Help Me Design a Texas Home

Lummy wrote:Seems concrete would stay cooler.

A concrete building?  I've looked at monolithic domes.  I like them, but they are expensive.  They inflate an airform (big balloon) and spray 3" of polyeurethane insulation on the inside.  Then they install the rebar and spray in 3" of concrete.  When they harden, they are fire, earthquake, tornado, and hurricane resistant.  It's hard to plan usable space in a dome shaped building also. In a neighborhood, it gives me a "hippy" vibe that I don't like, but great in a remote setting.

I haven't looked into other concrete buildings.  Post up links to info and videos.  I'm all about doing what works.

Just make sure you have a reliable method of obtaining and storing plenty of water. Things are not looking great in many parts of Texas and even worse in California.

You're going to see some bad water wars by the end of the year.

HawkTheSlayer wrote:Just make sure you have a reliable method of obtaining and storing plenty of water. Things are not looking great in many parts of Texas and even worse in California.

You're going to see some bad water wars by the end of the year.

The area I'm looking at gets 44" of rain per year.  I'm looking around Van Zandt County in East TX.  Each inch of rainfall will provide 1900 gallons of water on a 3000 sf roof.  That is an average water collection of over 80k gallons of water per year.  The most readily available storage tanks are at Home Depot.  I drive by them in the parking lot every day.  A 2500 gallon tank costs $999, but I can get a 10% veteran's discount and get them for $900.  Four tanks should hold me over through dry spells.  I may consider a well or water hookup for emergency refills.  A slow trickle fill from a solar powered water pump into my tanks should be all I would ever need to supplement rainwater.  All water coming into the house would be filtered and sterilized with UV light and I think the rainwater is better than the tap water.  There is no chlorine, lime deposits, or hard water issues with rainwater.  Overflow water would be diverted to a stock tank, garden, or fruit tree grove.....whatever I may have.

HawkTheSlayer wrote:Just make sure you have a reliable method of obtaining and storing plenty of water. Things are not looking great in many parts of Texas and even worse in California.

You're going to see some bad water wars by the end of the year.

We've been drowning the shit for the last couple of weeks and a month or two left of the wet season here

vege57 wrote:

HawkTheSlayer wrote:Just make sure you have a reliable method of obtaining and storing plenty of water. Things are not looking great in many parts of Texas and even worse in California.

You're going to see some bad water wars by the end of the year.

We've been drowning the shit for the last couple of weeks and a month or two left of the wet season here

I haven't looked at the farmer's almanac or any long term rain predictions, but we have had a cool and wet year so far in East TX. Our lakes are completely full and I haven't needed to water my lawn once this year.

Another type of home I've looked at is a quonset hut home. I helped a friend erect his once and it was dirt cheap. It's an arching metal shell with open ends that you frame in. A 1500 sf shell typically costs less than $10-15k DIY. With 4 or 5 capable men, you can erect the building shell in a weekend. If done right it can be really awesome, but the shape of the space is hard to utilize. I like the squareness and ability to add porches to a standard metal building.

vege57 wrote:

HawkTheSlayer wrote:Just make sure you have a reliable method of obtaining and storing plenty of water. Things are not looking great in many parts of Texas and even worse in California.

You're going to see some bad water wars by the end of the year.

We've been drowning the shit for the last couple of weeks and a month or two left of the wet season here

We get lots of rain but even when it's bone dry, we get everybody else's unwanted flood waters down the Mississippi and Atchafalaya.

Crusader wrote:Another type of home I've looked at is a quonset hut home.  I helped a friend erect his once and it was dirt cheap.  It's an arching metal shell with open ends that you frame in.  A 1500 sf shell typically costs less than $10-15k DIY.  With 4 or 5 capable men, you can erect the building shell in a weekend.  If done right it can be really awesome, but the shape of the space is hard to utilize.  I like the squareness and ability to add porches to a standard metal building.

""I helped a friend erect his once and it was dirt cheap.""

You know you have a good friend when he comes over and helps you with an erection

HawkTheSlayer wrote:

vege57 wrote:

HawkTheSlayer wrote:Just make sure you have a reliable method of obtaining and storing plenty of water. Things are not looking great in many parts of Texas and even worse in California.

You're going to see some bad water wars by the end of the year.

We've been drowning the shit for the last couple of weeks and a month or two left of the wet season here

We get lots of rain but even when it's bone dry, we get everybody else's unwanted flood waters down the Mississippi and Atchafalaya.  

With the odd dead hillbilly floating around in it ?

OK.  I've decided on a barndominium.  If you were building a home, what features would you include?  Is there a new technology out that you would have to include?

Since I'm doing much of this my self, labor is no concern.  I want a doorless walk in shower with a second overhead rain shower head.



I'd like to do concrete and butcher block countertops.  I'd like to include both on a kitchen island.  I'd make a butcher block counter top and cut out the center and fill it with concrete after I install raised electrical outlets in the middle.  The outlets would be for kitchen appliances and phone charging.



My wife always wanted a barn door.  I plan to make a "Texas Flag" barn door using fractal wood burning and epoxy resin.  It will be a one of a kind.  Here is a typical "barn door".