side bring in natural light to the full interior. The upstairs has a cozy loft atmosphere, with sloping ceilings in the two bedrooms complimented by large dormer windows that provide plenty of light.
We installed the kitchen cabinetry, the stair railing and banister, did some interior finishing carpentry, and built the front entrance exterior landing for this house. It was a fun project to work on, out in the forest using a generator, as the house is off-grid. It will be a beautiful retreat house for the family, tucked away in the trees.
-
28 January 2012
PaperStone Countertop Scribed To A Bale Wall
I was excited to install this PaperStone countertop to see what it was like to work with and how it would add to the look of the kitchen cabinetry. PaperStone countertops are a green building alternative, made from recycled paper and petroleum free phenol resins which are derived in part from the natural phenolic oil found in cashew shells.
I needed to scribe the countertop to the plaster on the straw bale wall in this house, and the challenge in working with this material was its density. I had to adjust a few things to scribe the counter properly, and the result was a great fit. The upside is that the density of the countertop bodes well for a durable surface during useage of the kitchen.
When I was doing some research about these recycled paper solid surface countertops, I found a site that recommended that any Paperstone surfaces that may come in contact with food preparation should use the Paperstone Finish on the surface to help preserve the surface and make it suitable for food preparation. The ingredients listed for PaperStone countertop finish are food grade mineral oil stabilized with vitamin E, beeswax and carnauba wax.
No formaldehyde and no VOCs are two of the health conscious features of these surfaces. And multiple LEED credits are available, due to the health and environmental benefits of this choice of surface material. These countertops can be used in kitchens and bathrooms, and there are a few companies that make similar products, including PaperStone, RichLite, and ShetkaStone.
-
3 January 2012
The Year of Mud’s 2012 Workshops
We love seeing the dedication and artistry that other natural builders bring to their work. Ziggy’s photos are an inspiring journey of home building, and we look forward to seeing more! He is hosting several workshops this year in Missouri – the info is below. ~Raina
The Year of Mud is hosting two natural building workshops in 2012 at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage — check out their Timber Framing Workshop and Straw Bale Workshops! Visit the links below for more details (copy and paste into your web browser):
http://small-scale.net/yearofmud/natural-building-workshops/
http://small-scale.net/yearofmud/natural-building-workshops/timber-framing-workshop-2012/
http://small-scale.net/yearofmud/natural-building-workshops/straw-bale-building-workshop-2012/
