Good luck...

I'd guess it's more a case of using what's available rather than designing and trying to find specific stuff?

I'd guess the water system would be a good place to design in recycled/efficient/green principals.

Are you talking about a complete house from scratch, or do you have a shell?

Maybe reuse a modular building as a good quick start point? Once you have a basic shell it will be much easier to take the time to build it how you want inside...hmmm or is that just nonsense?
I'm sure you know what I mean..build the roof first to keep the rain out...then build the rest .

I'm jealous it sounds fun

Del

Old tires packed with dirt have been used.

I was just watching a show last night where someone got used shipping containers and put them together and made a house the market said was worth $1M. US. They said it cost them $500,000 to build, but it looked great.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/01/shipping_contai.php

Here's some illustrations. Apparently there are lots of these and more all the time...even architects working on designs.

Very nobel, indeed. However, I would first consider resale value and the ability to sell the house.

I am on my fourth house now. I still can't say it will be my last, but even it it is and I die, I would like to leave something of value to my family or not stick them with something that they can't sell. Houses are typically the biggest investment you can make.

Sure, a small fraction of people may want to buy a recycled house, but probably not yours because the room sizes may not be right, it is too far from work, they want more land, the schools are not what they want...

My point is to be very, very careful. In the end its your money, but if it doesn't appeal to the average buyer you may be stuck with a red herring.

Consider ideas that make the house one or more of these attributes: increased curb appeal, a beautiful kitchen, a deck, fireplace (where applicable), spacious master bath and bedroom, maintenance free landscaping.

Other important, but lower priority attributes would be: overall lower maintenance, lower cost of operation (heating and air-conditioning), building security, and interior luxuries.

So, an example might be a house that has thermal mass as part of its structure if it looks and fits the theme of the house and neighborhood. I have seen some stunning homes that use this and look great. Adding lots of extra insulation is a big plus.

Using recycled materials that meet building codes is fine, but if you are not sure you may end up with a HUgE problem if something goes wrong.

Thanks. Heeded. I have considered the fact that it may not "look like" all the other homes in the neighborhood. But I do believe, so far at least, that it can be built not too far from the mark. I have also looked into Icynene (sp) expanding foam insulation. So far, I'm a fan, but I am trying to find information on whether or not it is safe for the environment (how much of an impact it has from production to user), and if there are any health concerns for the residents. I plan to keep the home till I die, so far. Ultimately, I do not want to live in an ugly home, so aesthetics will be of utmost importance, along with function. I love old homes, always have. It is amazing to me that I am even excited about the possibility of living in a home with a modern feel. Maybe it's age, maybe just personal growth. Who knows. I am excited, though, and can't wait to see where this goes.

It may not look like other homes but it should be beautiful...good design generally turns out to be beautiful...

Check for flammability and what out gassing it gives. Some foam insulations out gas deadly gasses over time and usually all foams yield very deadly gasses when burned.

Check the building codes very carefully!

"Sure, a small fraction of people may want to buy a recycled house, but probably not yours because the room sizes may not be right, it is too far from work, they want more land, the schools are not what they want... "

All the reason you gave not to build with recycled materials are true for any home that is built out of the norm in its area. Whether it's made from recycled material or not. These reasons imply to all homes. So as to make the house more resell able it has to be just like the Jones's. Leaves no room for individuality.

I believe if he does a good job with the materials that he can find. Then the value will be there in the end.

Exactly...

I would hope that more and more people would want to live in eco friendly individualistic interesting houses. It is so depressing when you see estates being built with boring identikit houses with tiny gardens (in UK)....

And if you build a house for yourself...why would you want to move...

Thanks for the input. I have a fixer upper, older home. True 2x4's of cypress. These are hard as a rock, can't hammer a nail into them. Must use screws. I guess I sorta have in mind a rainwater capture system, a mix of reclaimed wood and metal, use of found items, such as glass and metal from such things as buildings being torn down in the city, etc. Of course, the design would have to evolve over the process, because of this. Concrete is quickly becoming a wonderful residential material, and is extremely reliable in its durability. It is also, from what I can gather, cost effective. I can see myself doing most of the work after the shell is built. Good friends, all with some knowhow, would hopefully be willing to pitch in in return for some great bbq, and lots of cold beer. It will take quite some time, I'm sure, if I feel this is the way to go, but I will keep those interested updated. So, if you happen to run across anything along these lines, or just have a brilliant idea, let me know. Cheers!

Don't know what part of the world you live in but HomePower Magazine has featured seversl such houses in their 20 year publishing run. They do have archives. John Denver is perhaps one of the best known high profile persons to have built a home from recycled materials. Article in Home Power mag some years back.

For DIY efforts look for old episiodes of a TV show Called This Old House - host Bob Vila. Most of the shows featured some aspect of what you are wanting to do. I watched it every week for a few years during the time I was building my house. I also used some recycled materails.

HGTV has a series on now that also gets into home building and or renovations.

I will look for the magazine, thanks. Yeah, I'm a big DIY'er. I watch those shows all the time. Now, I have to figure out where to live during the project.

Bricks from demolished homes and buildings can be reused. Inspect them well before reuse.

I thinks it's a great idea.

