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Building

We live in a 500 square foot trailer and have no current goals of the large, elegant homes that set so many homesteaders back a decade or more on their plan of being independent on the land. When we build chicken coops or porches or small outbuildings, we use as many found materials as possible and keep it cheap. These posts are far from a primer on traditional building techniques, but they might help similar frugal homesteaders get by on less.

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StarPlate half wall
Posted Wed Jun 19 15:18:55 2013 by mark
StarPlate inner wall boards
Posted Tue Jun 18 16:10:31 2013 by mark
Hitch coupler top and side mounts
Posted Tue Jun 18 10:50:58 2013 by mark
Attachment details
Posted Tue Jun 18 10:04:06 2013 by mark
Blue bucket hauler
Posted Mon Jun 17 15:01:18 2013 by mark
ATV lawn trailer hitch coupler installation
Posted Sun Jun 16 15:52:15 2013 by mark
Lawn trailer 5 gallon bucket hauler
Posted Sat Jun 15 16:18:36 2013 by mark
StarPlate update
Posted Fri Jun 14 16:26:35 2013 by mark
StarPlate chicken coop vent holes
Posted Thu Jun 13 16:28:13 2013 by mark
Plywood rope harness
Posted Wed Jun 12 16:08:23 2013 by mark
Plywood lawn trailer
Posted Tue Jun 11 16:11:57 2013 by mark
Never dump
Posted Sat Jun 8 14:36:50 2013 by mark
StarPlate drill press notes
Posted Sun Jun 2 16:20:09 2013 by mark
StarPlate wall pieces
Posted Sat Jun 1 13:54:13 2013 by mark
More StarPlate walls
Posted Thu May 30 15:58:26 2013 by mark
Starplate walls
Posted Wed May 29 16:20:47 2013 by mark
StarPlate chicken coop
Posted Fri May 24 16:31:02 2013 by mark
StarPlate construction day 1
Posted Thu May 23 16:06:53 2013 by mark
Chicken pasture gate repair
Posted Mon May 20 15:58:13 2013 by mark
Carpenter bee damage
Posted Sat May 18 14:36:31 2013 by mark
Increasing hauling volume
Posted Thu May 16 16:17:50 2013 by mark
Do it yourself swarm trap
Posted Mon May 13 16:10:39 2013 by mark
Worm bin design improvements
Posted Thu May 9 14:53:00 2013 by mark
Tips for enjoying life in a tiny house
Posted Mon May 6 07:28:26 2013 by Anna
Low-cost greenhouse add-on
Posted Tue Apr 30 07:56:57 2013 by Anna
DIY dog door update
Posted Wed Apr 17 15:04:54 2013 by mark
DIY dog door hinge
Posted Wed Apr 10 14:17:16 2013 by mark
DIY plastic lattice dog door
Posted Tue Apr 9 16:26:34 2013 by mark
Chickens in the garden update
Posted Mon Apr 8 16:21:08 2013 by mark
Chickens in the garden!
Posted Fri Apr 5 16:04:13 2013 by mark
Gate with dog door part 2
Posted Thu Apr 4 16:42:09 2013 by mark
Why we might want a greenhouse after all
Posted Thu Apr 4 12:02:10 2013 by Anna
Choices in greenhouse glazing
Posted Wed Apr 3 12:02:34 2013 by Anna
Do it yourself gate with dog door
Posted Tue Apr 2 15:57:23 2013 by mark
Designing an underground greenhouse
Posted Tue Apr 2 12:01:36 2013 by Anna
New and improved DIY dog door
Posted Mon Apr 1 16:17:07 2013 by mark
The Earth-Sheltered Solar Greenhouse Book
Posted Mon Apr 1 12:02:02 2013 by Anna
Waterproofing the underground house
Posted Fri Mar 29 12:00:44 2013 by Anna
PSP construction
Posted Thu Mar 28 12:02:10 2013 by Anna
Underground house orientation
Posted Wed Mar 27 12:01:28 2013 by Anna
Building underground on the cheap
Posted Tue Mar 26 12:00:49 2013 by Anna
The $50 and Up Underground House Book
Posted Mon Mar 25 12:01:57 2013 by Anna
Spring cleaning 2013
Posted Sat Mar 23 15:15:30 2013 by mark
Underground animal shelter
Posted Sat Mar 23 07:46:02 2013 by Anna
