reepicheep's journal

[jacob]

Even brand new, there's condensation that drips off the plastic walls.

Are you keeping it colder than 65F as in not blasting the heater like a normal recreational camper? The same problem will probably occur in a tiny house(*). There's just not a whole lot of air volume to absorb hours of daily breathing from a human. The only solution is either to keep the temperature high (so 65F) or keep the windows open even during winter. In the park we lived in, we saw both solutions. This was NorCal so slightly warmer than OR I presume.

(*) This will have the benefit of being insulated so it doesn't cost as much to keep temperatures high enough.

[Bankai]

The only solution is either to keep the temperature high (so 65F) or keep the windows open even during winter.

Dehumidifier?

[reepicheep]

@George the original one, @jacob, yeah. Oregon. @Bankai, I own a small one. It runs 100% of the time. It's probably helping, but not enough.

Longer answer to this question than you wanted. When I lived in Germany with the service I received a stipend specifically for utilities. The less of it I used on utilities, the more of it I got to keep, so I was heckin' frugal and I almost never turned on the heat. The climate there was similar to here and it was cold and miserable during the winter. Years later, I realize that doing that probably was impacting my mental health more than I realized.

It's currently getting down to low 30's in the night here and snow threatening for some time. I have the thermostat set to somewhere between 59 and 65 at night, depending on how cold it really is, and somewhere between 65 and 68 during the day. I've been making up the heat lack at night with an electric blanket.

When I leave during the day and don't need to heat it I'll crack a window and turn on the vent van. If I can do that for long enough and it's warm enough out it seems to dry up the condensation that has accumulated. The challenge seems to be when I leave for a few days -- I'm not sure what's going on in my absence, but condensation appears to be a real problem under the sink cabinets and that's not clearing up. The heat isn't on, the window is open, and the vent fan is on. I'm considering putting moisture absorbent material under the kitchen and bathroom sink.

As far as mold, it's a real problem here and many of the buildings have major issues. I keep an eye out for it and clean regularly, but I'm not sure what's going on in the heat vents and places I can't see or reach that are behind the walls and I'm concerned about that.

I think the other benefits of a tiny house will be different heat source -- wood stove -- which (according to residents with wood stoves here) produces a dry heat/enough heat to keep the mold better at bay, and less shitty windows, which leak heat like a sieve. I've got that bubble-wrap shiny silver stuff on one window and need to get another one in the sleeping area covered, at least.

[jacob]

We used bubble wrap (standard packaging type) in the winter on some windows. Alu-foil in the summer. Worked really well. Very important not to leave an air gap! A possible way to fix the under-counter condensation might be to drill holes (like 1.5-2" big) towards a non-visible direction. IIRC, we had holes in the kitchen counter towards the back of the couch... also heat ducts ran partially under our sink counter. Is it possible to extend the ducting? Alternatively, get some small 12V fans to create circulation underneath. Marine and computer cooling fans run on 12V. Don't set anything on fire---fuses are friends. [Box-type] fans are generally a fire hazard.

We experimented with moisture absorbent materials (the kind that recharge in the oven). Didn't do much good.

Could also be your technique? Key is to first dump the cold inside humid air fast (all windows and doors open + fans on full) replacing it with cold less humid outside air. Then close up and turn the heater up to decrease the relative humidity. In any case it's a constant battle ... probably why the always-open-window policy was a thing for those who didn't want to bother.

[George the original one]

I think the other benefits of a tiny house will be different heat source -- wood stove -- which (according to residents with wood stoves here) produces a dry heat/enough heat to keep the mold better at bay, and less shitty windows, which leak heat like a sieve.

Yup. Our house is largish and switch between electric heat and woodstove, so we don't get mold growing despite 62F indoor ambient, but the spores are everywhere!

[Jin+Guice]

Hey reep:

Thanks for that poly blog link, it's very interesting. Do you have any experience with master gardener programs? I was considering taking one, but maybe the permaculture one is better.

I'm also interested in building a tiny house so I'm interested to hear how it goes for you. Do you have any prior construction experience?

[reepicheep]

@Jin_Guice, you might also check out polyamory weekly, which does a podcast. They did an interview with an organization I volunteer with and did a Q&A from our community members (including yours truly!) a couple of weeks ago.

