Philosophical moment

This morning as I was browsing pictures and websites I was contemplating the fine line between inspirational and intimidating.  I have found that if I look at too many completed buildings then I get intimidated.  I start to think that it is way to massive and complicated for me to do.  And it is a massive job.  But I CAN do it.  I realised that if I look at it as smaller jobs within the big one it isn't as scary, and that doing things like building a frame that aren't jobs traditionally done by women will be hugely satisfying and empowering.  And all this led to one massive realisation.  That a huge part of my fear was because society doesn't see building a house as something I can do - as a woman, as a single mother, as an individual person.  Building a house is seen as something you hire people to do.  Just like making clothes, spinning wool, milking a cow,  making cheese and butter...  So many things that once upon a time would have been done for ourselves, by ourselves but we are now so divorced from that they are seen as mystical things that only those qualified are able to perform (which would lead to a rant about childbirth but that is for another time and blog ;) ).
Whenever I mention to people that I want to build my own house, with my own hands, the reaction is overwhelmingly negative - even from people in the process of building thier own houses.  Most of them got people in to do the framing etc and find the thought of me building a load bearing cob house to be completely outside the realms of reality.  I have internalised this to a great extent and it has been colouring my intentions and ambitions.  Now that I have realised this though, it won't hold me back any more!

musings on insulation

Having decided to have a wooden ceiling - partly because I like the aesthetic of wood, partly because I am hoping I will be able to find suitable wood cheaply/free second hand and partly because I know Dad can 'do stuff' with wood and I will be able to as well - the next question becomes what to insulate the ceiling with?  I'm going to use wool I think.  It fits with the natural materials I am using in the rest of the house, doesn't burn easily and is a great insulator.

I am hoping that the council permission stuff won't require insulation in the walls as cob relies on thermal mass rather than insulation to regulate the temperature.  If they do require it I will turn to cob/strawbale hybrid, at least on the southern wall.  Using flakes from a strawbale sandwiched between layers of cob.  I need to do more research on this though.

Speaking of the southern wall, I am hoping to make use of the southern wall (which won't get sun) and build a cold store and dry store on that side of the house.  The plan at the moment is to build a drystore off the kitchen and as you go through the dry store have the coolstore on the other side.  I'll slope the floor down through the drystore to the coolstore so that the cold air pools in that area of the house and hopefully that will mean I don't need a fridge.

Which brings me to noting down the fact that I want to have the least amount of electricity I can.  I am hoping that I will only need one or two power points installed.  I would like to try and get by with alternative lighting (which I think I have mentioned before) and the bare minimum of things that need electricity - the freezer (especially if I start to grow animals for food), somewhere to charge up the computer and mobile and maybe a food processor.  Cooking and hot water will be taken care of by the stove (also some of the heating) and I will  build a fireplace in the living area if more heating is needed.  I am also contemplating a solar hot water system for summer so that I don't have to have the stove lit all the time.