The Comforts of Home

We were pleased to see that this shiny new water heater has the highest energy efficiency in its class (if that's the right way to put it). Ours is an electric water heater, which is good, because one of our mid-term goals is to add a wind turbine, which generates electricity, not LPG. The various PVC pipes you see serve a few different purposes. At the top left are the venting pipes that connect to the furnace, and, I think, have something to do with venting exhaust fumes, and bringing fresh air into the house. I'm not quite certain how this happens. At the top right are drain pipes from the upstairs bathroom and kitchen. There is also one in there somewhere that vents radon gas out of the house. Whatever.

This is the north wall of the main floor bathroom, located directly above the previous picture. The small, flexible pipes (or tubing) are the means by which water is transported these days. On the far left, they will be supplying water to the shower, and to the right, they'll feed the big old sink shown in a prior post. The small white circle in the floor is the location to which the toilet will attach. We're hoping the plans will ultimately make this room a bit more private than it is now. The stairwell to the basement is visible through the wall framing.

Calgon, take me away! We have lived for some time without a bathtub, so we are especially thrilled to be including two in the Yum Yum Farm house. This is the Zuma tub in the main bathroom. It may not be clear in this photo, but this is deep enough to drown in. The bright spot to the right is, you guessed it, a window, looking to the west. Pardon me, but I'm starting to daydream--about a long hot soak on a chilly autumn night...

Norm Abram, Eat Your Heart Out!

Dan from Heartland Custom Woodworking shows off the kitchen island in progress in his workshop. Dan does beautiful work, and is in the midst of creating all of the cabinets, closets, etc., that will provide storage space in the Yum Yum Farm house. If you Google "Heartland Custom Woodworking", you'll find contact information. We are delighted with his craftsmanship, and his embracing our use of different materials and styles. Needless to say, he has our highest recommendation!

Remember the earlier post "Hunt for Red Finn Form"? This is one of the locations where the Finn Form is being used. This is a side view of the entry hall closet, which will be located just inside the main entrance. The visible side here will be against the north wall, and the open area below will have a rolling cart to sit on when removing shoes or boots, and it will open to contain gloves, scarves, and the like.

Down the Drain

"We're #1 in the #2 Business". So proclaims a local business that will clean out the tanks in the photo below. Yes, these are the septic tanks, and this is the place to where all the dirty business will flow out of the house. The next step in this process is to create the leach field, which is a series of tubes (much like the Internet, according to Alaska senator Ted Stevens) set in gravel and sand, which will allow liquid flowing from the system to slowly percolate and be cleaned by some sort of bacterial magic. We're in the process of determining what will be the best plantings to place over the field. Here's what we know so far: trees and other things with deep moisture seeking tap roots can plug the perforated tubes that comprise the field. And, we don't want to be operating heavy equipment frequently over this area. I'm thinking a bunch of Little Bluestem might be a nice way to cover the area. Any feedback from botanical experts, or anyone who's had experience in this area?