My understanding of MG programs is that they're pretty heavy on conventional ag. Pesticides, etc. the PDC program is not. I've taken two different PDC programs now, one through my university and one held on site at this community this previous semester. I've learned a lot from both; the content didn't differ much but I got to do a lot more hands-on work here. I would look for a program that gives you some experiential components. Any PDC program that runs for 12 contiguous days, instead of stretched out (the way both of mine have been) is probably going to be pretty stressful and your information retention might not be as good.

The second half of the PDC is set-aside for designing a site. Some programs might give you a site to design, others will ask or allow you to design your own. You may want to have a location in mind going in. My first one I did a front and back yard for a building on campus; my second I did the property of a friend of my girlfriend's. Very different challenges, both. Second one was about 10 acres of design on a 40 acre property that's actively ranching, farming, and engaged in agroforestry, 1st one was 1000 square feet of bare lawn. More like landscaping.

I've built a couple of houses with Habitat for Humanity -- not start to finish, but pieces. I built some garden beds and a case for a solar hot-water heater a few years ago. Have installed my own shelves, that sort of thing. Nothing on this scale. Next week I am going to three sisters to meet someone who runs a tiny house building company and does co-op/workshop builds. Chances are that I'll participate in a co-op build and buy the shell from them, haul it out to Eugene, and spend the summer finishing it out. I don't trust myself to frame and roof a building. I'm no MMM.

I'm also looking into voc rehab for the possibility of apprenticing as a carpenter. Not sure what the timeline on that would be. I want the house before I have the skills for it, but if I had the shell I could go slow with the inside.

@jacob,

Spent the afternoon rigging up the bubble wrap stuff on the second bedroom window and dig a jury-rigged job on the door before I ran out of tape. I think the more fitted version (two layers of cardboard, three layers of bubble wrap silver stuff) is fitted tighter to the window, but I left it so I could still open that window behind the bubble wrap. Pretty happy with how that turned out. Door needs work.

The other window is a giant partial box-velcro-monstrosity with denim slabs of insulation on the inside from a freshly box.

When you say drill holes, you're not suggesting that I drill them through the exterior wall? Just open up the cabinets on the inside?

I've got several of them cracked open and that seems to be helping. The windows were absolutely dripping with condensation this morning, though. Hazards of making chicken stock in a crock-pot overnight.

Photos:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/bUprW4mktpkWyZjaA

[jacob]

When you say drill holes, you're not suggesting that I drill them through the exterior wall? Just open up the cabinets on the inside?

No new holes in the exterior walls!! Put the holes in the cabinets in inconspicuous places like the side or the toe kick.

FWIW, depending on the local wildlife situation, we'd often run the slow cooker and bread maker on a table outside.

[Bankai]

I own a small one. It runs 100% of the time. It's probably helping, but not enough.

How much water does it pull a day? Ours is mid-sized and able to pull up to 10l per day. When we first switched it on, the humidity in our flat was 95%. After a day, it went down to mid-60s. Since then we have it on for a few hours each day to keep it in the 60-65 range which feels comfortable; it occasionally goes up to 70s when cooking or drying clothes. The change for us is from spending 15 minutes a day wiping off water from all windows (sometimes 5-10x a day) to emptying tank 1-2x a day which takes few seconds. I estimate it will pay for itself within 1-2 months in saved time.

[reepicheep]

Ok, so leaving the cabinets that seem particularly prone to moisture accumulation cracked a little bit seems to have solved some of the problem. I might still drill holes...but I'm trying not to put holes in things so I can sell this in as close to new condition as possible. It's one reason I haven't cut a hole in the roof to pipe a cub stove flue pipe through.

I also bought a larger dehumidifer, because in the process of investigating the answers to @Bankai's questions, I realized that this model is for 110 square feet and the RV is almost twice that. I'm not sure I'll be able to run both of them and the space heater without tripping the breaker, but I think I could give away the little one to someone else here and feel fine about that, if the larger one did a better job.