Chicken pasture gate latch
Posted Thu Mar 7 15:48:36 2013 by mark
Chicken pasture gate installation
Posted Thu Feb 28 15:50:31 2013 by mark
Chicken pasture gate size
Posted Wed Feb 27 16:07:14 2013 by mark
Windfall
Posted Mon Feb 25 07:58:57 2013 by Anna
PVC pipe angle
Posted Sun Feb 24 14:47:10 2013 by mark
Building with cedar branches
Posted Sat Feb 23 16:17:44 2013 by mark
Chicken pasture cedar gate frame
Posted Thu Feb 14 16:19:14 2013 by mark
Swamp bridge anchoring details
Posted Wed Feb 13 16:21:34 2013 by mark
Holding up a broken fence post
Posted Tue Feb 12 15:39:30 2013 by mark
Walnut tree fence post
Posted Mon Feb 11 15:49:11 2013 by mark
Vertical hip wader storage
Posted Sun Feb 10 15:51:49 2013 by mark
Swamp bridge anchoring
Posted Sat Feb 9 16:06:24 2013 by mark
Swamp bridge repair
Posted Fri Feb 8 16:08:45 2013 by mark
Do it yourself workbench bracing
Posted Thu Feb 7 15:24:15 2013 by mark
Do it yourself workbench
Posted Tue Feb 5 16:31:53 2013 by mark
Taco roofing
Posted Mon Feb 4 16:15:56 2013 by mark
Roof testing
Posted Wed Jan 30 15:35:40 2013 by mark
Covering up the skylight
Posted Tue Jan 29 18:32:55 2013 by Anna
Red roofing tin
Posted Tue Jan 29 15:38:18 2013 by mark
Cold feet
Posted Mon Jan 28 15:40:23 2013 by mark
Chicken coop upgrade
Posted Tue Jan 15 14:59:28 2013 by mark
Yurt circle
Posted Mon Jan 14 08:16:39 2013 by Anna
PVC load limit
Posted Fri Jan 11 16:27:32 2013 by mark
Old Appalachian barns
Posted Mon Jan 7 07:43:34 2013 by Anna
Future chicken coop design?
Posted Wed Jan 2 15:46:00 2013 by mark
An incognito trailer
Posted Fri Dec 28 12:01:29 2012 by Anna
Combining two trailers into one home
Posted Thu Dec 27 15:36:43 2012 by Anna
A stepping stone trailer
Posted Wed Dec 26 12:23:53 2012 by Anna
Living an uncommodified life
Posted Tue Dec 25 12:01:34 2012 by Anna
Calling all root storage techniques!
Posted Tue Dec 25 07:55:43 2012 by Anna
Trailersteading
Posted Mon Dec 24 12:01:43 2012 by Anna
Jump and Flap
Posted Sat Dec 22 14:45:52 2012 by mark
Snow no longer melts off the roof
Posted Sat Dec 22 08:03:32 2012 by Anna
Hillside terrace support structure
Posted Tue Dec 18 15:47:42 2012 by mark
Decline and fall of the yurt
Posted Mon Dec 17 07:32:59 2012 by Anna
Pecking order observations
Posted Fri Dec 14 16:38:02 2012 by mark
Aggressive foraging
Posted Wed Dec 12 15:15:20 2012 by mark
High density orchard support
Posted Fri Dec 7 16:23:20 2012 by mark
Chicken coop hindsight
Posted Wed Dec 5 15:09:15 2012 by mark
Double duty firewood porch
Posted Tue Dec 4 15:39:49 2012 by mark
Cinder block stepping stone winter update
Posted Sat Dec 1 17:15:13 2012 by mark
The Not So Big House
Posted Wed Nov 28 07:37:24 2012 by Anna
The Tiny Book of Tiny Houses
Posted Sun Nov 25 08:36:16 2012 by Anna
Refrigerator root cellar power cord installation
Posted Sat Nov 24 15:01:09 2012 by mark
Community spaces
Posted Fri Nov 23 07:55:14 2012 by Anna
Composting toilet tin roof
Posted Tue Nov 20 17:00:54 2012 by mark
Quick hoop rebar stakes
Posted Sat Nov 17 13:11:51 2012 by mark
High density apple training
Posted Fri Nov 16 16:01:43 2012 by mark
Refrigerator root cellar anchors part 2
Posted Sat Nov 10 14:51:33 2012 by mark
Cinder block creek crossing update
Posted Sun Oct 14 13:40:49 2012 by mark
Cinder block update
Posted Sat Oct 13 13:49:53 2012 by mark
Moving the freezer
Posted Fri Sep 28 07:48:31 2012 by Anna
Golf cart hauling capacity vs ATV
Posted Mon Sep 24 14:39:11 2012 by mark
Metal roof acoustics
