Iron Age

[sodajoe]

Have a look at this folks. Who would like to take up residence there for a week?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4921824.stm

 

[jdlenton]

me me me I've always wanted to spend some time living in a round house i think it would be amazing.

this is the experience they are offering

 

[Toddy]

There's something wrong there with their ventilation. Neither crannog, tepee or yurt suffer from problems with smoke, why on earth does their roundhouse?
Cheers,
Toddy

 

[gregorach]

Could well be that what we consider a perfectly acceptable (even pleasant) amount of smoke is intolerable to the writer of the article. I've been in a few tepees, and while smoke has never been a problem, you can tell that it's there. Or it could be that they've got their ventilation wrong, as you suggest...

If only vehicle fumes were noticed as much...

 

[Toddy]

The smoke fills the cone of the roof and spills down the outside walls and out from under the eaves, some does make its way through the thatch but not much. Smokey, and that's very much fuel dependant, from above head height. Tepees have an inner wall 'skirt' that's crucial to their ventilation. I can't imagine what thye've done that's so bad that they had to put the fire out

Maybe it is just that we can accept firesmoke, but it seems it was so bad that they're talking health issues I know what you mean about the exhaust fumes....got stuck on the M8, didn't get above 2nd gear for over 6 miles coming home this afternoon. Real sinus clogging headachy stuff

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[Wayland]

Given the fact that they are using machine wrapped straw bales for bedding and modern hickory handled axes I can't help but wonder what modern solution they have made for the roofing material.

Some things are definitely best done the old ways.

 

[Toddy]

Given the fact that they are using machine wrapped straw bales for bedding and modern hickory handled axes I can't help but wonder what modern solution they have made for the roofing material.

Some things are definitely best done the old ways.

Hear! Hear!

Toddy

 

[pierre girard]

There's something wrong there with their ventilation. Neither crannog, tepee or yurt suffer from problems with smoke, why on earth does their roundhouse?
Cheers,
Toddy

Well, it can be a big problem, if the draft is not properly delt with. We usually dig in two tunnels to the bottom of the fire pit, keeping an eye to the prevailing winds. Otherwise - smoke in the eyes.

I really wouldn't think carbon monoxide would be an issue.

PG

 

[Ogri the trog]

The smoke fills the cone of the roof and spills down the outside walls and out from under the eaves, some does make its way through the thatch but not much. Smokey, and that's very much fuel dependant, from above head height. .....
Cheers,
Toddy

From what I heard, the smoke above the fire keeps the bugs out of the thatch, dries the thatch after rain, and the localised lack of oxygen above head height reduces the risk of fire!
There are plans to build a round house at the Co-operative that we joined a few years ago, but it won't be in the near future - but I hope it will be worth waiting for

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[Eric_Methven]

I wonder if they used a waterproof membrane on the roof. That would keep the smoke in.

Eric

 

[AlbeoLupus]

I wonder if they used a waterproof membrane on the roof. That would keep the smoke in.

Eric

There is no membrane under the thatch, we were there as they were putting the place together.

there has also been a lot of trouble about the authenticity of the whole venture.

They have also had money troubles - one of the directors ran off with it

andy