@Jacob, there's a bear, bobcat, and deer on the property. I could cook during the day if I were around to watch my stuff, and there's also other communal kitchen spaces I could go to, so that's something I'll have to think about if I find myself using the crock pot regularly. I don't *have* to cook-- there's communal food 4-5 nights a week that I can buy for ~$7/meal, which isn't bad (especially since I can eat once a day and be happy), but that doesn't include meat and sometimes I want something else.

[reepicheep]

This Week on As The Quinoa Boils

Meetup Agenda Item: How does the community feel about wif-fi free sanctuary spaces?

Background: EMF is super dangerous and is fucking with our sleep. More info to be emailed to campus after this meeting.

Community position: Most people agree that they would like wi-fi free spaces...except that they really want to also be able to use wi-fi in the classrooms, the lodge, and in their homes, which is exactly where all of the wi-fi already is. One proposal is to make the outdoor kitchen and meadow wi-fi free, but everyone who lives in the meadow (except for the person bringing the proposal) really wants to keep their wi-fi. Community cannot afford to build wired infrastructure and, indeed, let the wire infrastructure go a few years ago because wi-fi was cheaper than battling the maintenance of underground wiring.

Possible conclusion: We might sometimes put our phones on airplane mode at community meetings. Maybe. At some point. Also, can whoever is unplugging the hot-spots please stop?

Amusing side-note: I receive about a dozen emails a day from campus members. Community runs completely on the internet and email replaces about a half dozen meetings each week (there are still plenty of meetings, but there's no need to have MORE of them).

My personal take: I bought a hotspot because campus wi-fi was too unreliable for all the porn I want to watch. I'm skeptical about EMF causing problems, but haven't done any research. I turn it off at night. And I wonder about 5G, mainly because the military thinks it will interfere with GPS and if the DoD thinks some new technology is more of a problem than a help I'm apt to pay attention.

[George the original one]

Community cannot afford to build wired infrastructure and, indeed, let the wire infrastructure go a few years ago because wi-fi was cheaper than battling the maintenance of underground wiring.

If they were using real wiring rather than fiber optic, then yes, the maintenance would be horrible. Shouldn't even be using wire runs between buildings due to grounding differences.

Since many cellphones can be a hotspot, too, I don't think they can truly enforce wi-fi free zones... it's just human nature to cheat on restrictions.

[jacob]

Haaa! This is gold. So much to be mined.

If, say for the sake of argument, not that I ever would, but if I was running an e-zine for creative writing and you submitted just that post, it would be a slam dunk. I'd even or rather especially keep the title.

It's like "The Office: The Millennials" (Version infinity: It just goes on and on.) ... or at least, I think there's potential for renewing for another season.

[DutchGirl]

This Week on As The Quinoa Boils

Meetup Agenda Item: How does the community feel about wif-fi free sanctuary spaces?

Background: EMF is super dangerous and is fucking with our sleep. (...)

My personal take: I bought a hotspot because campus wi-fi was too unreliable for all the porn I want to watch.

See... it does mess with your sleep. Due to all the porn you're watching instead of sleeping. QED.

[reepicheep]

@George the original one, they didn't go into the background but I imagine it was probably dial-up landlines that they stopped maintaining. There is a cob structure that used to be a phone booth and has since been converted to other uses.

@Jacob...oh it goes on, and on, and on...

I can't take credit for the title. Another [s]inmate[/s]resident came up with that.

@DutchGirl, there is something to be said for the reflexive checking of the phone after waking up at 1 AM, which can't be great for my circadian rhythm. Putting it across the room does minimize that.

[enigmaT120]

Sorry if this reply gets posted twice....

We turn off our wifi at night and there's no cell service so no motivation to check my phone when (not if) I wake in the middle of the night. Luckily I don't need porn, nor imagination which I lack, nor even any recent good memories. Things just work.

[reepicheep]

Have been offered assistant bookkeeping job at community at 8-15 hrs a week. They want to oust current bookkeeper and put me in job quick-like. $13-$15 an hour.

She is unstable and not competent or responsive.

I have no formal training, but will probably be fine. I said maybe. Politics may be tricky. I want to know if I have to have my butt in a chair at 9 AM on Monday. If so, meh. If I can work from anywhere, we're in business. This is some of the best paid work on site and the available hours would cover my rent consistently, which cooking/cleaning for events and dances does not.

I could save more money from my pension. Ideal.