Getting the Timing Right

The last few blogs have outlined our dreams for 2011. Over the past few days we have learned how important “timing” is, to successfully completing complex projects. Saving up the pennies, developing a design, planning the details and organising different facets of a construction are important steps, but when the work actually starts, timing can be a critical component too.

At the moment we are focussing on building our verandah, and setting up a clay pad for our garage slab to sit on. All the contractors (concreters, excavator and builders) were lined up well over a month ago, but  our bad timing started months earlier. Foolishly we thought that if we put our planning application in at the start of summer, we would be working on the projects in autumn (normally a dry time of year). However the wheels of the planning bureaucracy move very slowly. When we finally obtained the “magic piece of paper” 4 months later, each contractor then had to slot us into their work schedule. The builders were able to start quite soon, but the concreters had a backlog of jobs. Day after day of fine weather passed by, until at last the concreters were ready to do their thing.

The weather on 11^th May, 2011 made it a memorable day. As storm clouds gathered, light rain began to fall. Kevin, our excavator driver, was going flat out to finish the clay pad before it became too sticky. Whilst trying to retrieve a log for part of a retaining wall he discovered a boggy patch that quickly turned into a substance like quicksand. The more he tried to “claw” his way out with the machine, the deeper it went. Using all his skills with the scoop, and by embedding the sought after log under the tracks of the machine, he managed to avoid becoming a permanent feature of our landscape. After this lucky escape, he did a bit more work to make sure rain would drain off the site and then shared lunch with us before packing up for the day.

The concreters turned up late (during the earthmover drama) because of two flat tyres on their machinery. They got to work setting out levels and using an electric jackhammer to chop back excess bits of the house slab that were in the way. As the cloudy conditions were putting very little solar power into our system we started up our generator. Unfortunately there was so much noise from the jackhammer and the excavator that we did not notice the generator cut out (due to low oil levels). For the next hour or so, the jackhammer happily ate into our precious store of power until the rain got too heavy. By now the concreters had had enough. So they packed up and went home too and we had to run the generator all afternoon to get some power back into the batteries.

The third minor disaster occurred in the afternoon. A glazier arrived to repair the windscreen (broken on another job) of Kevin’s Drott. He not only accidentally broke the new sheet of glass, but due to the wet slippery conditions dropped the original badly cracked pane on our drive. It took about an hour for us to pick up all the small slivers of glass.

By now the rain had really set in. We had also had enough of the conditions and retreated inside. Three days later it is still raining and work has ground to a halt.

The moral of this saga is to try and make allowances for all the potential holdups that could delay a project. In other words, “get the ball rolling” early, so wintry conditions won’t throw a whole lot of “spanners into the works”. With a bit of luck and good timing, holdups and muck-ups won’t be a big problem. At least for us, current predictions are for reasonably fine weather for most of this week before the next weather front moves in with an extended period of heavy rain. We’ll be flat out making the most of the blue skies if they do come our way!!!

2011 Dreaming -House Progress Report

This year we were going to get back on to the job of finishing off our owner built house. We have half-heartedly said this a few times before, but this year we have actually started. The first room to get the treatment was our bedroom. The job turned out bigger than we expected (don’t they always), because a close look our timber beams and wall cladding revealed that they needed further sanding before we could get underway. A full day was spent rectifying this situation before we could start the main game. Choosing colours is not one of our strong points so our bedroom was to be the site of the great colour “experiment”. We had a long chat with the folk at Grimes & Sons who are well known local manufacturers of stains and paints with a particular knowledge about mud brick construction.

We started off with a range of several “off the shelf” colours and these worked well for most of the room. However, it was not quite so easy choosing the wall colour and we ended up developing our very own tinted colour with the help and expertise from Alan Grimes. Our rather primitive method involved measuring out a quarter litre of the base colour and then adding drops of tint with an eye dropper until the colour was just right. The magical number was 50 drops. After that we used an old medicine glass to work out how many ml equalled 50 drops. As the final colour was a result of Heather’s experiments we have christened this colour “Heather”. Another colour that had a great name was the one that we used for the upright posts and main beams. It is called “beer”. We did not choose it because of its name, but because it is a rich mellow colour that makes the timber grain look really beautiful.

We have now finished our bedroom and are really happy with the result. Unfortunately the cooler weather is not conducive to painting and staining so we will try the next room when the warm weather returns. It is great that at last we have made a start.

Grimes & Sons have a web site www.grimesandsons.com

2011 Dreaming PART 2

The dreams described in the previous post continue here with a focus on the house

Verandah

We have always intended building an undercover area on to the front of the house where we can store boots, coats and umbrellas and enjoy a morning coffee or afternoon glass of wine when the weather is conducive. We have chewed over many different possibilities, and decided on an open sided verandah area that is roofed over with materials that let enough light in, without it getting too hot in mid-summer. This construction will extend around the side of the house and also provide space for the steam engine, boiler, heat exchange tank etc. This area will also have a small kitchen garden and an outside cooking area for those very hot spells we sometimes get in summer. We may even explore the idea of a wood fired pizza oven!



