Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
And he'd pushed over all five beech trees. We did not
build on that denuded site. The scar on that hillside
can still be seen today.
In order to maintain a near level, follow contours
of hillsides for your road; ditch and use culverts at low
places. A good road should be functional and still have
that series of unusual surprises, as natural as possible.
A four-wheel-drive vehicle is almost necessary if you
don't or can't level much, but they're expensive.
A pickup truck with snow tires and some weight in
the back will usually get you in and out, and they're so
handy. I once owned a very narrow, very old Jeep
pickup with a minuscule engine that wound in and out
of our trees with some agility and all sorts of cargo, as
long as we didn't hurry. And not hurrying is something
you must learn in this business of homesteading.
Site problems, from a money standpoint, blow up
your budget. Consider stone ledges, marshy land, and
steep slopes, which are all hazards. Every obstacle,
however scenic, increases your cost in money or time,
taking away from what you have to spend on the whole
project. I do not agree with the modern builders who
level everything first, or build in a flat field, but they
do save money that way.
Site selection is not usually so complicated, but it
gets more limiting if you must be near fields for farm-
ing, or near available electricity, water, a road, or a job.
But in general, it must be a place you want to be, to look
out over and to come home to. It should be a place you
can disfigure as little as possible, leaving it as close to
how it was before you came. And you must still love it.
Now, plan to spend a lot of time at your chosen site
or sites before you build. Camp there. Wake up early
enough to watch the mists lift from the hollows. See
where the sun will rise and set. Can you stand that
wind in winter? Will August bake you here? Get to
know the moods of the place.
And finally, when you can feel that this spot is home,
start visualizing your house on that site. And keep in
mind that it can be only what the site will allow. A
good site welcomes a house. A log house fits as if it
grew here, of the materials that are naturally here. An
artist friend of ours said that our log house reminded
her of a mushroom. That's close, because a mushroom
is never out of place in the woods. Nor is a stone or a
tree. Work toward that, and see how close you can get.
Don't over-clear your site. Open it up first a little at a time to see how
far you want to go. Bulldoze only where it's necessary.
Land and Site
Checklist
Consider buying the largest piece
of land you can afford.
Buy land that you can't stand to
let get away.
Define your specific wants and
needs and choose your property
accordingly.
Determine how you will finance
and purchase the land.
Camp on the piece of land you're
interested in, or at least spend
time there at different hours of
the day.
Choose a site that is not too
steep.
Run the driveway in first.
Follow the contours of the hillside
for your road.
