HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN UNDERGROUND eeeContents Introduction Definition and Objectives Mental and Physical Preparation—Benefits—Alternatives Design and Land Must Work Together Well Depths — Excavating — Water Problems—CGounty Regulations — Financing —Restrictions—Lot Size—into-the-Hill Approach—Leve! Ground—Below Grade Level—Hall-and-Half Construction—Basic Necessities—Extrema Conditians How to Get Work Done Insurance—Best Working Hours—Right Tool for the Job—Rental Equipment—Borrawing Tools, When to Hire a Professional Properly Layoul—Lawyer's Fees—Sumply Purchase—Ral Cost—Excavating—Bullding Materials— Concrete —Masonry—Fiaor Slab— Interior Walls—More Necessary Purchases— Repeating Work Codes and Regulations Means of Egress—Sprinkler System—Smoke Detectors—Series of Corridors—Retaining Walls—Hand Railings—Alr Circulation— Potential Electrical Code Problems —Helpful Reminders —Plumbing— Stairs—Door Openings—Building Code Appeals Board—Professional Engineers: Site Preparation Driveway—Setback—Septic- Sewer Systam—Surveying—~Landscaping—Property Lines 10 24 29 5410 W 12 13 14 15 7 18 19 20 21 22 23 Preparing and Pouring the Footers ‘The Conterete—Placing Cast-Iron Sewer Pipe—Monalithic Pour Walls Formed and Poured Walis—Block Walls —Why All-Black Interior Walls? Roof Design and Preparation Block Stutfing—Rebar—Wire Mesh—Steel Placement—Precast Concrete— Chimneys Alternate Design Problems—Advantages— Yet Another Approach: Waterproofing and Insulation Moisture Treaiments—Roo! Insulation—Potential Prifalis What About Moisture? Grading—Condensation—Sponge Etfect—Polyethylene Sheets —Air Pockets —Humicity Backfilling and Grading Overlapping Method —Backtilling—Insulation Board— Using a Tractor—Using a Crane—Final Grading—Backhoe Remaval—Grass Seed Utilities Plumbing — Water Pips—Cieaning New Water Lines—Maintenance—Electric Wiring Woodworking Nails, Nails, Nails—Hanging Doors—Wooden Walls Adding Trim and Fixtures Decoration and Layout —Bedrooms—Kitchen—Appliances—Fecycled Materials—Furriture—Carpet and ‘Padding—Paint—Interior Garden—Lighting—Ideas Heating and Ventilation Heating—Fan System—Cooling—Fresh Air Domes and Skylights Indoor Gardan—Cost of a Dome—Gonstructing Your Dome Underground Home Ceiling Tha Roa! Siab—Creative Ceilings—Geiling Space—Painting Your Ceiling After the Basics ‘The Entrance—Getting Used to Living Underground—No- Windows— Strange Sensations—Radio and ‘Television Reception—Door Belts Would | Do It Again? Alternate Sources of Energy Heat—Wood Stoves—Coal-Solar ‘Heat—Solar/Electric—Workable Electric Source—Wind Power— ‘Other Fuels Underground Home Publicity Positive Attention—Nogative Attention—Public Attention—Private Attention 64 73 81 103 113 122 130 143 148 154 165 169 180 184 189 19324 Years Later 195 Dome Alignment — Skylight Foundation—Skylight Repair—Heat trom the Sun—Crickets—Snow— Visitors—Utlty Bills—Lack of Light—Problem Neighbors 25 “The Day After" 199 Better Odds—Other Designs—How to Choose Stope Direction Index 205Introduction RS AEA, As you browse through this second edition of How fo Build Your Own Underground Home, you must beasking yourself, “ What more can he find to write about after three previous books on the subject of underground homes.” ‘The answer is basic. Like many subjects that are surrounded by good old yankee: ingenuity, im- provementsand advancements are constantly being made. This second edition includes the pertinent information that has come to light since 1978 in the field of earth-sheltered living. Consider that when the first edition was writ- ten energy was the predominate word of the day. Today earth-sheltered homes are being built more for a preferred architectural style than for the energy-savings factor. As you read on you will defi- nitely notice the influence the 1980s are having on design and materials. Earth-sheltered homes are now being ac- cepted as a moder style of home as compared ta the sideshow they once were. To repeat a phrase I have used in my previous books, earth-sheltered living is an idea whoge time has come,be 7S Definition and Objectives The definition of an underground house at first seems totally