Getting Ready For Rain...Disaster Planning!!

With rain in the forecast for this weekend--this time we want to be prepared for it. The last rainstorm (freakish really) got 190 strawbales wet and mostly unusable. What we are worried about is the uphill side of the addition. We do not want rain runoff into the new addition.

We also want to get the usable bales that are drying under the roof. Moreover, we want to dig a drainage system (temporary for now) to channel any large amounts of water away from the floor of the Post and Beam addition.

So this is the area I am working on today and tomorrow.


The vulnerable trench below. I will dig the drain even with the roof line, and have the water channel away down the hill on both sides.

Along the Post line below, we will build a Stem Wall. This will be the next project, to protect the inside of what will be our bedrooms someday. We don't want a landslide into our newly finished Post and Beam!



So if you are wondering what is next? Three things: 1. Create a drainage system by digging and setting up a strawbale perimeter on the uphill side of the Post and Beam addition. 2. Do the Stem Wall on the vulnerable side pictured above. 3. Start the Cob on the Family Room (where we have just finished 24 feet of Stem Wall).

So it looks like the new roof will finally get it's first test of rain this weekend. How will it turn out? We have sealant on hand for the roof just in case. Of course, I'll be gone and working. It's up to Joni to protect the addition...