Building Permits – do you need one?

Building Permits

Building? Renovating? Do you need a permit? How do you find out? Where do you go? What does it cost?

Here are a few of the facts for the state of North Carolina at this time. Updates happen in every industry. Do what you can to keep current and be sure to check with your state if you live outside NC.

The basics: if you intend to do over $30,000 in repairs, anyone can go to the city and get a “privilege license”. You are then a licensed contractor. Beware of people who show up to work on your home claiming to be licensed. All you need to do is go to the city and request a privilege license. Make sure your contractors are for real.

If you plan to do less than $5000 in repairs and it is not structural, you do not need a license. However, you may want to find out what is meant by “structural”. If,for example, you need to repair a single pillar under the house, that is structural. If you’re having a roof replaced and the boards also need replacing, that is structural. If the repair is structural, no matter the cost, you must have a permit.

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Build a House for $8.33 per square foot

Cobb House

“You can build your own cob house with little money, but with lots of time and enthusiasm,” according to Kent at Tiny House Blog.   This is Ziggy’s cob (a mixture of straw, clay, and sand similar to adobe) with a footprint of 360 square feet built for under three thousand bucks. (Yes, that is $ 8.33 per square foot.)

Here’s what you need:

* sand (just over 30 tons total) – $507
* gravel (about 13 tons total) – $177
* straw (16 bales) – $36 (most straw I used was free)
* black walnut scrap lumber – $100
* misc. lumber – $20
* windows – $220 (two casement, one double hung window)
* electrical – $28
* galvanized wire – $30
* nails – $100 (I couldn’t believe how expensive nails are)
* raw linseed oil (for floor) – $72
* EPDM pond liner $622
* polycarbonate for skylight $400

Oh, yeah, and 9 months of full-time labor!

Cob interior

Read more about it at The Year of Mud:  Building a Cobb House.

Green Walls by Nature!

Green Walls

Green roofs have beautifully proven themselves to be a resource against global warming. There is one problem with the green roof in all its beauty and function… very few people can see it!

Green walls, however, allow us to raise living plants in a whole new way while providing some physical advantages. For one thing, what a wonderful position as a gardener to work standing up!

For the most part, the needs of the plants will be the same as if they were planted in any horizontal plane. More good news, weed seeds have a harder time rooting on a vertical plane.

Check out these green walls! Once again, they challenge us to think outside our own box. I love that!

Starbucks makes a lot of efforts to be “Green”. They are considered one of the most socially and environmentally responsible companies in the world. Now, at many stores, they’re sprucing up their drive-throughs with green features.

Green Walls - Starbucks

Green walls can be used indoors.
Indoor Landscaping

Green walls are found most often in urban environments where the plants reduce overall building temperatures which helps reduce energy consumption. Living walls are especially suitable for crowded cities as they allow good use of available vertical surface areas.

Oulu

How about this amazing building by Korean architect Minsuk Cho! It is the Ann Demeulemeester Shop in the Gangham district of Seoul.

Shop in Seoul

I hope these photos have inspired you like they have me! Another wonderful way to grow gardens! I, for sure, am going to try one.

Imagine raising an edible crop wall. For starters, I think I’ll try growing wheat grass. My husband loves energy shots of wheat grass from Jamba Juice. Wheat grass shots are pretty expensive so now I can try to grow my own. I’ve heard they’re pretty easy; don’t know about on the wall!

Greenwalls - wheatgrass

Whatever you try, good luck and let me know how it turns out!

Green Roofing Systems

Green Roof by Convert

Have you heard about Green Roofs? Check out the wonderful site for Convert.

“Convert is dedicated to implementing green roofs as sustainable strategies for storm water BMPs, energy efficiency, and urban heat island mitigation.”

What a wonderful way to go green!

What defines “Building Green”?

Building Green

I own a beautiful lot in the mountains of North Carolina, the Appalachian Mountains. If you want to sit and appreciate one spectacular wonder of Earth, visit the Appalachian Mountains.

My goal for 2010 is to build a home there and I plan to Build Green. In beginning my research, I’ve found that there’s no end to the research! So, I’ve started by asking what exactly is “Green”? What makes a product Green? How do you evaluate product Greenness? Can you make a product Greener? And, how do I find Green products?

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