Posted Tue Sep 18 15:17:02 2012 by mark
Stormy weather
Posted Mon Sep 17 15:26:14 2012 by mark
Mobile home roof completion
Posted Fri Sep 14 15:55:00 2012 by mark
Mobile home roof extension
Posted Wed Sep 12 16:00:40 2012 by mark
Sliding
Posted Tue Sep 11 15:48:25 2012 by mark
Mobile home roof update
Posted Mon Sep 10 15:17:08 2012 by mark
Lightstone
Posted Thu Sep 6 16:49:10 2012 by mark
Horse manure rich
Posted Wed Sep 5 15:43:59 2012 by mark
Building a new roof for a mobile home
Posted Mon Sep 3 15:32:08 2012 by mark
Raindrop sacrifice
Posted Wed Aug 29 16:30:12 2012 by mark
Chicken coop cure
Posted Tue Aug 21 16:31:40 2012 by mark
Low budget organization
Posted Tue Aug 7 15:55:22 2012 by mark
Deleting a barn door
Posted Mon Jul 16 15:57:00 2012 by mark
The cost of self-reliance
Posted Thu Jul 12 06:56:59 2012 by Anna
Oh deer
Posted Mon Jul 9 15:54:18 2012 by mark
More porch-building tips
Posted Mon Jul 9 07:29:42 2012 by Anna
Barn organization halfway point
Posted Sun Jul 8 07:31:34 2012 by Anna
DIY golf cart pick up bed field notes
Posted Sat Jul 7 13:58:44 2012 by mark
Hot tin roof
Posted Fri Jul 6 17:10:35 2012 by mark
Woodshed innovations
Posted Fri Jul 6 07:00:56 2012 by Anna
East porch update
Posted Thu Jul 5 15:20:56 2012 by mark
How to add a pickup bed to a golf cart
Posted Thu Jul 5 07:16:17 2012 by Anna
Woodshed expansion update
Posted Sun Jul 1 16:38:50 2012 by mark
Golf cart modifications
Posted Fri Jun 29 15:47:34 2012 by mark
Golf cart front storage box
Posted Wed Jun 27 15:30:41 2012 by mark
Barn shelf
Posted Tue Jun 26 16:44:57 2012 by mark
Woodshed expansion
Posted Sat Jun 23 15:31:23 2012 by mark
DIY worm bin 3.0
Posted Mon Jun 18 16:11:41 2012 by mark
Side mounted golf cart hauling
Posted Sat Jun 9 15:31:56 2012 by mark
The Cadillac of worm bins
Posted Thu Jun 7 15:46:08 2012 by mark
Open Sesame
Posted Wed Jun 6 16:16:54 2012 by mark
Dancing pool table?
Posted Fri Jun 1 14:14:47 2012 by mark
Barn floor progress
Posted Sat May 26 16:57:13 2012 by mark
Particle board ATV
Posted Fri May 25 15:05:58 2012 by mark
Barn floor
Posted Wed May 23 15:47:50 2012 by mark
Solar panel tower update
Posted Sun May 20 14:14:50 2012 by mark
12 and 13 Amp circular saw comparison
Posted Sat May 19 15:40:30 2012 by mark
Swamp bridge
Posted Fri May 18 16:49:33 2012 by mark
DIY garlic curing rack
Posted Tue May 15 16:02:53 2012 by mark
Barn damage due to poison ivy vines?
Posted Thu May 10 16:16:22 2012 by mark
Barn structure repair
Posted Wed May 9 15:22:32 2012 by mark
Chicken pasture perimeter
Posted Mon May 7 16:01:06 2012 by mark
Green house extras
Posted Sat May 5 16:05:56 2012 by mark
Warre hive vertical top bar pin
Posted Thu May 3 15:53:59 2012 by mark
Porch building tips
Posted Thu May 3 07:10:23 2012 by Anna
Lumber balance
Posted Wed May 2 16:01:44 2012 by mark
Trailer porch project
Posted Tue May 1 17:32:48 2012 by mark
DIY chicken feed trough
Posted Mon Apr 30 16:47:42 2012 by mark
Warre hive quilt box construction
Posted Thu Apr 26 15:59:11 2012 by mark
Top bar hive entrance hole cover
Posted Tue Apr 24 16:10:51 2012 by mark
Top bar hive modification
Posted Mon Apr 23 17:13:45 2012 by mark
Storage shed solution
Posted Tue Apr 10 18:57:14 2012 by mark
Barn roof repair update
Posted Sat Apr 7 15:54:57 2012 by mark
Creepy nylon
Posted Mon Apr 2 16:18:58 2012 by mark
Turnbuckle tension
Posted Sun Apr 1 16:05:54 2012 by mark
Garden temptations
Posted Sat Mar 31 16:03:21 2012 by mark
Encouraging broody behavior in a hen?
