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Letter Re: David in Israel on "When the Only Tool You Have is a Hammer" Syndrome, and Building a Post-TEOTWAWKI Shelter
Hello James,
David in Israel has done a great job sparking original thought in certain topics
of discussion. I really like his log home ideas. I have one problem with it
is: Today's generation!
I don't think very many of us could muster up enough fortitude let alone man
power to fell trees, drag to the site, de-bark and notch them, lift them into
place and head from there, (without modern technology, equipment, and power).
I
grant him that he was talking about a smaller shelter which would be more feasible.
His comments have made me think about creating a home after TEOTWAWKI,
and more
so
having a shelter/home that is mobile. It is my opinion that almost any homeowner/
do-it-yourself type guy could build a home with Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs).
These are not
labor
intensive
at
all. No special tools are needed, and the foam does not rot. Instead of concrete,
how about mixing earthen mud and using it in the very same way? If a few courses
were done at a time and allowed to dry, it would greatly reduce the likely "blow
out" from excessive un-braced hydraulic pressure. If a guy was lucky enough
to have some 2x4s around, he could temporarily brace, or build a semi-permanent
wall inside of the structure to minimize any later movement until the roof was
installed
and mud dry. I grant you that it could take some time for the mud to dry as it
won't receive much air, but small holes in the foam may exit the water satisfactorily.
In the same token, once the mud dries,... it really is protected from outside
moisture if installed with a roof that sheds water.
For further reinforcing, one could install vines or green tree branches into
his "pour" to help provide some minimalist reinforcements. Keep in
mind under those circumstances, dire is dire.
Thought this was about the lightest weight, least labor intensive and safest
method of a "portable home" in a TEOTWAWKI scenario. Some of the ICF's
fold in half, others are fixed blocks. In this example, the more space saving "folder" type
ICFs may be more efficient in space while transporting to your new locale. Food
for Thought, - The Wanderer
