DIY and permits

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DonL

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Hello All,

Speaking of roads. I live in a rural area, out of city limits.
A few years back they repaved a county road with blacktop, It was very nice and smooth, A job well done.

When one of the local politicians found out about it, She wanted her road paved also.
There was no money in the budget to do her road that year, She would have to wait.

She could not wait, So they came back Two weeks later and removed the blacktop from the nicely paved road, And put it in front of her house on her road.

Guess who got in trouble ? The road crew that did the work, Only doing what they were ordered to do.

The road that was perfectly fine after being paved, is now a safety hazard. But her road was new.

Now you talk about Taxes being wasted, That was one of the dumbest things I have seen.

And people wonder why we don't trust where our tax dollars go ?.

I go by what I see, not what they tell me. They say what you want to here so they get your vote.
Then when they get in office, it is a totally different story.

In Houston, the new Mayor said I will not raise your taxes, If you vote for me.
Then after she won , she just starting calling all her new taxes "Fees". B.S.

I was born at night, but not last night.

Have a great day.

DonL
 
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Ballvalve

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As to the dirt road it is a simple matter of having the road paved. Of course this would mean a higher tax if this is what you want. If you don’t want the higher taxes then the dirt road is what you will have, can’t have it both ways.

The point is that it was a good gravel road UNTIL the county maintained it. Lack of skill and enthusiasm turned it into a river bed at our expense. When you grade roads with subsurface rocks, you need a rake, or a few rockpickers following. Probably it was quitting time, and the guy on the grader was low on skill.

As to the firefighters, they didnt pick a few defensible places to save, they just left the area. Many houses were destined to burn, as the owners made no effort for brush clearance, and built with dry old wood siding. And large eave vents that let embers into the attic.

I built a house of cement and stucco, no eaves and no eave vents. 1" sprinkler on the roof. Generator. All for about the cost of a 50" TV and entertainment center with accessories. But some houses were saved by bizarre miracle that had fire burning right up to the cedar siding, and other by a guy with a little hose just putting out spot fires. Australia has a program to tell people to stay, as most fires are caused just by embers dropping about the yard and roof.

Building codes now require sprinklers inside, tempered glass everywhere, and self closing vents with 1 hour siding. But the roof sprinkler was left out, the key item.

As to volcanoes, there is just one policy, public and private: Run.
 
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DonL

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Hello All,

When someone tells me to leave my home, For a hurricane or whatever, I would not.

They would have a problem removing me from my Homestead.

My life may be at risk, But I want it at my risk, Not someone that tells me what is good for me.

You can protect yourself and your loved ones.

Some people run from danger, I chose to face the dangers of life. That is a natural born instinct, In the real world.

If people live around volcanoes, they should know the risk. Just like living on a river. It is nice for awhile.
P.S. Same thing goes for living near a nuclear plant.

Enjoy Your Day, Take time too Play...


DonL
 
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DonL

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Hello all,

Ballvalve, You said "I built a house of cement and stucco"

Did You use Cement Blocks, or did you pour the cement walls ?

I was going to build a Hurricane shelter, Thought I would make it round, with 1 level underground and 1 above with a top deck.

I wanted it to be solar powered, maybe a small generator.

Did you design yours, or go by some sort of plans ?

Sounds like you have a pretty cool setup, sounds real nice.


Have a Great Day.

DonL
 

Ballvalve

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I am the designer and builder. At the time they made a 16x16" concrete block with two cores, one for steel and cement and another for vermiculite or foam. Dry stacked them for about 1.5 stories, with many 1" threaded rods to pretension it to the foundation. Other areas and stories of large timbers sawn on site and redwood framing. Sheathed with boat-ply [you will never touch the home-dopey stuff again after using real plywood], then 1" of fiber reinforced stucco.

Essentially flat roofs with a parapet wall - small eaves, but of poured concrete. Crushed slate on the roof, and all interior floors poured concrete for radiant and fire resistance between floors, as in a hotel. Be sure never to have any wood decks on a house - I poured cement over timbers, or used cantilevers.

This is a gold mill - water mill site from the 1850's, so it steps down a hill toward 2 streams. I have two wine-root cellars that I cut and cover into the mountainside, one over 70' deep, so such a back-up is essential in case things got dicey. A company now sells a sensor system that detects heat from an oncoming wildfire and turns on misters on eaves and roof. You dont need a lot of water, just a lot of humidity.

I would definitely have a hurricane shelter, but one would have to consider the likelyhood of being buried and then flooded in it.
 

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DonL

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Very Nice ballvalve,

It sounds like you did it right. Looks very nice.

That looks like Gods country. It must be very nice to live there.

All we have here is flatland. And Water Seeks it own level. I am about 30 feet above sea level.

Thank You for sharing. That is very cool.


DonL
 
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