Our rough model of the shape of our verandah

One reason why our projects take so long, is we spend a lot of time mulling over different possibilities. It has taken us around 2 years to come up with the final concept. One of our problems was to come up with a design that fulfils all the functions we have in mind and at the same time fits in aesthetically with the house. This latter point is quite complex because where the verandah adjoins the building there are 4 different roof levels, 3 different wall corners and 2 different levels on the ground. Our solution is a bit complex so to make sure in our minds that it would work we constructed a rough real sized model. The model gave us the confidence to take the next step- which is to start getting quotes for the job.

The house

We moved into the house in 2001, so it really is time to finish off the sanding and staining of exposed timber beams and ceilings, sealing windows and rendering the mud brick walls. This will be our first project for the year. Hopefully we will report on our progress in a month or two.

Obviously we will not get every one of these projects completed by the end of the year (in fact we may not even get them all started). However we will be working on them as time and finances allow. By doing many of them concurrently we can maximise the use of machinery whilst it is here. Sometimes the hardest part is just making a start, and in a way, putting down our intentions in writing is the very first part of that. Anyway, it will be very interesting to see how far we get by this time next year.

2011 Dreaming ...

This year we have been dreaming of taking our permaculture design to a new level. We spent most of the last 12 years putting the core of our design in place, but there were several large elements that we didn’t get around to starting, and many, many details were left unfinished. This was not a bad approach as it gave us time to observe and assess how everything worked so far. We have now developed quite a large list of modifications and new projects that we are planning to start in 2011. It will be another busy year but we are excited by the thought that more elements of our permaculture plan will come to fruition. (Many of these projects were on our drawing board back in the 1990’s, so we have been very patient.)

Somewhere to park the car

We have a garage attached to our house. However for the last 10 years we have used it for a multitude

of other uses and the car only ever got a look in once. The garage space is just too convenient a workspace, so it has become a workshop where we house our tools and the materials that we need on hand. Our solution is to build a steel shed where we can keep our car and trailer parked undercover. However like most of our infrastructure it will have many more functions as well. We will attach our woodshed to it (see below), have extra storage areas and in the future we may use part of it for milking goats. The fact that it is 20m from the house and made of steel, means that in a fire situation, our cars will be under cover and we can store fuels away from the house. The cars will also be protected from hail damage. We have applied for the planning permit (a ridiculously convoluted and complicated process) and hope to commence building in the next few months.

The garage turned into an Art Gallery

New Woodshed

We have a wood combustion stove and wood heater, and soon will be the proud owners of a stationery steam engine that runs on wood fuel. (More on this in a future post.) Our existing woodshed is not quite big enough to develop a system where we can continuously store enough dry wood to run these three appliances. At present when we add more wood to our woodshed we have to shift the existing pile forward so we can add wood at the back, which gives it some time to completely dry out before we use it. We will relocate the woodshed to the side of the above garage and develop a system that ensures a continuous supply of dry wood.



Our existing woodshed

Hothouse

The hothouse will be relocated north of the new garage. This site is a bit more protected from wind, and allows us to water the plants with rainwater collected off the new garage roof. We can use the existing hothouse site to grow more nut trees and/or create an area for goats to graze.

Relocation of our solar system

The panels will stay where they are but we will shift the inverter and batteries down next to the house. This will necessitate the laying of a heavy cable but we will maximise the use of the trench digger, by laying electric cables to outbuildings so they can have an electrical supply.

Having the batteries and inverter under shelter and close by, will enable better monitoring, ease of maintenance, better security and should ensure they have a longer life. They will also be adjacent to our new steam engine setup, allowing for 24v input directly into the batteries.

Access Tracks

Our 400m driveway has coped very well over the past decade, but after the recent heavy rains it is in desperate need of rejuvenation. The main need is a grading of the surface to reform the camber and clearing out the gutters on each side. Regrowth after Black Saturday is seriously encroaching on both sides of the drive. Whilst we have the equipment on site we will also upgrade the access track to the solar panels. A non-flammable driveway surface will create a firebreak around the solar panels and improve our ability to hold back a fire on this side of the property should we ever need to do so again. This track would also provide vehicle access to our zone 2 gardens.

Interpretation Centre

We originally obtained building and planning permits to redevelop our old barn several years ago, but other events prevented us moving ahead with the project. So this is probably the biggest of all the jobs we have on our list and this year we hope to get the concrete slab in place and perhaps start infilling the mud brick walls.

Our list of dreams continues in the next post.....

HEALESVILLE AUTUMNFEST IS OVER FOR ANOTHER YEAR

All the planning and hard work was rewarded by perfect weather and a beautiful and very successful day with over 2000 folk turning up.

Crunchy Love Mobile Woodfired Pizza - YUM!

Zaar Belly Dancers

Edible Weeds from  Hello Little Weed

The moonlight walk was magical

Seed Savers

Solarquip had all the up to date info about alternative energy

Autumnfest had a huge “growth spurt” this year. It has matured into a celebration of the wonderful community that exists in Healesville and the Yarra Valley and is a result of the cooperation, help & support of hundreds of people. It aims to promote a healthier food supply system, display the work of community groups, showcase local talent, raise awareness of future alternatives & possibilities and of course to provide a pleasurable day of activities for everyone to enjoy. The highlight was the grand opening of the magnificent Healesville Labyrinth.

