(Plastic) Enclosed Porch - Update

Back in November 2012 I posted about enclosing the porch with plastic for the winter. This has turned out to be one of the most posts on the blog, so I've decided to write a follow-up. The original post can be found here.

In 2013 I followed the same process for enclosing the porch as I had in 2012. It worked well, but was a bit more difficult without my Dad's help. When the time came to install the plastic this winter I decided to make a couple of key changes.

I'm still using the firring strips from 2012. As long as I continue to take them down and store in the dry I expect them to last for several more years. However, I left those on one end up this past year and I expect that at least the one that was on the bottom will need replaced fairly soon. The only materials I had to buy this year was a roll of 4 mil clear plastic sheeting (25' x 10'). I had staples on hand, and re-used some screws from previous years for installing the firring strips.

The first change I made to the plan this year was to attach the plastic to the inside of the porch posts instead of the outside. This simplified the process since it allowed most of the work to be done without the need for ladders, and when a ladder was needed a small step stool was sufficient. By working under the cover of the porch roof I was also able to do the project even though it was lightly raining. So far I've seen no evidence to suggest that this will create any problems.

The next change I made was in the order in which I attached the strips. Previously we started with those on top. This year, though, I decided it made more sense to start with those on the sides. I left  6" of plastic above the top of the strips so there would be room for rolling the plastic around the top strips. After installing the first strip I stretched the plastic tightly and cut it to length. Once I had attached it to the strip for the other side it was stretched as tightly as possible while I attached the strips to the post. The result is that the plastic is stretched much more tightly than before.

The last change that I made was to install the top and bottom strips one at a time. The length of the porch requires two strips be placed end to end to span the distance. Previously we had attached the plastic to both before attaching to the posts. It was difficult, however, for two people to hold both strips in place and attach them. By attaching one at a time this year I was able to avoid that problem. I simply cut the plastic in the center where the strips would meet so that each side could be rolled independently of the other.

I have only identified two minor issues with the approach I used this year. First is that installing the plastic on the insides of the post required moving anything that was sitting near the posts, which for me included a gas grill and patio furniture. This took little time, though, and was a minor inconvenience. The other issue is that I needed to cut the vertical strips to length, since they could no longer extend down past the floor of the porch as they did when mounted to the outside. This did require an extra step, but now that it is done I won't have to do it again. If one were planning to re-use the strips for another purpose it could be beneficial to be able to avoid cutting them, but for me that isn't a concern.

In my original post I indicated that the cost of the project was less than $30. Since I only had to buy plastic this year the cost was just over $12. Over three years that averages out to $18 a year. As long as I continue using the same strips that average will continue to decrease, making the project a better deal each year.

Tractor Shed

I recently completed the construction of a shed for the tractor. This has been on my to-do list for quite some time, and is the biggest project I've undertaken. Luckily I had my dad to help, else it would never have gotten built.

We initially considered having one of those metal frame 'carports' installed. After talking with my dad, however, we decided that building a wooden shed was a much better option, even though it would require a great deal of work.

I started prepping the spot for the shed even before we decided to build it ourselves. Levelling the area required digging down the high side, and using the resulting dirt to fill in the low side. I was able to do all of this work myself, using the tractor with a box blade attached.

I created the design for the shed using the 3d modelling software SketchUp. Having a 3d model of the structure really helped me make some key decisions regarding dimensions, etc. I also found it was very useful when putting together a material list, since I could see where each piece of lumber needed to go, and figure out what to purchase to reduce waste. The overall design was mine, but I did have some very helpful input from my dad.

I scheduled an entire week off from work to build the shed. My dad came down Monday morning, and we got started right away. The task for the first day was to determine where the holes should be drilled for setting the posts. I was afraid this might take up most of the day, but after a couple of hours of measuring and marking we had it figured out. The post hole auger I had schedule to rent wasn't going to be available until the following morning, so our first day on the project turned out to be a short one.

On the second day we left early to pick up the auger. I had hoped to get a PTO-driven auger for the tractor, but the equipment rental place did not have one available. We ended up with a towable post hole digger and 12" auger. On the third pull of the rope, when trying to start it for the first time, the rope broke. I called the rental place, and they said they could fix it quickly if I brought it back in. That was going to kill another 2 hours, or more, though, so we decided to find a way to get it to start on our own. Luckily we were able to do so. Unfortunately, though, the machine was not well suited to what we needed it to do. I thought the ground would be fairly easy to dig, since it had been worked recently, but that was not the case. The auger would stall when encountering even fist-sized rocks or tree roots. After an hour we gave up, and finished the holes up by hand. The auger had given us a good start, which made finishing them up go easier, but I suspect we could have completely dug them by hand in the time it took to drive to and from the rental place, figure out how to start it with the broken rope, and then do the little digging with it we were able to do. My set of Fiskars Post Hole Diggers and Truper San Angelo Bar cost less to purchase than the auger did to rent, and were much more effective.

On day three, after returning the auger, we started setting the posts. To ensure a minimum clearance of 8' I had purchased 10' posts for the high side, and 12' for the low side. We used treated 6x6s for the posts, which are quite heavy. In most cases we were able to slide them off of the trailer into the holes, but they often required being repositioned once we had them in the holes. The 10' posts weren't too bad, but the 12' ones were very nearly more than I could lift myself.

Physically setting the posts in place wasn't very time consuming, but ensuring they were square, plumb, and in line was. Once we had a post positioned exactly the way we wanted it, we attached two 10' long 2x4s as braces. Once the eighth, and final, post was set we took diagonal measurements to check for square. I was concerned that we would have to make adjustments, and was starting to consider just how out of square the posts would have to be for me to suggest we reset one or more of them. You can imagine my relief when we found that the measurements were within half an inch of each other, which was certainly close enough to square for me.

Instead of building beams to use as top plates to tie the posts together, I decided to use an approach I had seen on another similar shed. We attached 2x6s along both the inside and outside of the posts, so that the tops of the posts we sandwiched between them. This was much easier than building and installing beams, although I'm not sure how they compare in terms of strength.

On day four we were able to install the trusses. This was the task I had been most dreading, but it turned out to go fairly easily. We were able to transport the trusses with the tractor, by sitting three at a time on top of the box blade, and strapping them in place. I thought we'd also use the tractor to lift them in place, but we found that setting them in place by hand was easier than trying to use the tractor.

As is always the case with trusses, since they are top heavy, we had to turn them by hand and hold them upright until they were attached. Initially I tried doing this completely by hand, from a ladder, but found that I was not comfortable enough on a ladder to be handling so much weight without something to help me balance. After considering a couple of options, I finally came up with a solution that worked well. I was able to use the tractor's front end loader to raise the peak so the truss was close to vertical. I then positioned the ladder so that my body would be square to the truss when I was standing on it, allowing me to hold onto the tractor bucket with one hand if I needed to steady myself. With the other hand I was able to raise the truss on into place, with the comfort of knowing the bucket would catch it if I lost my grip or had to let it drop for some reason.

Since we used the 6x6s in place of a top beam on the posts my Dad came up with an idea for making the trusses easier to attach. We cut some 6x6 scraps into 18" to 24" lengths, and positioned between the 6x6s, perpendicular to them, so the trusses could be screwed into them. Once attached, this helped the trusses to remain upright without the need for additional bracing.

Once the trusses were set we began installing the laths. We didn't make much progress, though, and finished that up on day five. To save money I chose to space the trusses four feet apart, and then use 2x4s for the laths instead of the typical 1" thick lumber. It took us most of the day to install the laths, partially because we had used some of the 2x4s for bracing and so had to install some permanent bracing so we could take the temporary bracing back down. I also had some 8' 2x4s from a previous project which I dug out and used for the laths, so we didn't have to remove more of the temporary braces, which we really wanted to remain under we were completely finished.

Once the laths were installed we began installing the metal on the roof. I am not comfortable walking on a roof in the best of conditions, and the slick metal and distance between trusses was far from good conditions. My dad handled all of the on-roof work, while I helped from a ladder. Progress was slow, while we figure out a good process. This wasn't helped by the fact that he had trouble keeping his footing on the slick metal. We managed to get six of the seven pieces on one side installed before calling it a day.

We had hoped to finish in five days, but we had realized a couple of days prior that it wasn't likely. We woke up on day six to a heavy frost, which prevented us from getting an early start, especially since the the moisture would cause the metal to be even harder to walk on than the previous day. We were able to do work on some other tasks while everything heated up and dried off, though, including installing the rest of the permanent bracing and pre-drilling the holes in the remainder of the metal.

