Returning to Zone 0 aka Ground Zero

After expanding the farm for the last five years, I am finally satisfied that Zones 2 and 3 are producing well enough to feed us through the winter!  This summer I turning my gaze again to Zone 0.

The first step was to install a new zip-line to get materials to Zone 0 from our Zone 4 drop-off point.  The limitations of our summer-only dirt road dictate that heavy construction be done in the dry summer months only.  I asked my good friend Augusto to build me a new and improved post with a return wheel to bring the empty wheel and hook back after sending down a batch of building materials.  He used a recycled trike wheel as the base of his design that includes a brake to control the speed of the descent down the mountain.  Odin and Mitra love to help operate the brake!

The first job is to build my boys their own private bedroom.  The original stone house had two dividing walls inside to create two bedrooms and a kitchen.  Those walls were built of wood and decomposed into the forest many years ago.  I prefer concrete construction for a host of reasons.  Before building the concrete block wall, I built an iron reinforced concrete base to be sure that the wall does not settle and crack in the future.  Above, the form wood has been removed and the base is ready to built on.

Next, the blocks are built up layer by layer to create the partition wall with a door and window.  I am no mason, but I can keep the wall fairly straight and true.

After the first block work is done, I made a second iron-reinforced  concrete beam that tied into the exterior walls.  Breaking out the original stones was tedious, but by allowing the iron to enter into the huge stone walls creates a very stable interior wall.  The beam will act as the lintels over the window and door also.

After the concrete is poured and the form wood is removed, the new beam can be seen clearly.

The second Zone 0 upgrade is the installing of a bathtub.  At the moment we have a great outdoor shower, but it can be a bit drafty in the winter months. 

The first step was to build a reinforced concrete slab to take the full weight of a water filled bathtub and its occupant(s).

 I made a wooden form to allow for the drainage system to be mounted below the tub and then filled in the remaining space with concrete.

After the slab set, I built a concrete block wall to house the tub and help support the weight along the rim.

The next step is to tile the bathtub and the bathroom floor.