Peter and Natasha

1. pools?
(Comments)

Hey since you guys are trying to save expenses, you should think about installing some [url=http://www.familyleisure.com/Above-Ground-Swimming-Pools]above ground pools[/url]. From what I hear, they do

2. Question about the Loo & Thanks
(Comments)

...o wanted to say as a long time reader, first time poster how much I enjoy and value your site. I've been thinking about straw bale building for quite a few years and reading about your exploits and in...

3. Driveway
(Comments)

... glad you've managed to get the driveway in before Sunday. We hope the day is a huge success. We'll be thinking of you....

4. Deckadence
(Comments)

just think of all the gorgeous times and memories to come on the fabulous looking deck.....crawling tackers, frothy bevvies, trikes, meals.....lovely

5. ALright!!!
(Comments)

...zing and absolutely inspiring, over budget as always but my what a home. Whoohoo I have 26th OFF work!! Think it'll be Clairey and me....

6. rafters and beams
(Comments)

... difference between beams and rafters. I really have learnt so much from reading your blog. Makes me think we could manage some basic renovations - pretty pathetic to think we couldn't after looki...

7. scale model
(Comments)

...o build a scale model. When I first saw that suggestion I thought "typical architects idea!" but when I think about it I can really see its value. Like a little dress rehearsal. And no need for perch...

8. you know
(Comments)

I think those most recent photos are really evocative. They illustrate the dirt, heat, dust, effort and sweat going into your house. No matter what other challenges you face in life you will both be

9. That is truly funny
(Comments)

[quote]Aunt Bundlejoy Cosysweet[/quote] Sue, I love it, makes me feel guilty just thinking about her!

10. Tom & Captain Najork
(Comments)

I think you should forget trying to get Natasha to dress as Catwoman - Aunt Bundlejoy Cosysweet would be much nicer. At least you wouldn't have to eat your cabbage and potato sog or learn pages of the

11. who is treebeard?
(Comments)

...rass is always greener i suppose...however 3 consecutive days of 43 degrees is beyond the pale. Just think Peter and Tarsh, next summer (or maybe the one after?) you'll be oblivious to this sort o...

12.
(Comments)

What a great photo. I hate to think of you rushing the last bit, particularly if your compostable toilet is involved. Best you get that bit right - cogitate and do a Dad - think much before acting.

13. Matt Noyes
(Comments)

The wooden floor vs carpet vs tiled is as old as the vegemite vs marmite debate. Here's my 5c worth. I think wood looks nice BUT it's not very thermally efficient (which I know matters to you) and i

14. Hot water at last
(Blog/Living and Finishing)

...n - the mystery is solved, and in the end it was much simpler than any of us thought. You would think that a new system would work properly from the start, yes? Well it's nearly 2 years since...

15. Sunshine on my shoulders
(Blog/Living and Finishing)

...d and a nibble of grass. Divine! It was 14 degrees inside the house this morning, which I didn't think was that bad considering we put the last small log on the fire about 8pm last night. It g...

16. The Hilux
(Blog/Living and Finishing)

...? Click here for details.  It’s very useful. And chicks dig a bloke in a ute. Apparently. I think blokes dig a chick in a ute too. I reckon it’s got a few more straw bale builds le...

17. Our Fabulous Composting Toilets
(Straw Bale House/Straw Bale House)

...dd, that when I called the man that Peter had spoken to at Western Water he said to me, "Yes, I was thinking about the conversation I had with Peter after I got off the phone, and I really should...

18. No Experience Necessary
(Straw Bale House/Straw Bale House)

If you think that this 'owner builder' or 'straw bale' thing is only for experienced or 'handy' type people, you would be mistaken.  We had very little experience when we started on this journe

19. Brewing
(Blog/Living and Finishing)

No, sorry it's not beer, we are brewing ideas! For a while now we have thinking about putting together some resources for others who are curious, considering or in the midst of owner-building a house,

20. Deck done
(Blog/Living and Finishing)

... another tick off the list, the bathroom is starting to loom as something to get my teeth into now. If I think about it long enough I'll think of a brilliant way of doing it all!   ...

21. Performance
(Blog/Living and Finishing)

... We will be watching for how quickly the house cools down tonight relative to the outside temperature. I think we will open up the windows pretty soon! We are pretty sure that there are still some sig...

22. Environmental motor racing?
(Blog/Living and Finishing)

...nbsp; The next blog will be about our house, I promise.   PS Apologies to anyone who read the title thinking it would be about solar powered cars - although I did see one zooming around the track...

23. Carried Away
(Blog/Living and Finishing)

This must be the longest 'in between blogs' time on record.... I think in part because we don't have much to report on! We've both been working part-time, and Sundays have started to become our only d

24. Website and progress
(Blog/Living and Finishing)

...omain name to keep this website up and running and keep us blogging. As the bill came up I couldn't help thinking that we had a decent number of people checking the website out and maybe we could make...

25. Front and south
(Blog/Living and Finishing)

... First I need to attend to a few more windows before all the rendering can be done. But it's exciting to think that we're so close to having all of the exterior done. ...

26. New opportunities
(Blog/Living and Finishing)

...ing together a great team to help us on the day. Given that our house is still under construction, Tiki thinks the house will generate a great deal of interest and receive a lot of visitors on the d...