Once the time came to climb back onto the roof, my Dad changed into a pair of tennis shoes with clean soles. This made a tremendous difference, and allowed him to much more easily walk on the metal. The first few pieces of metal went up much more quickly than the pieces on the previous day. I asked Andrea to help me carry the remaining pieces to the shed, so my Dad didn't have to climb down and risk dirtying his shoes. I had tried carrying a piece by myself, but at nearly 14' long I wasn't able to get a grip on them that allowed me to easily carry them. The remaining pieces went up just as quickly as the first ones of the day, and it wasn't long until I was cutting the final ridge cap to length so it could be installed.

The entire build took my Dad and I approximately 30 hours. In idea weather, and without having to wait to rent the auger, we could probably have finished in three days, or four at the most. The total cost for the project was approximately $1650. Around $200 of this was spent on tools, including the rental of the auger, and the purchase of the digging bar and drill bits for the metal, of which some will be returned since they were not needed. The purchase of a metal carport, on the other hand, would have cost $1500-$1600, and would have been slightly smaller, without the flexibility of being able to easily add a section onto the side later and without the overhead storage provided by the trusses.

At 24' wide and 20' long the shed provides 480 square feet of storage. That should easily be enough to store the tractor and all of my implements, plus the big mower, four-wheeler, and wood chipper with plenty of room left for stacking some bales of straw. I plan to later add a 16' by 20' shed off of one side, which we'll partially enclose for storage and possibly as a summer kitchen where Andrea can do some canning.

2013 To-Do List Update #3

When I did the last update on the To-Do List I stated that four of the thirteen items had been completed, with two more being roughly halfway finished. Not a lot has changed since this, as now I'm counting five completed projects, and one than is nearly completed. This leaves seven projects that have had little, to no, progress made. Of those, I think that three of them can realistically be completed this year, with another being completed either this year or Spring 2014 at the latest.

Build a chicken coop
I suppose I have made a small amount of progress towards this goal, since I have started collecting some salvaged lumber from the old house we're tearing down. We plan to use as much of the salvaged lumber as possible in the building of the chicken coop. I still hope to get to this before the end of the year, but am starting to suspect that it might be pushed back until Spring.

Build a hugelkultur bed
We need to do a garden plan to figure out where to put a hugelkultur bed, and that hasn't happened yet. I'm hoping that we can get to it this winter or next spring, which means the hugelkultur bed will definitely have to get pushed out to the 2014 list.

Repair the ditches and gravel the driveway
This project has been completed. The repairs to the ditches I made earlier in the year have helped a lot, so I finally had a load of gravel delivered several weeks ago and finished the task. It has been a huge help, and I'm optimistic that it will last for some time.

Complete the expansion of the herb bed
This project was complete when I did my last update, so no further progress has been made since then.

Make and install rain barrels
I'm calling this goal 90% complete, since I have constructed all four of the rain barrels, and have three of them installed. I'll make it a point to install the last one before the end of the year so I can mark this project as complete.

Buy and start using a lawn sweeper
This project is complete, since I ended up buying both a lawn sweeper and landscape rake, although I'm still not sure I made the right decision. I have more experimenting to do to figure out the best approach for collecting different materials in various locations. The lawn sweeper does work great for collecting grass clippings in the yard.

Finish clearing along the front edge of the yard and plant bushes
This project is complete, but will require some additional work as not all of the bushes survived. I'm also suspecting that the use of clover as a green mulch may not be sufficient, in which case we'll have to apply a fairly serious layer of traditional mulch, or I'll need to continue mowing around the bushes with a string trimmer.

Purchase or build a shelter for the tractor
This project is planned for later in the month. We have decided to construct a 20' x 24' wooden shed with metal roof. I plan to take a week off from work, during which time my Dad is going to come down and help me build it.

Fix a route to get across the road with the tractor
No changes to this since the last update, at which point I was considering it complete. I need to do a bit of work to be able to get the truck over there, but I can get the tractor over there with no problem, which was the goal.

Build the pallet compost bin
I haven't done any work on this, but still hope to complete it by the end of the year. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll get to it before winter sets in.

Make a worm bin and start vermicomposting
I still have made no progress toward this goal. I'm not willing to write it off yet, though, since it is something I can easily do later in the year when the weather is too bad, or its too dark, to get out and do anything else.

Install solar panels on the shed
This will definitely be pushed back until 2014, or later. Now that I'm building a sizeable shed for the tractor, which I plan to later expand, it may make more sense to install a PV system there, rather than the smaller tool shed, I'm just not sure yet.

Replace the siding on the shed
I suspect that this project is going to end up getting pushed back until 2014. It should go fairly quickly, but I'd like my Dad's help and building the new shed and the chicken coop will definitely take priority. Now that we are also tearing down that old house I don't know that we'll find time to replace the siding before winter gets here.

2013 To-Do List Update #2

I've managed to let time get away from me, and am a few weeks late doing the second update on our progress for the to-do list. We're just over half way through the year and less than half way through the list. Out of thirteen items on the list, only four have been completed. Two others are half complete, and one, at least, is going to be postponed until 2014. I think its clear that I need to start focusing on this list if I'm going to complete it before the end of the year.

Build a chicken coop
No progress has been made towards this goal. I have a coop design, but have not started construction. In fact, I still need to do some work to prep the area where the coop will be located.

Build a hugelkultur bed
The only progress I have made here is to partially fill in the initial hole that I dug. I still haven't figured out where the best place will be for a hugelkultur bed, but am hoping that this will become apparent when we do an overall garden plan.

Repair the ditches and gravel the driveway
I have made further repair to the ditches, and am seeing a big improvement. It is now possible to walk through the backyard following a heavy rain, which was impossible before. I still need to get a load of gravel for the driveway, which I hope to do within the next couple of months.

Complete the expansion of the herb bed
This project is complete. We didn't get everything planted that we had hoped, but the herb garden itself is finished. There is a bit of finishing work that can still be done, such as installing the rock border for the section in front of the porch, but for now we have a temporary border of landscape timbers. We did not install a trellis, since we did nott plant the hops that require it.

Make and install rain barrels
This goal is roughly half finished. I have installed two rain barrels, and have two left to construct. I also still need to install gutter and downspouts on the front porch and shed. I have the gutter, now I just need to install it.

Buy and start using a lawn sweeper
As discussed in Lawn Sweeper vs Landscape Rake vs Pine Straw Rake I was considering alternatives to the lawn sweeper. I did end up buying a landscape rake, but then found that it wasn't as good of an option a I had thought it would be. I eventually gave in and bought a lawn sweeper as well, and have found that to work much better for collecting grass clippings. I'll be doing a post about that, once I test it in taller grass. Since I've now bought two pieces of equipment for this task, I think its safe to say it is complete.

Finish clearing along the front edge of the yard and plant bushes
This project is complete. We have planted twenty-five bushes along with a green mulch of clover. It appears that some of the bushes may have to be replaced, but that should be relatively easy compared to the process of getting the area ready for the planting.

Purchase or build a shelter for the tractor
We had decided to purchase a metal carport to use as shelter for the tractor. Recently, though, we've started to think it might be better to build something. Both my dad and uncle suggested this, and gave some good reasons for going that route. What really made me think about it, though, was my recent visit to HomeGrown HideAways for the Whippoorwill Festival. I had the opportunity to look at one of the sheds there, and see how simple the construction was, which has made me realize that building one is definitely something we could do.

Fix a route to get across the road with the tractor
I haven't done any work on this since the last update, but am now considering it complete. I have had the tractor over there several times, and have not had any problems. I worried that an implement attached to the tractor might drag, due to the steepness of the road, but that turned out not to be an issue.

Build the pallet compost bin
I have made no progress on this project. For a while I was thinking that my plans to build such a large compost bin were unnecessary, but I've now realized that it is going to be needed after all. Between the compost pile and the piles of straw and grass clippings, I will need a large bin to keep it all contained.

Make a worm bin and start vermicomposting
We have made no progress towards this, and have actually started to question whether we want to do it or not. I think, though, that it is worth doing, if for no other reason, to have the worm castings to use for seed starting in the spring.

Install solar panels on the shed
Still no progress here, and as mentioned before, this will likely get pushed back to a 2014 goal.

Replace the siding on the shed
No progress has been made towards this goal. I think this is a task we can complete in a day, once we actually get started. I keep thinking of other tasks to get my Dad's help with, but should probably try to make this one a priority and get it knocked off of the list.

2013 To-Do List Update #1

Since we are already 1/4 of the way through 2013 I thought it would be a good idea to revisit my To-Do list to see how things are going. Unfortunately I have made very little progress towards my goals. There are a couple of these tasks that I should have completed during the winter, but I let a lack of motivation keep me from accomplishing a whole lot.