The "Smoking Ceremony" to open the Labyrinth

During the day we spoke to hundreds of people and were delighted by the positive feedback and happy responses. Thank you to all participants and all the visitors for helping to make it a lovely and special event. The photos show some of the day’s activities.

The colorful scarf run

Tenderbreak's colourful stall

The best news of all is that it will all be happening again next year on March 24. If you want to join in as a stallholder or volunteer or just be kept informed about the event, keep an eye on this blog or send us an email and we will add you to our mailing list.

Autumnfest and the Labyrinth Opening on Saturday, March 19

A few months ago we mentioned that we are once again involved in Healesville Organic Farmer’s Market’s Autumnfest. This year’s event will be bigger than ever because it is combined with the opening of THE BRAND NEW Healesville labyrinth. For a peek at the concept plan see http://www.healesvillelabyrinth.org.au .

March 19 will be a huge day in Healesville because Healesville Music Festival is also being held on this day. Both events have free entry and we are hoping to have a shuttle bus available to ferry people between the venues.

There will be a variety of entertainment, informative displays, art and craft demonstrations and stalls selling good tucker for one and all from 9am through to 4pm.  Apart from an expanded organic produce market, there will be many other stalls selling/displaying eco friendly products and some that focus on domestic animals such as goats, pigs and chooks.

SUSTAINABILITY TALKS & DISPLAYS

There will be plenty to learn about on the day: edible weeds, permaculture, local plants, heritage fruits, solar energy, bee keeping and more.

MEDIEVAL TROUPE
Days of Knights will dance, hold tug of war competitions and have craft activities children. Swords and chain mail will be on display in this interactive fun for kids of all ages.

CHILL OUT TENT
The Chill out tent will provide a shady space to sit and connect with others. Songwriter’s and Poet’s Breakfast from 9am provides an opportunity for aspiring writers, poets and musicians to share their words with a supportive audience.

PERFORMANCES
Performances include music composed for and inspired by the labyrinth, ZAAR tribal bellydancing and a mass choir performance.

Autumnfest is located outside the old Healesville Railway Station. Food stalls will include pizzas, barbequed free range pork sausages, and other delectable foods as well as chai tea, organic coffee, Mexican hot chocolate and more. Bring your friends and tell your neighbours. Come along, enjoy the festival, say hello to us and eat with your friends at the market.
PS: Photos were taken at previous Autumnfests

A Decade with solar power

We’ve been meaning to write a blog looking back on the first ten years of living with solar power. We had intended saying how satisfying it was, to look in the “Electricity Bills” file and see nothing there, and to tell how smoothly everything has gone. These things still apply, but we do have to report that we did have a significant glitch late last year.

Our solar system is about 40m from the house (to get more sun exposure). Our batteries and inverter are located under the panels and are not well protected from the elements. This arrangement is not the best, for a number of reasons.

Although we have a keypad in the kitchen which gives us data readouts from the inverter we still have to go up the back to check specific gravity levels occasionally and top up the batteries with water. We probably don’t do this as often as we should because of distance (out of sight, out of mind)

Also the batteries would perform better (and probably last longer) if they were kept at a more constant temperature. In their present location, prevailing air temperatures vary from around zero in winter to close to 50 degrees in mid-summer (in full sun).

However the biggest disadvantage is that water could get into the system and cause damage. We found this out in November when someone accidentally left the lid of the inverter “weatherproof” box open. We won’t name names, but Andrew’s red complexion is not a result of sunburn. One morning we awoke to find ourselves without power. There had been some drizzle overnight and this had upset the inverter. Nothing we tried, would convince it to get over being a little damp, so we called on our friend, Jerry from Solarquip in Healesville.

Jerry came to the rescue that afternoon with a spare inverter (we were extremely lucky he was free and had a spare inverter on hand). After a quick “medical” he determined some specialist work was needed. We took the machine down to the manufacturer, Selectronics (conveniently located about 30 min away) and left it with them. As it turned out, it wasn’t too expensive and our system was back to normal not long after.

However, this event and our experience over the decade have highlighted a few important points. When buying a solar system, do not just select the supplier on price. Consider whether they are a reputable company that is likely to be around in decades to come and whether they will provide backup and service when needed. There is also an advantage in using a locally manufactured inverter. By the way Solarquip installs systems all over Melbourne and in some regional areas. See their website at www.solarquip.com.au for more information

Housing the inverter and batteries in a building attached to the house is more secure, guarantees protection from the elements and is more convenient. We are planning to do this in the near future for these reasons.

Solar Power doesn’t need a lot of maintenance or management and is very reliable. Our system is fairly small as it was originally envisaged that it would serve the needs of 2 adults. As it turned out we have had an average of 5-6 people using the system over the decade, so we have stretched it to its capacity and it has performed admirably (only failing through our carelessness). Mind you, we do have to be mindful of our energy use in winter and do have a petrol generator as a back-up (We plan to change this in the near future).

We have no regrets about going solar and having no electricity bills for ten years is very satisfying!