Posted Wed Mar 21 15:42:05 2012 by mark
DIY electric fence wire holder
Posted Thu Mar 15 15:55:31 2012 by mark
Chick ramp
Posted Wed Mar 7 16:10:49 2012 by mark
Chick coop improvements
Posted Tue Mar 6 16:27:04 2012 by mark
Foam panels
Posted Mon Mar 5 16:37:24 2012 by mark
Adventures in barn roof repair
Posted Sun Mar 4 17:11:52 2012 by mark
Flooded (t)in
Posted Sun Mar 4 08:04:01 2012 by Anna
Convertible chick coop
Posted Sat Mar 3 14:45:38 2012 by mark
DIY chicken barrier/dog door
Posted Thu Mar 1 16:32:55 2012 by mark
Building an observation brood coop for chicks
Posted Thu Feb 23 16:06:15 2012 by mark
Chicken tractor longevity report
Posted Wed Feb 22 16:12:35 2012 by mark
Barn roof repair, day 1
Posted Mon Feb 20 07:19:20 2012 by Anna
Mini cooper for chickens
Posted Sun Feb 19 15:38:07 2012 by mark
Two person rope harness
Posted Sat Feb 18 17:33:05 2012 by mark
DIY honey strainer holes
Posted Thu Feb 9 16:39:41 2012 by mark
Building a 5 gallon bucket honey strainer
Posted Wed Feb 8 15:12:44 2012 by mark
Cardboard chicken coop update
Posted Mon Feb 6 16:12:13 2012 by mark
Barn roof material pick up
Posted Thu Feb 2 16:14:28 2012 by mark
Alaskan small log mill field notes
Posted Sun Jan 29 15:53:29 2012 by mark
Hauling plywood
Posted Fri Dec 16 15:31:12 2011 by mark
Barn roof repair details
Posted Tue Dec 13 17:02:50 2011 by mark
Insulated waterline box construction
Posted Thu Dec 1 16:28:22 2011 by mark
Funny looking snake
Posted Tue Nov 29 15:28:21 2011 by mark
DIY heated chicken waterer installation note
Posted Mon Nov 28 17:02:06 2011 by mark
High temperature caulk comparison update
Posted Sun Nov 27 14:14:05 2011 by mark
Puttering around with plumbing
Posted Tue Nov 22 16:44:45 2011 by mark
Water tank anti-freeze box update
Posted Sun Nov 13 16:06:02 2011 by mark
Concrete conspiracy?
Posted Sun Oct 30 15:56:48 2011 by mark
Cinder block purchasing notes part 2
Posted Sat Oct 29 16:23:51 2011 by mark
Do it yourself driveway repair
Posted Tue Oct 25 16:39:56 2011 by mark
More cinder block stepping stone field notes
Posted Fri Oct 21 17:12:04 2011 by mark
How to make solid stepping stones in water
Posted Wed Oct 19 16:44:39 2011 by mark
DIY solar powered automatic chicken coop door opener
Posted Sat Sep 24 15:45:13 2011 by mark
Pallet porch project=low budget comfort
Posted Thu Sep 22 15:56:56 2011 by mark
Stanley Super Wonder Bar field evaluation
Posted Mon Sep 19 15:50:03 2011 by mark
Worst chicken tractor ever!
Posted Thu Sep 15 15:40:55 2011 by mark
When do baby chicks start roosting?
Posted Tue Sep 13 17:04:29 2011 by mark
How much light do chickens need?
Posted Thu Sep 8 17:07:40 2011 by mark
Barn roof
Posted Tue Sep 6 07:33:21 2011 by Anna
Junior high for small chicks
Posted Sat Sep 3 15:26:08 2011 by mark
Saturday morning deer attack!