Build a chicken coop and acquire chickens
As I discussed a few days ago, we have decided to delay our plans to acquire chickens. This means that acquiring chickens is no longer a goal for 2013, although building the chicken coop still is. No progress has been made towards this goal, aside from a bit of work prepping the spot where the coop will eventually go.

Build a hugelkultur bed
I have decided to abandon the hugelkultur bed that is currently in progress. I really only started it as an excuse to practice with the tractor.  I plan to fill the hole back in soon. This doesn't mean, however, that I'm abandoning the plan to build a hugelkultur bed completely. I just need to find a better location for the bed, and better plan how it will be used. This is still a 2013 goal.

Repair the ditches and re-gravel the driveway
I have made some small progress towards this goal. I have improved the ditch along the upper side of the driveway, and applied some gravel to one spot where water was regularly standing. The bulk of the work still remains to be done, however, and will hopefully happen during the dry summer months.

Complete the expansion of the herb bed
I have been collecting rocks to use for the stepping stones and border of the herb bed. I have also started pulling the grass that is growing in the new part of the bed, in preparation for starting to plant later in the Spring. There is still a lot of work to be done, however, including placing the rock and installing the trellis.

Make and install rain barrels
I have done no work towards this goal. The time for installing the rain barrels is nearing, so I need to start seriously thinking about getting this on the schedule.

Buy and start using a lawn sweeper
At this point I am considering alternatives to a lawn sweeper. I think that buying a tractor implement to do the job might make more sense. I have been looking at both lawn rakes and pine straw rakes, and hope to do a blog post at some point to discuss the pros and cons of each, as well as how they compare to the lawn sweeper for my needs.

Finish clearing along the front edge of the yard and plant bushes
Nothing has been done on this project either. I need to work on it soon, however, before the weeds start growing back.

Purchase or build shelter for the tractor
This project is near the top of our priority list at the moment. I've been working on leveling an area, and have been looking at options for shelters to buy. I have one in mind at the moment, but would like to look at another option before making a decision. Ideally I'd like to get this project taken care of within the next couple of months.

Fix a route to get across the road with the tractor
I started working on this earlier in the week. I moved several loads of rock there were piled up in the area where I want the crossing to be. My plan is to see how the crossing looks without filling in with rocks or dirt, then doing on the minimal required to make a fairly easy crossing. I see no point in building the road up a lot if I can get by with doing less.

Build the pallet compost bin
This is one of those projects that I'm often reminded of, but just haven't started on. I need to take a few measurements and use Sketchup to plan the bin. I thought I already had that figured out, but may want to make some adjustments to make it easier to dump material from the RTV into the bin.

Make a worm bin and start vermicomposting
I thought that this would likely be completed in January or February at the latest. We've yet to make any real progress, though. I have put together the basic materials that I need, but just haven't taken the time to assemble everything. I need to make this a priority soon. In addition to the worm bins we are also considering the installation of some worm tubes in the herb garden, and possibly main garden.

Install solar panels on the shed
I worked on planning for this project back in January, but haven't done anything since. It has dropped down on my priority list lately, especially since the money for this project could be better spent on some of the other projects on the list. I am also considering altering the project to include a DIY solar panel, rather than purchasing commercial panels. If I take this route, I suspect that it will delay the project, possibly even into 2014.

Replace the siding on the shed
I would like to get this project completed this year, along with also adding an overhang to the roof of the shed. My Dad usually comes down a few times during Spring to help me, so I might try to schedule the work on the shed for sometime during April. Since I already have the siding on hand I don't expect the work to the shed to cost very much.

Chicken Coop - The Plan

Since we plan to acquire chickens this Spring I've been working on a design for a chicken coop. I haven't done a great deal of research on the topic myself, so have been relying a lot on input from Andrea. She has taken some workshops on raising chickens, and has read a couple of books on the topic. I have referenced a couple of websites to get some ideas on space requirements. I've also pulled inspiration from other chicken coops we've seen, such as the external cantilever nesting boxes we saw at Homegrown Hideaways.

The most common suggestion I've seen is to provide 4-5 sq ft per chicken. We plan to start with 10 chickens, so were targeting a minimum of 50 square feet for our coop. After talking with my Dad, and doing some rough calculations to try to find the dimensions that would best make use of materials I've decided to go with a coop with exterior dimensions of 10' x 6', which will provide 51 square feet of interior space. This should work well for 10 chickens, and should provide sufficient room for adding a couple more later if we decide to do so.

For designing the chicken coop I used a very different method than I've used before. I used Sketchup, which is a 3d modeling software, to "build" the coop piece by piece. Assembling the virtual structure one 2x4 at a time forced me to really think through what I was doing. I noticed things that I wouldn't have otherwise thought of, and I was able to make slight adjustments that should reduce material waste. I'm not very good with the program, but I think it will be an important tool to have for future building projects.

The design I have settled on is fairly simple. The outside dimensions, as mentioned previously, will be 10' x 6'. This will allow us to buy 12' long 2x6s, which will provide two floor joists, thus reducing costs and waste. The coop will have a solid floor, which we'll cover with some scrap linoleum flooring. The plan is to do a basic shed-style roof, which is much simpler than a gable roof. To support the sloped roof the walls on one side will be 6' tall, with the opposite wall being 7' wall, giving us a 6:1 pitch, which should be sufficient for a metal roof. The roof will overhang the coop by approximately 12" on all sides, allowing us to use 8' rafters and 12' long 2x4s across the ends. This should also allow us to use 8' lengths of metal roofing without the need to cut them.

One end of the coop will have a full sized door through which Andrea and I can enter when we need to replace the litter, etc. The opposite end will have a small door through which the chickens can exit to reach the fenced in run that we will be adding later. A ramp will extend from the door to the ground inside the run. On the side of coop with the 7' walls will be the cantilever nesting boxes. The reason for placing them on this side is so that we can collect eggs when its raining without having water constantly dripping onto us from the roof. On the opposite side will be the roosts, which we plan as a ladder style roost, having roosting poles at two or three different levels.

The nesting boxes will be framed out between the wall studs. The boxes will be 12" deep, and approximately 14.5" inches wide. They will slope from 18" in the back, where they connect to the coop, to 12" tall in the front. I will probably cover the top with some old scraps of shingles, to protect them from the rain, although the roof overhang will help with that as well. The front of each nesting box will have a door that we can open for collecting eggs, so we do not have to enter the coop to do so. I'm planning to build three nesting boxes initially, which should be sufficient for 10-12 hens.

The aforementioned run will be constructed later, as it will not be required most of the time. We plan to let the chickens free range during the day, but want them to have access to a run for days that we aren't going to be home to let them out. The run will be enclosed with chicken wire, including the top. We haven't discussed the dimensions yet, but we'll likely target something close to 120 square feet, which should be more than adequate for our flock.

I am also starting to think of a watering system that will allow us to provide water in multiple locations from a single water source. We will most likely use the Avian Aqua Miser, which is sold by Anna and Mark of The Walden Effect. I'm thinking that we'll use a single bucket or barrel for the water, possibly even using rainwater from the roof, which will then be piped into three separate containers, located inside the coop, inside the run, and outside. I'll probably add valves to each, so that we can keep the water flow to the run shut off except for when we're planning to use it. Water will likely be available inside the coop and outside at all times, so the chickens can drink from either during the day when free-ranging, or from the inside container at night. I still have a lot of details to work out on the water scheme, but I need to at least figure out the basics so I can be sure that the construction of the coop will accommodate it.

I have calculated that constructing the chicken coop using new materials will cost around $600. This does not include things such as the door, hinges, vents, etc, which we hope to pick up at the Restore. I am also hoping that we can pick up some used wooden siding, which will reduce the costs significantly. I haven't priced the materials for the run yet, but we are also hoping that we can pick up many of those materials used, perhaps from an old kennel.

Since this is our first experience with chickens, and obviously our first attempt at building a chicken coop, I suspect that we are going to make some mistakes. I'd love to hear some feedback on our chicken coop plan, especially if anyone sees any obvious flaws or thinks that we're going down the wrong path with our design.

Solar Powered Shed - Determining the Equipment Needs

This is my third post regarding the project to install a PV system on my shed. The previous posts were Solar Powered Shed - The Idea and Solar Powered Shed - Sizing the System.

Once I had calculated the theoretical maximum power I would need for my system to generate I was able to start looking at equipment. This is where having input from someone with experience was a big help, because I would certainly have otherwise over-sized the system, at a much greater expense. I presented my plan on Eathineer, where I received some very helpful advice. My stated goal was to do the install for less than $1,000. To my surprise, the suggested system could be put together for just over $500, although I've since decided to build in a bit more leeway, so the final cost will be more than that, likely around $850.

