Bob's house provides shelter from the wind, the rain and the cold
Q: What exactly did you have in mind when you first decided to put up the basic frame and tent?
A: Well, it's a simple metal pipe-frame, and I chose to get an opaque cover for it. I was planning to only live in it the one year, and then Bluestem [the neighboring eating/gardening co-op] would begin using it as a greenhouse. All they would have to do is switch to a clear cover.
However, plans change, and it seems unlikely that Bluestem will be needing it末at least not any time soon, so I decided to make it a more permanent space.
Rouse's structure is supported by a platform the stands several feet off the ground. He related how he had nailed two 1x4 pieces of old barn lumber paint side together to create the more hefty 2x4s for his "box beam" support system.
Q: Did you have any particular inspiration for your design?
A: Actually, yes. It was based on the wingspan of a WWI aircraft, the "Tin Donkey." It was a German plane, and the first to be made from corrugated metal. In fact, they used barn roofing metal for it末just what I used to cover the platform!
Q: So, at first it was essentially a big tent with a Tin Donkey platform?
A: Yes. [Rouse laughs] But I had two smaller tents pitched inside of it during the summer末one for sleeping, one for storage. It was my indoor campground.
Q: And what made you decide to change that when you did?
A: Well, for one thing I didn't want to wake up with ice in my beard like I did last year. For another the [Shelter King] cover I had gotten that was supposed to last eight years ended up lasting eight months.
Q: It started leaking?
A: Yes. First it was just one place, and I thought I could repair. The next storm it was leaking everywhere. So getting the roof on became top priority.
Rouse described his painstaking process of making each piece of old sheet metal roofing good as new. First, he scraped down all the rust, particularly around the old nail holes, making sure they were ready for caulking. After caulking the ten to twenty holes in each piece, he used donated paint to cover the metal entirely. He made sure to paint the upper side in pale shades to reflect the hot summer sun, since it is nearly as important that his structure be livably-cool in July. "I'm from Houston," he said, "But I can stand the cold better than the heat."
Q: Would you follow the same process with the roofing if you did it again?
A: No. I absolutely wouldn't paint it. It took more time that it was worth, and I think weatherproof may be a relative term. Since the roof takes more abuse than the side of a building would, it has already [after one month] started peeling.
Q: What was the next step after the roof was up?
A: I decided to enclose an 8'x12' space at the south end of the building, to be my living space and to cook in. One window for solar gain, and so I don't go crazy.
Q: What about insulation末what are you using?
A: Under the roof and against the [metal] sides I'm using foil-bubble-foil. It should act as a radiant barrier.
Q: [Joking] And what would be the r-value of that?
A: Oh, minimal, I'm sure. But I don't know. Maybe I should look it up. But I'm also using three to four layers of polyester quilt batting.
Q: Quilt batting?
A: Yes. I bought a big roll of it from Zimmerman's [the general store in Rutledge]. I don't know its r-value either. [Laughs again.]
Rouse then described how there would be an inner layer, this time of foil-bubble-ploy, attached to the quilt batting. Finally, there would be a fabric finish of muslin plastered with Spackle to give it a more homelike feel.
a special touch atop Bob's chimney
A: Actually not. It's just white clay, chalk powder, and animal-derived glue末you know, like old-fashioned horse-hoof glue. It can be pigmented, too.
Q: How is its fire-resistance?
A: I tested for that. A flame held to it will eventually cause it to smolder, but it will not burst into flame. [Pretends he is advertising for Spackle]
Q: [Laughs] All right. How warm does it currently stay?
A: Well, before I got the stove in, it was down to zero degrees outside one night, yet stayed at 19 inside. Even body heat can accomplish a lot within a small space.
Q: What kind of stove is it that you have now?
A: It's an 11x11x18" camping stove. It's called a "two-dog" stove because that's how many dogs it would take to carry it. The stove sizes go up by even increments of dogs末the next size up is called a "four-dog."
Q: So, how warm does a two-dog stove keep you?
A: Five to ten minutes after the fire has really gotten going, the area is at 60 degrees. This is without the insulation. Once the fire has gone out, of course it doesn't retain heat very well yet.
Rouse predicted that he would likely be living in this space for a few years before being able to build his ideal home. For that, he plans to use less high-tech, mass-produced materials. "Strawbale is a possibility," he said.
Size-wise, not much may change. it is one of Rouse's goals to make the footprint of his dwelling as small as possible.
"Thirty years ago末in high school末I was designing tiny plywood houses. Doing this is a dream come true, since I didn't get to participate in the back to the land movement the first time around."
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