Posted Sat Aug 27 14:55:24 2011 by mark
Making a gate frame with treated 2x4's
Posted Wed Aug 24 15:43:08 2011 by mark
Creating a deer path obstacle
Posted Sat Aug 20 15:45:18 2011 by mark
A very good day
Posted Thu Aug 18 16:13:46 2011 by mark
Chicken independence
Posted Mon Aug 15 15:29:15 2011 by mark
Interior view of automatic chicken coop door
Posted Thu Jul 7 15:59:10 2011 by mark
Automatic chicken coop door installation notes
Posted Wed Jul 6 15:56:44 2011 by mark
Unwrapping a roll of chicken wire
Posted Wed Jun 22 15:29:51 2011 by mark
Updated automatic waterer holder
Posted Thu Jun 2 16:27:07 2011 by mark
Water tank pipe freeze prevention update
Posted Sun May 22 16:53:54 2011 by mark
Poultry ramp 30 day evaluation
Posted Wed May 18 16:48:58 2011 by mark
How to be cool
Posted Thu May 12 16:40:21 2011 by mark
Walnut fence post 5 year field report
Posted Thu May 5 16:54:35 2011 by mark
Best do it yourself self closing compost container compared to a pickle bucket
Posted Fri Apr 29 16:37:58 2011 by mark
Chicken tractor longevity
Posted Thu Apr 28 16:37:24 2011 by mark
Chicken ramp speed bump
Posted Tue Apr 19 16:41:07 2011 by mark
Screen door chicken gate
Posted Mon Apr 18 16:54:16 2011 by mark
Chicken pasture gate construction
Posted Thu Apr 14 16:36:02 2011 by mark
Do it yourself worm bin construction note
Posted Fri Apr 8 16:53:19 2011 by mark
Do it yourself five gallon solar shower
Posted Wed Apr 6 16:37:29 2011 by mark
Post attachment
Posted Sun Apr 3 17:16:30 2011 by mark
Chicken wire attachment
Posted Thu Mar 31 16:22:35 2011 by mark
Home improvement
Posted Tue Mar 29 17:03:49 2011 by mark
Stump gate
Posted Sat Mar 26 16:35:52 2011 by mark
Chicken pasture fence building
Posted Fri Mar 25 16:49:30 2011 by mark
Low budget garden gate promotion
Posted Thu Mar 17 16:24:02 2011 by mark
Pallet slat pilot hole
Posted Wed Mar 16 16:22:33 2011 by mark
More used pallet chicken coop construction
Posted Fri Mar 11 16:47:46 2011 by mark
Geodesic fruit tree hoop house?
Posted Wed Mar 9 16:36:25 2011 by mark
Used pallet chicken coop roofing
Posted Tue Mar 8 16:36:58 2011 by mark
Coop roost
Posted Fri Mar 4 17:00:50 2011 by mark
Used pallet chicken coop construction
Posted Thu Mar 3 16:43:51 2011 by mark
Coop comfort
Posted Sat Feb 26 15:49:32 2011 by mark
Used pallet chicken coop
Posted Tue Feb 22 16:03:50 2011 by mark
Do it yourself outdoor worm bin
Posted Fri Feb 18 17:26:51 2011 by mark
Chicken pasture coop 2.0
Posted Wed Feb 9 18:58:22 2011 by mark
Fire barrier caulk conclusion
Posted Mon Jan 31 17:11:12 2011 by mark
Backwards installation quirk
Posted Sat Jan 29 17:08:30 2011 by mark
Fire barrier caulk comparison
Posted Fri Jan 28 16:41:57 2011 by mark
Stove pipe secrets
Posted Thu Jan 27 15:48:16 2011 by mark
Concrete board+12 tiles=a nice hearth
Posted Wed Jan 26 16:30:23 2011 by mark
Jotul 2.0
Posted Tue Jan 25 16:43:51 2011 by mark
Mexican thatching, barns, water systems, and more
Posted Wed Jan 12 08:01:34 2011 by Anna
Sunny microclimates
Posted Tue Jan 4 08:27:50 2011 by Anna
Adding better roost options
Posted Wed Dec 1 16:49:46 2010 by mark
Nest box failure
Posted Tue Nov 30 16:40:45 2010 by mark
House of Huckleberry
Posted Mon Nov 29 16:39:15 2010 by mark
Jotul F 602 installation notes
Posted Sat Nov 27 17:18:05 2010 by mark
Mobile home woodstove completion
Posted Fri Nov 26 19:25:55 2010 by mark
Mobile home woodstove hearth details
Posted Tue Nov 23 16:10:28 2010 by mark
Mobile home woodstove project update
Posted Mon Nov 22 16:21:48 2010 by mark
High temperature caulk application
Posted Fri Nov 19 16:21:53 2010 by mark
Alcove insulation
Posted Fri Nov 19 07:23:13 2010 by Anna
Plumb purty
Posted Thu Nov 18 06:00:44 2010 by Anna
Mobile home woodstove project
Posted Wed Nov 17 16:45:02 2010 by mark
Tamping
Posted Tue Nov 16 15:36:45 2010 by mark
Lego cinder blocks
Posted Mon Nov 15 16:25:19 2010 by mark
Happy Veteran
Posted Fri Nov 12 20:35:26 2010 by mark
Railroad tie structure notes
Posted Thu Nov 11 16:40:22 2010 by mark
Woodstove preparations
Posted Wed Nov 10 16:26:55 2010 by mark


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