I've known all along that I would have to rely on batteries for this system to work. Powering power tools directly from a solar array without batteries would require many more panels that I want to use, would be very expensive, and would be wasting a lot of power generation capability during the times I was not at the shed. Determining the battery requirements can get quite complicated in situations such as mine, where the actual usage patterns are unknown and will vary a lot. It is fairly easy, though, to add more batteries if needed, so I'm not going to stress over this point too much.

The advice I received was to start with a single 12 volt 55ah deep cycle battery. After doing some research I decided that I would really like to have have two batteries, so the load is spread across them both. My current plan is to go with two 6 volt 115ah golf cart batteries. When wired in series the two batteries will provide 12 volts, and the 115ah is more than double the suggested 55ah, although of course the cost is also double. I could have just as easily gone with two 12 volt 55 ah batteries, wired in parallel, which would provide 12 volts and 110 ah.

Once I decided on my batteries, I needed to decide on panels that would be able to keep them charged. The original suggestion was a single 100 or 120 watt panel to charge the single battery. Since I decided to double my battery capacity I also decided to double the panels, so plan to purchase two 100 watt solar panels, which, when wired in parallel, will provide 200 watts in full sun. The average solar hours/day in my area is approximately 3, which means, on average, the panels should generate roughly 600 watts per day. Of course this will vary a great deal, and will be much higher in the summer, which is when I'll likely be outside in the most anyway. At an average, however, of 600 watts per day, I can expect 4200 watts per week, which is less than the 5810 theoretical max I determined previously. However, since I don't expect to ever actually hit that max, and expect my usage in the winter to be far less, I'm ok with this. In most situations I should be able to recharge my batteries in two to three days, which meets the goal I had for the system. I have found a 200 watt pv kit that comes with two 100 watt panels a charge controller that I will likely purchase.

The remaining piece of the puzzle is the inverter. The suggestion I was given was to go with a 2000 watt standard inverter. After doing some research I think I've decided on an inverter that produces 2000 continuous watts, with up to 4000 watts surge capacity. While this might be overkill, it will make me feel better knowing I have capacity beyond what any of my tools should require.

The efficiency and power use of the inverter can, as I understand it, have a significant impact on the sizing of a PV system. I have decided to do a separate post to discuss this, where I can share the information I have gathered thus far about inverters and ways of dealing with the losses due inefficiencies of the conversion process.

Solar Powered Shed - Sizing the System

As mentioned previously in Solar Powered Shed - The Idea, I am planning to install a small PV system in the shed, to provide power for lights, etc and the occasional power tool. Since my last post on the topic I've done a bit of research to determine my needs. I have also talked with someone who has experience with such systems to get some much needed advice.

The first step in determining my needs was to list the items that I want to be able to power from the system. Since I do not currently own all of the items that I may wish to use in the shed, I did some research to get an idea of the average power requirements for the tools I think I will most likely add in the near future.

Power Requirements
Lights - 200 watts or less, depending on the type of light I go with
Radio - 10 watts, again depending on the type I use
Fan - 50 watts or less
Circular Saw - 1430 watts
Jig Saw - 550 watts
Small Table Saw - 1650 watts
Small Chop Saw - 1650 watts
Air Compressor - 1540 watts

Once I had completed the list I needed to determine how I would use these items together. The first three items on the list will be used more often, and will be used together. This means that I may need up to 260 watts of continuous power for extended periods of time. The remaining items will not be used in conjunction with anything else, so the maximum power requirement would be 1650 watts for either the chop saw or table saw.

Knowing the maximum power requirement, however, is only part of the equation. I also needed to estimate how often I would use each item, and for how long. This is where a lot of guess work comes into play, but I made my best guess.

Usage Patterns
Lights - Max of 3-4 hours a day, a few times per week, less often during the summer months
Radio - Max of 3-4 hours a day, a few times per week
Fan - Max of 3-4 hours a day, a few times per week, with no use during the winter months
Power Tools - A few minutes at a time, for a total of maybe 30 minutes total use spread out over 3-4 hours, maybe as often as twice per week

After reviewing the numbers I was able to come up with what I expect to be the maximum power requirement over a period of time. I'm going to assume, for the purpose of this calculation, that the lights, radio and fan are used 4 hours a day, 4 times per week and either the table saw or chop saw is used for 30 minutes twice per week. This means that, based on a 100% efficient system, I should need to supply 5,810 watts of power over a seven day period. Of course no system is 100% efficient, so I will need to account for that when it comes time to actually pick out equipment.

Something else I should point out is that for these calculations I'm using the worst case scenario. The lights, for example, will most likely require much less power than I'm estimating. This estimate is based on a couple of halogen shop lights along with a couple of additional light fixtures. If I use more efficient lighting, however, that number should be able to reduced significantly. Also, I do not expect to ever use the lights, radio, and fan all for 16 hours each in a given week, but I wanted to be on the safe side with my numbers.

2013 To-Do List

Recently, while reading through the archives of The Walden Effect I ran across a couple of posts in which Anna detailed their progress towards the previous years goals, and then listed out the goal for the coming year. Since today is the start of 2013, I thought it would be a good time to start a similar list. My hope is that keeping such a list will increase the likelihood of the included tasks being completed. Andrea and I discussed the tasks we hope to accomplish this year, and came up with the following list.

Build a chicken coop and acquire chickens
As I discussed previously in the Chickens or Bees post, Andrea and I decided several months ago that in 2013 we would add either chickens or bees to our endeavors. We have since decided that we want to begin with chickens, so that is one of our top priorities for 2013. We plan to acquire chickens this spring, so will need to have a chicken coop built by then. I suspect this goal is going to be one of the more time-consuming tasks on the list, but also one of the more rewarding ones.

Build a hugelkultur bed
Long time readers may recall that shortly after buying the tractor I started digging a hole which I plan to turn into a hugelkultur bed. I've yet to finish the project, but plan to do so in 2013. I'd like to experiment this year to determine if we'd like to build more beds next year and use them for some of the plants we would normally put in the traditional garden.

Repair the ditches and re-gravel the driveway
Shortly after moving here we realized that we needed to dig a ditch along the upper side of the driveway to re-route runoff during hard rains. I've not been very diligent about keeping the ditches clean, however, and so now the parking area stays muddy most of the time. I need to repair the ditches, and maybe dig a couple more, then apply more gravel to the driveway and parking area to fix the damage that has been done over the past couple of years.

Complete the expansion of the herb bed
As I've mentioned a couple of times we plan to significantly expand the herb garden this year. I've provided details in the Herb Garden - The Plan post. We've done some work on the her garden, but still have quite a bit of work to do. We plan to have this project finished before time to start planting the herbs this Spring, so its near the top of our priorities for the year.

Make and install rain barrels
I want to make four rain barrels and install them at the corners of the trailer. I also need to install the rain barrel I made at the 2012 Field to Fork Festival at the shed as well. We want to be able to use rainwater for water the garden this year, so I need to get the rain barrels finished and installed by Spring. I don't want to install them, though, until after the danger of a hard freeze has passed, but I can still work on making them during the winter.

Buy and start using a lawn sweeper
I considered buying a lawn sweeper this summer, but never got around to doing it. I'm determined to get one this year, though, so hope that putting it on the list will help to ensure I actually do it. My biggest reason for wanting a lawn sweeper is to collect grass clippings and laves to use as mulch.

Finish clearing along the front edge of the yard and plant bushes
When we bought the property there was a wire fence along the bottom edge of the property, above the road. We cleared quite a bit of the area earlier in the year, but didn't get it finished. We want to finish clearing the area this year, and then plant bushes to use as a natural hedge and privacy screen.

Purchase or build shelter for the tractor
Right now the tractor is covered by a large tarp, which is keeping it dry, but is annoying to take off and put back on. I planned to build a shed to park the tractor under, but Andrea has suggested buying one of the metal carports that are quite common in the area. After looking at some options I'm starting to lean in the direction of buying one of the carports that is two or three times as big as needed for the tractor, so we can also store some other equipment under it and maybe also use it for storing straw.

Fix a route to get across the road with the tractor
I have a trail to access our property on the other side of the road, but is isn't suitable for the tractor. Being able to get the tractor over there, though, will make several tasks easier, including finishing the clearing work that needs to be done. I don't think that a lot of work will be required to be able to access that part of the property with the tractor, but I won't know for sure until I actually get started.