There is a wide variety of environmentally friendly products on the market. I have seen many houses built from recycled materials and with proper planning there is no reason why your house would look any different to any others around or effect your re-sell value.

Good luck

Two excellent books are "The Owner Built Home" and "Owner Built Homestead" by Ken Kern. A third book by Ken Kern is "The Earth Sheltered Owner Built Home" but I havn't read it. The problem will be getting building permits if you are building something is not normal.

I'll check those out. Just this morning, I found some web sites offering links and insight to this technology. I found one regarding c-cans, boxcars, etc. Found some offering recycled lumber. One site offered timbers that were sunken for 90 years. Seems they were being shipped to the UK in 1909, for building something for the Queen, and the vessel went down. They sank(wet, fresh lumber, I suppose), and finally arose and floated, where some farmers dragged them in by chain. They are imprinted with HRM, I believe (Her Royal Majesty?). Although they listed the dimensions available, they did not list the price. My guess is that I could probably build a mansion for the cost of acquiring those timbers, huh?

I can reuse most of the studs from my existing home. It has tongue and groove red oak flooring, so I don't think any of that can be reused, unless cut out in big sheets, like plywood. I would think it would be near impossible to deconstruct them without destroying the tongues. Looks like they've already been sanded 2 or 3 times anyway. On a search for commercial buildings being torn down. Maybe I can acquire some large pieces of glass. I saw an article, recently, in which a man acquired an old water tank from a small town, you know, the wooden kind? He buried it and made it into the pool. Now that's ingenuity. I wish I could find that article now.

One thing is for certain, I'm gonna have to start building a site of my own, just to keep up with all of the information. I suspect (being a novice to all of this), that this process is going to take much time and patience, to say the least.

www.geoswan.com

www.ceramiccementcorp.com

A couple of site that explain the binder.

The flooring boards can be shredded and the splinters and sawdust combined with the binder to make a substitute wood that can even be structural strength.

The binder components are all mineral based.

Jonathan

I'd have thought those oak boards would still make good framing for solar hot water panels and suchlike even if you lose the tongue and groove section.... oak isn't cheap, so it would be a shame to burn or shred it. Maybe just rip it out and run it all through the circular saw to some sort of 'standard' size... a use will turn up later (or as soon as you dispose of 'em .

Yes, good idea. I'm also thinking they may make a really cool interior separation wall, if say, cut into an 8' x 10' section, all the way through the entire floor. Refinished, would be great, with some other kind of backing. This old house has the diagonal boards underneath and they are attached to that. Would be able to remove the sections in one piece after exterior wall is open. It's nice wood, I would hate to lose it.

Magnesium Phosphate Ceramic Cements have the ability to utilize organic or inorganic filler. Everything from sawdust to newsparers to non-salable flyash to just plain dirt becomes a viable filler. Any and all heavy metals are locked up via the room temperature exothermic reaction of the two binder components.

Jonathan Hampton

Ceramic Cement Research Institute

479-899-7053

Thanks for the tip. I went to the website and read this. I'm just wondering how it is in terms of availability and cost at this early stage in its development. I will be working on a budget, and I mean a small one, in the realm of homebuilding. It sounds like a great alternative, and I will investigate it further. I'm a stickler for value.

Actual construction material is not as significant as final appearance when it comes to resale value. Provided the home has met the local building code requirements and will not pose a problem for the next owner in terms of compliance to local codes, prety much anything goes. Obviously a geodesic dome is not going to fit into a tract housing development. But an older home in a neighborhood where decades of renovations, upgrades and aditions have modified the original house character will not be as conspicuous. Such older neighborhoods already have building diversity. Making an effort at getting the final cosmetic apperanace to look similar to any older home wil pay dividends if it comes to resale value.

Am I correct in my impression that "non salable fly-ash" is that particulate which gets removed from a chimney by Colpitts Precipitators or equivalent?

Being non salable, does it mean it would be free for the asking?

How much by volume is the correct ratio for making this Magnesium Phosphate Ceramic Cement?

You are correct.

Usually it is not free--we get PAID to take it.

If I told you my formula I would have to give you a ride in Ted Kennedy's car .

I have a patent application which will reveal all when it is published.

In the meantime the technology is availible for sale to those wishing to lightweight produce aggregate with the method

All of the other utilizations are availible via several consultants of which I am one.

As to "is it Availible" It is a phoone call or email away

The cost varies as to the application and the cost of the fillers---just as with any other technology.

JH

Bales of straw they in case them in mortar as the build the wall. Makes a thick wall good R factor. Only seen it done though in the desert South west USA.

I applaud your desire to keep building materials out of the landfills. It is a real shame how much old wood goes into the landfill since old wood that hasn't rotted or become infested is a far better building material than new wood. Economically, the structural materials that can be re-used such as bricks and lumber are a relatively small part of the cost of a project. The real money comes (or goes) when you start to finish walls, floors and exterior. I was able to save one old fir floor from 1895 by doing a lot of sanding. It was well worth it for the looks of the old close-grain fir. On another one, from approx 1890, a previous owner had fixed a squeeky floor with 16d nails. That one had to be replaced.

Good luck!

Soda cans have been used with some success in some countries.