self-explanatory, but if you consider the limitless variations of terrain, weather, and human nature, you can imagine the extremes that are possible, Therefore, a clarification, along with my definition, is in order here at the beginning of this book. You can imagine the extremes that might oecur when somewhere, sometime, someone has set up a permanent residence in a cavern or cave 100 feet or more below grade surface. On the other hi there are homes, particularly in California, with approximately 4 inches of soil or sod growing on the roof only to act as-an insulator against ex- treme hot and cold temperatures. These two condi- tions should definitely be considered the extremes of engineering ease and difficulty. Therefore, to avoid covering problems and methods of construction that would probably never be encountered by a potential underground home builder reading this book, I have established my parameters of a typical (if there is such a thing) underground home to be 2 ta 5 feet under the earth's surface. The biggest reason I have for suggesting 5 feet of earth over the roof of an underground home is that this is the point of best compromise. By compromise, I mean that 4 or 5 feet of earth gives you the most insulation for the least amount of weight. If you consider that earth, with an average amount of small rocks and dampness from rain, weighs around 100 pounds per cubic foot, it is easy to calculate how many cubic feet or dirt you will have over your head. Multiply the number of cubic feet by 90 pounds. This will give you an estimated total weight that your concrete roaf slab will have to support. The more weight overhead. the more reinforced concrete you will need, and the more it will cost. According to my personal tests and calcula- tions, 5 feet of earth will give approximately 90 per- cent of the insulation value that 10 feet of earth will give you. The cost and strength of the roof slab to hold up 10 feet of earth, however, would be un- reasonable, probably three or four times more ex pensive than a slab of concrete capable of holding 5 feet of earth. Figure 1-1 shows a bar graph, for estimating the percent of insulation value in rela8 90% VALUE AT 50" DEEP 95 L 1 mn L 0 5 10 15 20 E © a w $ z = z Q — a 3 @ 50 é y 4 a 2 3 6 & 6 5 a 6 c o 2 FEET BELOW SURFACE OF EARTH 35'—0" YEAR ROUND STABILITY Ll 4 25 30 38 40 45 50 Fig. 1-1, Graph showing relationship of earth depth to insulating valve. tion to depth of soil Just as the depth into the ground could be varied, the amount of vertical exterior wall surfaces covered by dirt is likewise varied, The previously mentioned sod-roofed homes have no exterior walls covered by dirt. All the walls are built convention- ally constructed. But the home which I have built and now live in has three-and-one-half vertical sides covered by a minimum of 4 feet of earth. In all fairness, I've seen a few good designs with only three walls covered by earth, So now having mentioned the extremes for exposed exterior wall surfaces, I'll make this suggestion: If you are really interested in building underground, go all the way. The engineering problems are basically the same regardless of whether you have one side, two sides, or all four sides plus the roof covered by earth, Nevertheless, ‘the benefits are substantially increased in direct proportion to the more exterior vertical wall sur- 2 faces covered, MENTAL AND PHYSICAL PREPARATION If the precediig definition doesn’t scare you, con- sider one more thing. Before you make the final decision to build underground, you will want to be prepared mentally, as well as physically, to handle a project that is different from the normal. When | say physically and mentally, I mean exactly that. Building a house of any kind will test a person's physical stamina. This is especially true when you try to do most of the work yourself. Remember that a concrete block soaked by rain can weigh nearly 100 pounds, that 2 shovel of wet dirt can weigh over 25 pounds, that a cubic foot of wet concrete can weigh 100 pounds a cubic foot, a sheet of plywood can weigh 80 pounds, and that Sheetrock might weigh 120 pounds. These are just a few examples of material weight.