Build the pallet compost bin
I picked up some pallets back in August to use for the Pallet Compost Bin, but have yet to start on it. This is one of those projects that I tend to forget about until I'm over near the garden where it will go, and usually them I'm involved in another project. I don't think it'll take very long to actually construct the bin. I just need to set aside some time to actually do the work. I'm determined to get it done sometime in 2013, hopefully early in the year.


Make a worm bin and start vermicomposting
In the Pallet Compost Bin - A Logistical Error post I mentioned that the original plan was to start using a worm bin for kitchen waste after we moved the compost pile to the new location near the garden. I relocated the compost pile a couple of months ago, but we haven't gotten around to starting the worm bin yet. Its too cold to put it outside, so we've decided to start it in doors and then move it outside this Spring. Today we decided on and cleared out a spot for the bin, so just need to get it ready and buy worms. It should be easy to complete this in 2013, since we hope to do it within the next couple of weeks, but I still wanted to put it on the list.

Install solar panels on the shed
I've been throwing around the idea of installing solar panels on the shed since this Summer. I talked about this in the Solar Powered Shed - The Idea post back in July. I'd like to start buying some components this winter, and do the installation either this Winter or Early Spring. It will certainly be nice to have access to electricity at the shed, and the experience I get from the project will be very beneficial.

Replace the siding on the shed
The siding on the shed is in pretty bad condition. I have some used siding to replace it with, but just haven't gotten around to doing it yet. I want to replace the siding this year, and install a window in the shed to allow natural light in and improve airflow. I'll probably also install a work bench at the same time, and do a few other small tasks that will make the shed a much better place to work.

Pallet Compost Bin - A Logistical Error

In early November I relocated our compost pile to the spot where I plan to build the new Pallet Compost Bin near the garden. This seemed like a great idea at the time, as I needed to separate the finished compost from the rest of the compost pile anyway, so it was just as easy to load the material to be hauled away as to set it aside. Also, the compost pile was in the area I'm currently clearing for the future chicken coop, so had I left it there it would have been in the way.

In hindsight, however, the decision to move the compost pile may have been a poorly timed one. The plan, all along, has been to use the new compost bin for waste from the yard and garden, while using a worm bin for the kitchen wastes. The problem, however, is that we have yet to start the worm bin, which means that I've been having to take the compost all the way over to the garden area. That didn't seem like such a big deal at the time, but what I've since realized is that the distance is great enough that I always use the RTV, especially when the creek is flowing, which it pretty much does from fall through spring. Everytime I get the RTV out, though, just to empty the compost bucket, I think about the amount of gas that I'm wasting. It also takes much longer, so the compost doesn't get taken out as often as it probably should.

I wish that that we had made it a priority to get the worm bin ready shortly after relocating the compost pile. With the weather turning cold by that point, however, we were hesitant to start the bin because we worried the worms might not survive. The plan was to put the bin on the front porch, which is partially enclosed with plastic. While the plastic does help keep the porch warmer, it still gets much too cold for the worms. Someone suggested I might insulate the bin with pieces of foam board, which I likely would have tried if we had established the bin earlier in the year. At this point, though, I think that we need to plan to keep it inside for the winter. I have a spot picked out for it, so now just need to construct the worm bin and then acquire some worms.

PVC Pepper Cages - The Plan

Even though we had good yields from our pepper plants this past year, there were a couple of areas in which we can definitely improve. The first is with spacing, as the plants were much too crowded once they reached maturity. The other is related to providing support. We had several instances were a large bell pepper was too heavy for the plant, resulting in either a broken stem or the pepper drooping to the ground before it could ripen. Andrea tried various methods of tying the plants to stakes, but, while that helped, it didn't solve the issue. She has been doing research, and has come up with a better plan for next year.

The idea is based on a design from the February/March '97 issue of Mother Earth News Magazine. At the time, it was simply referred to as A Homemade Recycled Tomato Cage. When it was referenced later in the magazine (April/May '11), it was being called The Indestructible Tomato Cage. Our plan varies a bit from the original design, but the concept is the same.

The idea is simple, although I had to get Andrea to actually show me, using some lengths of PVC, before I could really visualize what she had in mind. There are two components to the cages, the vertical pieces and the horizontal pieces. One end of each vertical piece is placed in the ground, 8"-12" inches deep. Two more are also placed in the ground similarly, so that the three from a triangle. Holes the size of the horizontal pieces are drilled through each vertical piece, so that the horizontal pieces can be slid through, to form one side of the triangle. This is done at two or three different heights, providing support for the plant at various heights. Another set of holes is drilled in the vertical pieces nearer the ground, through which water or liquid fertilizer can be poured to feed the roots directly, rather than applying on the top of the ground where it can be lost to evaporation.

The Mother Earth News article suggests using 3" diameter PVC for the vertical pieces and metal electrical conduit for the vertical pieces. We plan, however, to use 1/2" diameter PVC for the horizontal pieces, which should allow us to use smaller vertical pieces. We plan to use 1 1/2" and larger pieces for the uprights, depending on what we can find. The article also suggests that the uprights can be 3' 3" in length, but we are hoping to use a minimum length of 4', which will leave a 3' tall cage after placing 12" in the ground.

This past weekend we visited the home improvement store to get prices on new materials, and then visited the Re-Store to check their prices. At $0.25 per foot the Re-Store is much cheaper on the pieces we'll use as the uprights. We can buy new 1/2" pipe for the horizontal pieces, though, for just $0.18 per foot. However, if we are able to find the 1/2" pieces at the Re-Store we plan to go ahead and buy them there, as it is worth a few extra cents to us to be able to use scrap material instead of buying new. This project is especially well suited to using up scraps, since shorter pieces can be used.

While at the Re-Store we picked up 5 pieces for the uprights, ranging from 1 1/2" to 3" in diameter. We could have picked up a 10' length of both 1 1/2" and 1/2", but couldn't haul those in the car. I plan to keep a small tape measure and hacksaw in the car going forward, so if we find such pieces we can measure and cut them to length, making them easier to haul.

Andrea estimates that we will have 15 to 20 pepper plants next year, meaning that we'll need the same number of cages. To build at least 15 cages we will need 45 uprights, measuring at least 4' tall and at least 1 1/2" inches in diameter, along with at least 90 horizontal pieces (assuming we only do two courses), measuring 24" long and 1/2" in diameter. The Mother Earth News article indicated that each cage would cost approximately $25, using their suggested materials. By making the changes we have planned, however, and if we can get our material from the Re-Store, we should be able to build one for approximately $6 or $7.

Even with our reduced cost, the cages will still cost more than buying a traditional wire tomato cage. Why, you might ask, would we go through the expense and effort to build one from PVC instead of just buying the pre-made cages. The first reason is ease of storage. Since the PVC cages can be fully disassembled, they can be stored in a relatively small area, which is an important consideration from us since we don't have a lot of storage space around here. The Mother Earth News article seems to suggest leaving the upright pieces in the ground, and only removing the horizontal pieces at the end of the season. I can see the benefits of leaving the uprights in place, since they may be hard to remove from the ground. We do not plan to do this, however, as it will limit the ability to include the peppers in our crop rotation plans, as well as exposing the pieces to the elements when it isn't necessary.

The second, and more important, reason for going with the PVC cages is their expected longevity. I'm not sure how long the wire cages last, but I assume they will eventually succumb to rust. The PVC, on the other hand, should last indefinitely. Also, if part of the cage does become damaged, it can simply be replaced, without having to replace the entire cage.

I'll do a follow up post on the PVC Pepper Cages once we actually build some, which will not happen until we plant peppers next spring. In the meantime we will be collecting materials and trying to decide if we want to use the same design for our tomato cages as well.

Metal Building

If you've been following the blog you've heard me mention, several times, the metal building which I recently assembled. I've been waiting to do a post about the building until I was completely finished. I am now finally to the point that I am considering the building complete.

The building is an Arrow SR1011 10' x 11' Shed. Overall I am impressed with the quality of construction. The building contains several braces, which make it stronger than I expected. My only real complaint is with the height, as I have to duck to go through the door. I also have to duck to walk beneath the roof beams other than the one in the center. This is something I was aware of when we purchased the building, however, so I can't really complain.

We actually purchased this building two to three years ago, before we even moved to our current location. Our idea was that we would need some storage here at the property before and during the move, so we thought this would be a good option. We later realized, however, that there was nowhere to locate the building that would be out of the way while the bulldozer was working, while still being conveniently located once we moved here. For that reason, the building remained in its box in storage that whole time. It was moved a few times during that period, and did sustain some light damage. I was surprised, though, at how well the pieces held up to the multiple moves and long term storage. The biggest issue caused by the long term storage was that a family of mice had moved into the box, which resulted in some of the pieces getting covered in mouse droppings.

