Saturday October 19 from 10 am to 5 pm: Please join me at the building site to talk about how we can transform our homes from energy-wasters to energy-producers. See how our first model home plans to solve the problem of cold, drafty rooms and high monthly fuel bills, and if it’s a sunny day watch the electrical meter “spin backwards”.
And check out our latest project: “in-ground gutters”. Instead of conventional gutters and downspouts, I had my excavation crew lay down a 12″ deep layer of washed river stone in a trench under the eaves. The trench prevents erosion at grade and splash-back on the siding. Rainwater flows freely through the gaps in the stone and seeps through the sand bed below. If I had a basement and/or heavy clay soils, plastic draintile run downslope to a drywell or daylight would be in order. This strategy would serve the same function as downspouts with extenders—getting the water away, fast. My site is easy: no clay, no rocks, no standing water, no muddy boots. The Village is built on the ancient bed of the Wisconsin River. Life is a beach!
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