27. A holiday
(Blog/Living and Finishing)

...h our build, both for ourselves and the tradespeople we've used and for our local council. Also, come to think of it, for our friends who've come to help us build and even for Brian our building consu...

28. Train keeps a-rolling
(Blog/Lock up and inspection)

...ase of the sub-floor. All the little details seem to take a lot of time when it comes down to it, but we think we have done enough to get in - the house is certainly far from finished but absolutely l...

29. Patience is a virtue
(Blog/Lock up and inspection)

...an't quite get ourselves out of the dark tunnel called "will this ever be over?". Just when we think it's in the bag, it's not. We realised that we were supposed to have our composting toile...

30. Denial is a long river
(Blog/Lock up and inspection)

I think we are in a state of denial! It's a long river too (the Nile that is). We are so so close now, our list of things to complete to get our C of O is quite short, even if some of them are time

31. New Year's Eaves
(Blog/Walls and Render)

...ow). I've been putting in ceiling insulation today as well as cleaning up inside and out. It's easier to think in a clear space so although it's time consuming it is certainly worth it. More hot weath...

32. Dirty work
(Blog/Walls and Render)

...iasm. So after some lunch we launched up the scaffolding and got some more second coat on the outside. I think it's fair to say that we now know people from every part of the straw bale building spect...

33. So much information
(Blog/Walls and Render)

...e been stuck in a very familiar loop of thoughts and worries. None of which get resolved by lying in bed thinking about them. For example, I have had 4 different and conflicting pieces of advice about...

34. Nesting
(Blog/Walls and Render)

...rge is definitely upon us. Less than 7 weeks until my due date, and we are trying to figure out when we think we might be able to get a certificate of occupancy (C of O) and move in! ...

35. Good mud
(Blog/Walls and Render)

...s a more organic task than anything else on the build. And it's getting us closer to the finish line. To think that the interior will almost be completely rendered by the end of this weekend...

36. Another big dose of generosity
(Blog/Walls and Render)

...citing and rewarding indeed! Last night we had Brad and Mark, and Cam and Leora stay at our place, and I think everyone slept pretty soundly except for Peter and I, mainly because of the heat. ...

37. Unfinished business
(Blog/Walls and Render)

...ly of mice that I disturbed when moving bales today. They looked unimpressed with being disturbed, but I think that they'll really be annoyed when the bales are cleared out of the house. Damn freeload...

38. Keeping the focus
(Blog/Walls and Render)

...azing weekend getting the first coat of render on - every time I see the house now with it's new look, I think about all the work that lead up to it, and all the people who have contributed over the l...

39. Countdown
(Blog/Walls and Render)

...re very thankful to have been able to spread the word about straw bale. So after more planning and thinking tonight, we are ready for 3 big days, and very excited (and nervous) about how we will...

40. All loved up
(Blog/Walls and Render)

...ouse - Mel you are irrepressible! So tonight's mission is to assess where we are at, and where we think we will realistically get to before rendering on Saturday 10th and then tomorrow we will ...

41. Exstrawdinary
(Blog/Walls and Render)

...is not a common thing to do. Or is it? These amazing people keep coming out of the woodwork! I'd like to think that we've been able to offer some valuable experience, impetus and inspiration to our fe...

42. Reality Check
(Blog/Walls and Render)

...near the end of the build (and I have been so eager to finish and move in) that our planning and forward thinking has been a little lacking. I am working tomorrow (Saturday) so took today (Friday) off...

43. Down to the wire
(Blog/Walls and Render)

...in. The wind is exhausting to deal with but it's nice to have some kind of solid shelter in the house. I think we've done well. ...

44. Huff and Puff
(Blog/Rafters and Roofing)

...ave a read. We wanted to spread the word more locally, and judging by the hits on our website lately, we think it's generated some interest, which was our goal.Peter has been back in his home town of ...

45. Anyway the wind blows
(Blog/Rafters and Roofing)

I think that originally we thought we might have a roof on some time around the start of the year. That was a bit ambitious, it's true. But I'm really starting to get itchy for a roof now, and now tha

46. Couldn't fascia before
(Blog/Rafters and Roofing)

After the excitement of getting a good chunk of our straw bale walls up over the weekend it was back to thinking about other things such as getting the roof on. Well actually from Monday to Wednesday

47. The Love of Straw
(Blog/Rafters and Roofing)

...d been built at the end of the day. I said to my cousin Kane, (who is now a gun wall-builder) "Just think, when you come over for dinner, you can walk in the back door and say - I built that wall...

48. Boxing match
(Blog/Rafters and Roofing)

...ll sit on) is that it hints at the next phase of completion - the walls - which is what most people think of when I mention straw bale building. It's the marquee stage of the project. By the time...

49. Wind and Rain
(Blog/Rafters and Roofing)

... weeks for Peter and I, we seem to have peaks and troughs in our emotional capacity to owner-build, so I think once the roof and external walls are up, we'll take a few days off to recuperate and pamp...

50. An old friend
(Blog/Rafters and Roofing)

...an lurking in our portaloo and this must be just the spot for these beasties.  I was just yesterday thinking about how I haven't seen any spiders for a while. This one hitchhiked over to the hous...