When we purchased the building, it came with a free floor frame kit (the Arrow FB1014). I had initially planned to use the floor kit, since we already had it. When my Dad and I really looked at it, however, it quickly became apparent the the floor kit wasn't made to be used the way I had intended. While it appears that the kit would work well if installed on a concrete pad, or level gravel lot, that isn't what we had to work with. The spot where I was locating the building was not level. The plan was to construct a frame from treated 4x4s, which would be made level by putting posts under the front edge. The building would then be built on that 4x4 frame. I had hoped that the floor kit would span the gap between the edges of the frame and hold our flooring in place. What we found, though, was that the floor kit wasn't made to span the distance without added support. We ended up deciding that it was going to be best to just build a wooden platform onto which we could assemble the building.

Once we determined that the floor kit wasn't going to work, we were able to put together a material list and make a trip to the home improvement store. After acquiring the lumber our first step was to construct the wooden platform. The platform itself is fairly simple. We used 2x6 floor joists and OSB for the flooring. The instructions for the building gave dimensions for the platform, which would result in a platform measuring 9/16" larger on all sides than the building itself. We used the suggested dimensions, but in hindsight I wish we had not. I see no actual benefit from making the platform larger than needed. Doing this did, however, mean that we had to find a way of protecting the OSB that was protruding from beneath the building. The instructions suggested roofing cement, but we found a better solution, which I'll discuss later in this post.

Once the platform was completed, the assembly of the building went fairly well. I'm confident that Andrea and I could have completed the assembly without my Dad's help, although I'm very glad he was here. Progress was consistent, but slow. It took us approximately 16 hours to assemble the shed, which was spread over three days. There is a lot of prep work in the early steps of the instructions. We did the prep work as instructed, which I was glad for, even though at the time it seemed strange. Once the bottom rail was assembled, and the prep work done, the instructions warned to not proceed any further unless the rest of the building could be completed the same day. We completed the wall assembly, but did not install the roof before stopping for the day. I see no issue with the way in which we left the building, but do agree that it would not have been wise to leave the walls only partially assembled.

I did learn a few things during the process which I feel obligated to pass on. First is that assembling the building definitely requires two people. There were steps which I think would be impossible with only one person. Also, we found that having two drills was very useful. The job could certainly be done with a single drill, but it would take much longer as it would be necessary to change bits very often. 

Knowing what I know now there are a couple of things I would have done differently. The first is to make sure we had a taller step ladder. My 10' step ladder was difficult to get to at the time, so we used a 6' ladder instead. There were a few situations where the ladder we used was not really tall enough, and actually resulted in some fairly dangerous situations that could have been avoided with a taller ladder. The other thing I would have done differently is to attach the bottom rails to the wooden platform once we knew it was square. The instructions were clear that it should not be attached until the end, but that made it difficult to keep the building square when installing the wall panels.

My Dad left before we were able to apply the finishing touches to the building. Andrea helped me install the door, which was a fairly easy process. She also helped me re-position the building on the platform, as it wasn't centered like I wanted. The last task that she helped me with was replacing some screws in the roof, which seemed to be causing the roof to leak. I don't think we were completely successful, however, as I found water standing in the floor today, presumably from the rain yesterday.

As mentioned earlier, there was a need to apply some type of waterproofing to the edge of the wooden platform that is not covered by the building. My Dad and I talked about a few options, before finally deciding on drip edge. I was able to slide the drip edge under the edge of the building, which helps to hold it in place as well as ensuring that water doesn't damage the platform. I later applied roofing cement where the drip edge goes under the building to prevent water from running beneath the building. In hindsight I wished I had used clear silicone instead of the black roofing cement. I don't think it would work any better, but would likely have looked better.

Since I am going to be storing a lawn mower, tiller, and possibly wood chipper in the building I wanted a ramp to make it easier to get them inside. My Dad helped me to build the ramp, which actually took much less time than I expected. We used three 8' treated 2x6s for the runners and 5/4" decking for the top. The 8' runners resulted in a ramp that is a bit steep, but is a good compromise. Had I gone with 10' or 12' I am afraid that the ramp would have extended so far as to be in the way. I do need to put something down to improve traction when the ramp is wet. I'll most likely uses pieces of old shingles for this. I did this for the back porch steps and it worked well. One thing I hadn't considered is the extra time required to walk the length of an 8' ramp. I wish I had installed the ramp on one side of the door opening, and steps on the other side, since the majority of the time I will just be walking into the building, not pushing a piece of equipment. 

I still plan to add one last finishing touch to the building. When reading reviews of similar buildings someone suggested filling the openings between the wall panels and roof to prevent wasps from entering and making a nests. I have been saving old pieces of landscape fabric for this. The theory behind using landscape fabric is that it should keep insects out, while still allowing ventilation. I'm not in a big hurry to do this, but would like to finish it before spring.

I think the metal building is going to work out well. However, if we had not already purchased it, I definitely would not have bought it now. It would have been easier to build a building completely from wood, and would probably have cost no more. Of course this would only be an option because my Dad could have helped me build a wooden shed. If Andrea and I were going to have to build it alone, I would prefer the metal building.

(Plastic) Enclosed Porch

This year we decided to enclose the front porch with plastic. Our hope is that doing this will achieve three goals: provide a warmer environment for the dogs, allow Andrea to over-winter some plants that would otherwise have to be brought inside, and allow us to better take advantage of sunlight through the window that opens onto the porch.

I had a vague idea of how to go about this project, but had previous experience with this sort of task. Fortunately we were able to do this while my Dad was visiting, so I was able to take advantage of his knowledge and experience. I believe that Andrea and I could have done the project ourselves, but it would not have been doing as well.

Our first step was to buy materials. I bought one 10' long 2x4 to serve as a temporary post on the back corner of the porch. I also bought ten 8' long firring strips, which were used for attaching the plastic. Lastly, I purchase one 10'x25' roll of 4 mil clear plastic sheeting. We also used some 1/4" staples and 1 5/8" drywall screws that I already had on hand.

My plan was simply to cut the plastic to size, fit it against the posts, then attach the firring strips on top to hold it in place. My Dad suggested, however, first stapling the plastic to the firring strips, then rolling then up in the plastic a few times, so that the screws would be going through several layers of plastic in addition to the wood. The roll of plastic we had was more than we needed, so we were able to use his approach with no issues. We began by stapling the firring strip to the top edge of the plastic, then rolling it a couple of times. We then attached the strip to the top beam of the porch roof using screws. Once the first piece was up we cut the excess plastic off of the bottom, leaving approximately 6 inches so we could roll the bottom strip in plastic. We then attached the bottom strip, rolled it, and stretched the plastic tight before attaching the bottom strip to the porch. The process for the sides was the same, although we did have to cut the plastic in the corners to allow us to fold it over the strips. We repeated the same process for the end of the porch, making sure to overlap the plastic where the two pieces met.

We had a few small pieces of wood left over from the strips we had to cut to length. We used those to reinforce the plastic, by putting screws through them, and through the plastic, into the center posts. This seems to have helped brace the plastic against the wind.

During the process of attaching the strips a small hole was made in the plastic. I didn't want to risk that hole being enlarged by the wind, so I patched it with clear packaging tape. I put a piece of tape on both the inside and outside of the plastic, over the hole. I am hoping that this is sufficient to keep the hole from getting any bigger.

I can definitely feel the effects of having the plastic up around the porch. The front corner, which is where Luke likes to lay, is very warm when the sun is out. The benefits would be increased if the porch were completely enclosed, but that was going to be more work and expense. Because we have steps on one end of the porch, we would have had to install at least 3 more 2x4 posts in order to enclose that end, and still leave an opening of the steps. If we wanted to completely enclose the end, by putting up a door for the steps, it would have required the addition of a 2x4 header to box in the area above the door. Depending on how well this works out, we may choose to completely enclose the porch next year. I think that what we have now, however, is a good place to start.

One thing that we did not anticipate was the decreased visibility from enclosing the porch in plastic. The 4 mil plastic lets plenty of light in, but does obscure the view. It is possible to make out shapes, but no real details can be made out of anything seen through the plastic. If we do not have any tears of the plastic this year, we may consider trying a thinner type next year that has improved visibility. If the 4 mil doesn't survive the winter, however, I can't imagine that we'd want to even consider using anything thinner.

We spent maybe 2 hours total on this project. The cost was just under $30. I doubt that we'll save $30 on our heating or lighting, but I still feel that it is well worth the cost. Knowing that the dogs have a warmer place to stay is worth a lot. The plastic will also keep the porch dryer, which, combined with the extra warmth, will make it more usable during the winter.

Since this original post I have made a couple of changes to my process for installing plastic around the porch. A post describing those changes can be found here.

Pallet Compost Bin - The Plan

I have been tossing around the idea of building a compost bin from pallets for quite some time. After recently picking up 10 pallets for $1 each I decided it was time to get serious about the plan. While I'm sure that I may have to make some adjustments once I start building, I feel like I have a pretty solid design.

I have two primary reasons for wanting to build a new compost bin. The first is simply that my existing bin is much too small for the amount of yard waste I have available. The current bin is actually built with a single pallet as the base, so is approximately 4' x 4'. The sides are made from a 10' length of wire fencing, which only completely covers two sides and just a bit of the 3rd. For this reason, I am not able to completely fill the bin without material spilling out of the front.

The other reason that I want to build a new bin is to place it closer to the garden. The current bin is near the house, just passed the shed, which does make it convenient for disposing of kitchen waste. By building a bin closer to the garden, however, I will have less distance to move finished compost when its time to apply, as well as less distance to move any organic material from and around the garden that needs composted.

The pallets I will be working with are 48" x 40". I plan to stand them on their side, so that they stand 40" tall and cover 48" of linear distance. This gives me a nice number to base my figures on. I plan to make the bin 12' x 8 ', which will have the potential for holding nearly 320 cubic feet of material. This is 6 times the volume of my current bin.

The bin will be constructed with 3 pallets making up the back, and 2 pallets making up each side. I initially planned to leave the front open, but have decided instead to only leave the middle section open. To do this I will use 2 pallets for the front, one on each side, which will leave me a 48" opening in the center.

I've considered various methods for connecting the pallets. My current plan is to use pieces of wood as brackets to tie the pallets together. Many of the pallets have extra slats on the bottom that are not needed for what I'm doing, so I plan to pry a few of those loose to use for brackets. I will place 2 pallets end to end, then position one of these slats so that it is positioned across both, with the center at the joint between the pallets. By screwing the slat into each pallet, I hope the result will be that the pallets are fairly well joined. I'll probably put two or possibly three slats at each joint. For the corners I plan to use some small pieces of 2"x4" that I have left over from other projects. I will position these inside the structure in each corner, and put screws through the pallets into the 2"x4" blocks. My hope is that this provides me not only with a convenient way of connecting the pallets, but also provides some added strength to the corners.

I think that this bin is going to work out well. My thought is that I can begin by building the compost pile over to one side so that it is boxed in by 3 walls. If that side gets full, I can move to the other side and do the same, leaving the area in front of the opening mostly free of material as much as possible. One thing I look forward to with this bin is having a good place to shred material. I've avoided doing that in the past, because its a pain to collect the shredded material. With this new bin, however, I can pile leaves or other material up in the middle of the bin, then use a lawn mower to shred it. By making sure the discharge of the mower is pointed in the direction where I want to place the shredded material, I should not have to collect and relocate it. I also should be able to turn the pile much more easily in the larger bin. For times when only one side is full, I can simply use a pitch fork to move the material from one side to the other, effectively flipping the entire pile.

I have a spot picked out for the new bin. It is maybe a couple hundred feet from where we are planning the garden to be next year. The spot is currently shaded part of the day, and will, hopefully, be mostly out of my way when I'm mowing over there. Since the spot is relatively level, I don't think that I will need to do much prep work other than cutting the weeds down so they are nice and short. I've already stacked the pallets next to the spot where I plan to build the bin, so I'm nearly ready to get started.

Herb Garden - Laying the Groundwork

When Andrea told me her plan to expand the herb garden, and include so many different plants, I was afraid it might be overly ambitious. We had always planned to expand it, but now that the time has come, I have to wonder if we'll actually pull it off. This past week, though, we've made some progress towards that goal, so I'm feeling hopeful.

We have, literally, completed the groundwork for the herb garden. This past weekend while visiting family we were able to acquire a truck load of horse manure from my uncle, the horse trader. Our plan was to apply this manure the same way we had the rabbit manure last year in the section of the herb garden that has provided us with such great yields of peppers, basil, and other herbs. So before applying the manure we needed to put down cardboard in the section that had not yet had cardboard applied. This was only the 10 feet or so from the fenced in area to the porch, and then the strip in front of the porch. We were able to complete this with old boxes that we had been saving since we moved here.

Once the cardboard was down I spread the manure. The amount we had was enough to cover the sections recently covered with cardboard, as well as the section around the air condition that was covered with cardboard and straw. We also needed to cover the section that was planted in flowers, because the only soil there was depleted soil that had, in the past, been used for potted plants. Andrea dug up the bulbs she had planted there, and we snipped the tops off of some flowers that she thought might yield viable seeds. We then pulled up the plants and layered them on top of the existing soil. After doing that I covered it all with a layer of manure. I'm suspecting that this section may end up out-performing the others, since it has the extra layer of soil, even though it is lacking in nutrients, as well as the added organic material beneath the manure.

After spreading the manure, the next step was to cover it all with straw. We ran out to town one day and bought three bales of straw from the local farm supply store. I had no idea how much we would need, but was fairly confident that three would be enough. It turns out, however, that we really only needed about a bale and a half. I'll easily find a use for what was left, though, so am not concerned with over-buying. Since we had plenty, we tried to apply a nice thick layer.

Now we just wait, and let the composting process run its course. I haven't checked the planting dates for all of the plants Andrea has planned, but assuming nothing goes into the ground until at least April, that gives the material in the beds 7-8 months to break down, which should be more than enough time. We could have waited until later in the fall, but we had the manure and wanted to go ahead and get it done as soon as possible.

I did learn a few things from this experience. First, a load of manure, filled even with the top rails of my truck, will cover approximately 300 square feet. Of course, had we spread it more thickly, it would have covered less. It took less than 2 bales of straw to thickly cover that same 300 square feet. Going forward I'll probably plan for 150 square feet of coverage per bale. The other thing that I learned is that, even though spreading manure like we did will make your front yard smell like a barn, the scent goes away fairly quickly. Within a couple of days I noticed the smell decreasing, and by the time it was fully covered in straw, I really wasn't noticing much of any scent.

This part of the project was fairly inexpensive to complete. Since I was already making the drive to visit family, the only additional cost there was the cost to drive the truck instead of the car. I figure that I burned approximately 4 extra gallon of gas by driving the truck, which works out to something like $14. I also had to buy straw, which cost approximately $12 for two bales. So, for under $30 in expenses we were able to acquire the materials to greatly improve the soil in the herb beds, which should, in turn, greatly improve the yields. Had I found a local source for manure, that cost could have been reduced significantly. Also, straw can be purchased for less than I paid, but doing so requires driving farther, which is probably only worth it if buying several bales. I think that eventually I may take the trailer and buy a load of straw, but for now, it made sense to me to pay more for the few bales I needed, instead of driving farther.

Herb Garden - The Plan

The herb garden isn't exactly a new project for us. I suppose I should refer to this as the herb garden expansion and re-organization, since that is basically what we are doing. Right now we have a 9' x 10' section planted in herbs and peppers, and another 9' x 10' section planted in flowers. Our plan for next year is to expand the herb garden to 9' x 41' with an additional 1' by 16' section in front of the porch planted in sun flowers.

Andrea has been working on  layout for the herb garden, and deciding which plants we will plant there. Over the weekend she drew up a diagram, which I then replicated as a, fairly crude, digital image. A copy of the image is available here, for anyone who would like to see it.

Since the herb garden is so large, we need a way to walk through it without compacting the soil. This year we had a simple stone path through the middle, but Andrea wants to try something new next year. She plans to use large rocks, spaced at out intervals to create stepping stones and provide an area to kneel on when working in a particular section. The rocks will take up close to half of the available space, so the bed isn't quite as big as the dimensions make it seem. There are also a couple of other items that we must work around, including the electric pole and central air unit.

The plan calls for 23 different herbs and flowers. I suspect that we'll be adding at least one more to that list, as we noticed that parsley was missing from the current plan. A couple of items not in the herb garden will be planted elsewhere, including basil, which will be planted in the garden, and comfrey. The plants that Andrea has chosen were picked either for their culinary or medicinal uses, or, in the case of a couple of the flowers, as a means of attracting humming birds to the garden. We already have a healthy humming bird population, thanks to the humming bird feeder on the front porch. By adding flowers to the herb garden that they are attracted to we hope they will aid in pollination.

We have several tasks ahead of us to get the herb garden ready for next spring. We currently have a fence around approximately 30' of the herb garden. We plan, however, to fence the entire 41' in, which means we need to redo the fencing around the entire garden. We also need to block off one end of the porch, to keep Jack from jumping off of the porch into the fenced in area. We plan to block it off with something that can be used as a trellis.

In addition to the fence and trellis, we need do some soil building of the area. The first 10' is in good shape, as we previously composted rabbit manure and straw in that section. The second 10' has nice crumbly soil, but it is lacking in nutrients and organic matter. The soil that we used in that section had been used previously in containers we tried gardening in our first year here. I'm not sure what we will apply to this section. I'd like to apply manure if we can get it in sufficient quantities. The third 10' section is the section I recently covered with cardboard and straw. My goal is to apply manure on top, then cover with another layer of straw. The last section has not been treated at all. We need to put down some cardboard to kill the weeds, then apply a layer of manure and straw. Of course this all depends on us having access to manure, so we need to start looking for that soon.

Once we have the soil building process in progress we need to start locating rock and laying out the stepping stones. Andrea hopes to use large rocks as much as possible, as the areas they need to cover are at least 2' x 2'. I'm sure that in a few areas we'll have to resort to combining smaller rocks, however. There is a pile of large rock that I need to sort through, but I want to wait until Winter to do this, when the risk running into snakes is gone.

The last piece of the plan is to acquire the seeds to be planted. Andrea has already began taking inventory of what she already has, and making lists so she knows what to be on the lookout for. She expects to start some seedlings inside by mid-winter, but that still gives us 5 months to locate the seeds that we want to plant.

Bookshelf Project

Over the past couple of weeks I've made several references to Andrea's bookshelf project. Now that its finished, I thought it was time that I described the project in detail.

We have three 3 ft tall bookshelves that sit side by side beneath one of the windows in the living room. These are cheap RTA bookshelves, like you'd buy from any big box store. We've had them for 7-8 years, and they've been moved several times. When Andrea installed the insulated window covering for that window she realized that it needed to drop behind the shelves a few inches. They were positioned too close to the wall, though, to allow that to happen. Since we were going to have to unload and then re-position them, she decided it was a good time to replace the cardboard backs with something that would be more stable and would last longer.

The first step was to take measurements of the shelves, to determine our material needs. The shelves were 29.75 inches x 31.25 inches. This meant that we could get backs for all 3 shelves from a 4'x8' sheet of plywood. We purchased a sheet of 5.0 mm plywood, as it was cheap and lightweight, while still much better than the cardboard. We also purchased a small amount of paint, so that the side of the plywood that would be visible from inside the shelf would match the shelves. Andrea took pictures of the shelves and then compared that to paint samples in the store. She apparently did a good job, because the finished products matches very well.

After gathering our supplies we next cut the plywood to the correct sizes. If you've been reading this blog regularly, you'll know that this happened in two different sessions, spread over a couple of weeks. That was partly due to the batteries in my saw dying, and partly because I'm terrible at that sort of thing. Someone experienced, such as my Dad, could easily have made all of the cuts in 30 minutes or less. Even without much experience, I think that I could probably have managed the cuts in not much more than twice that time. In other words, its not that big of a deal to cut the plywood to size, and anyone who has used a saw before could manage it I'm sure. Once the pieces were cut Andrea sanded the edges then painted them. They took several coats of paint, but she was able to finish the painting in a day, although we did leave them to dry overnight.

After painting the pieces, all that was left was to install them. That might be as simple as it sounds for others, but nothing is ever that simple for us. We removed the old backs, and pulled out the nails and/or staples that had been holding the cardboard in place. We then placed the backs on, and made any needed adjustments to make sure it fit correctly and that the shelves were square. Next we put wood glue around the back edge of the shelf, so it would help to hold the plywood in place where there were no screws. I then pre-drilled holes for the screws, so the sides of the shelf would not split from the screws. Since we have two cordless drills I used both, one to drill the pilot holes and another for the screws. This worked much better than trying to pre-drill all holes first, or than constantly having to change bits. The screws were so easy to put in, though, that a cordless screw driver, ratchet driver, or even a regular screw driver would probably have been fine.

Once we had the backs attached, we started trying to figure out the best position to provide the window covering the room it needed. During that process we decided that we needed some spacers behind the shelves to keep them the desired distance from the wall. We started with some 2x4 blocks, but they weren't quite enough. We found, though, that adding a piece of 1x2 was just about perfect. We screwed a piece of 1x2 onto each 2x4 block, giving us a spacer that was approximately 2.5 inches thick. We simply sat these in the floor and scooted the shelves against them, so that the spacers were sandwiched between the shelf and the wall. This seemed sufficient, and avoided us having to attach the spacers to either the wall or the shelves.

With the shelves in place, the last step was to make sure they were level, front to back. Andrea cut strips from the old cardboard backings we had removed, and we began placing them under the backs of the shelves, until the shelves were level. To make it easier, we placed and leveled each shelf before moving onto the next.

The project ended up taking longer than expected, but I feel good about the results. The cost ended up being $10-$15 for the plywood, paint, and screws. The shelves themselves are fairly good, even though they are made of particle board. I've always felt that the cardboard backs are the weakest part of the shelves, so now we've solved that problem. I think that by replacing the backs we've managed to extend the life of the shelves. A similar process could easily be used on furniture purchased from thrift stores or yard sales, which could prevent the need to buy new items. Anytime an item can be purchased used, even if it requires some refinishing, I believe it is preferable to buying the item new. The less material we can keep out of the landfill, and the less demand we create for new products, the better.

Solar Powered Shed - The Idea

This post is the first, of what I hope turns out to be many, posts about some fairly major projects that we hope to undertake. They are all on a list of future projects, but this one is likely to be the one most likely to be worked on anytime soon, so I thought I'd go ahead and do a post about it. There will be several more posts to come, as I progress through the research, planning, design, purchasing, and eventually building phases. Every project must start with an idea, however, and that is what I have right now.

The shed, which currently serves as storage for all sorts of things, has no electricity. Eventually I hope to turn the shed into a tool shed, and perhaps even have a work bench out there so I can work on small projects even when its raining. Having electricity at the shed would make that much easier. I could run electricity from the house, as its not too far from the breaker box (less than 100 ft), but I think I'd like to try installing a small PV system instead. Even though a PV system will cost significantly more than just running wire up to the shed, it will be a great learning experience, which should in turn save me time and money when we decide to do a larger PV system, such as when we build a house. I'm thinking of it as an investment in education.

My goal is to provide enough electricity to power some small items, such as lights, a fan, a radio, and battery charger, as well as occasionally run some power tools such as a circular saw or small air compressor. My first step is going to be researching the power requirements of the items I plan to run, including tools I don't have yet such as the air compressor, to determine what my needs will be.  I suspect that it may be somewhat tricky to figure this out, as usage will be very irregular. I'll likely plan for regular use of small draws, such as lights, and only using the larger tools every few days. I think that in most cases this should cover my actual usage, and worse case I can run an extension cord out to the house if I really need to use power tools a few days in a row or for several hours at a time. The other thing that makes this tricky is that, even though I know the electrical requirements of my current tools, I have no way of knowing what tools I may have in the future that I'd like to run from this system. I will need to either compromise between having some leeway without spending too much on capacity I do not need, or make sure that the system I put together is easily expandable.

Once I have a handle on my needs, I will next need to research my options regarding the various components. I've already done some of this, but not enough to have made any decisions. I know that my system will consist of 4 primary components: the solar panels themselves, a charge controller, batteries, and an inverter. I'll need to make several decisions here to determine my needs for each component, such as, will I run everything on AC, or will I try to run some things, such as lights, on DC, and therefore avoid some of the loss that occurs due to inverter efficiency loss. My guess is that I'll likely end up doing a post on each of the components, describing my research and decisions on each.

For anyone not familiar with a PV system, I will provide a very basic summary of how the system will go together. The solar panels will be mounted on the roof of the shed, pointing to the south. I will likely make the mounting brackets adjustable, so that I can change their angle during different parts of the year, to better match the angle of the sun. Wiring from the panels will connect to the charge controller, which will ensure that the batteries are not being overcharged. The electricity generated from the solar panels will be used to charge the batteries, which is what will ultimately be powering my devices. From the batteries, wiring will run to the inverter, which will convert the DC power from the batteries into the AC power that most household devices use. Of course this is an over-simplistic explanation, but its the basic idea of how the system will be put together.

I do not have a time frame for this project, nor a budget. I'd love to be ready to install the panels by next Spring, but we'll just have to see how things go. As for the budget, I'd like to do this for under $1,000, but I'm not going to set a budget until I've done more research. The last thing I want to do is box myself into a design that doesn't deliver what I need, because I set a budget without first knowing what was realistic.