DRYING CLOTHES

When it comes to drying clothes Mary prefers the clothesline. Even when we lived in the city she frequently used the clothesline over the dryer in the basement.

We do have a convential washing machine (front loading) which gets used 3-5 times a week depending on what we are doing and how much company we have.

Living off grid doesn't mean one has to forgo the conveniences technology offers.

Stay safe and warm and thanks for stopping by.

SCHOOL LONG AGO

Last week we headed north to Lake St. Peter.

Along the way we spotted this old school now a museum in Highland Grove. It was a one room school built by hand over 100 years ago. It would hold students in grades 1-8 and the older students would often be responsible for getting the wood stove started each morning. We've come a long way with education since then.

ARCHITECT DESIGN DRAWINGS

We are humbled by all the kind comments people from all over the world have submitted about our home and lifestyle off-grid here in Bancroft. If you would like more information about the house construction you can check out our blog entries from August and September 2011-2012

Also our architect Solares Archictecture have posted technical information on their web site. Click  HERE to read that information.

Thanks for visiting and safe travels everyone.

NOT MORE ANSWERS #4

It's interesting to read the comments from the video posted on "Exploring Alternatives" Most replies are very positive and thoughtful. Some have great suggestions and some give us more reason to do more research as technologies continue to improve systems especially batteries.

Someone who has a similar size solar system accuses us of lying as she places higher demands on her batteries throughout the day and night. We have no reason to lie. We are not trying to sell you anything simply want to share our experience living "off grid" If you find property that is not close to the grid system it doesn't mean you can't live comfortably on it. For us it was cheaper to go the "off grid" route than pay 45-$75,000 to bring hydro to our location. Do we have equipment we run from time to time to make life a little easier, yes. We need to plow the driveway and at my age a machine is the best and easiest solution. The generator runs on propane. Do we use it every day NO but when we need it I'm glad we have it. On average it runs less the 200 hours a year. So lets look at our in-floor system

1) In-Floor Heating - We installed in-floor heating as we want to stay here as long as possible and know that cutting wood will not always be possible as we age. We have 4 Grundfos pumps that draw 0.75 amps Do our pumps run 24/7 NO. We have three heating zones and the thermostats are set at 64-68*F. Our wood stove provides enough heat to look after the entire house as we like to keep the bedrooms a little cooler for sleeping. Our house is built like a Thermos bottle completely surrounded by insulation; R60 in the ceiling, R40 in the walls and R30 under the slab. Our widows are triple pane and most face south giving us a huge passive solar gain during the day. Our cement walls and floor act as a huge thermal sink and store that heat giving it back in the evening.

Today is to be cloudy and our batteries were at 70% at 6 a.m. We will probably run the generator for an hour to bring them up to 80% - 85%. While it is running Mary will make her coffee and toasted English muffin for breakfast and I will use the blender to make a smoothie. We will also do a laundry and vacuum the house. Doing all this while the generator is running reduces the demand on our batteries.

We are just ordinary folks living the retired life we want as simply and as comfortably as we can afford to make it. We have no reason to lie or change the reality of our experience over the past 8 years.

If you are thinking of doing something similar then go for it. Take it a step at a time and do lots of research. Visit people who are living the lifestyle you are striving for. Ask questions and look at your options. There are many ways to achieve your dreams; don't let the naysayers discourage you.

2) GTA stand for the Greater Toronto Area - We live about 3 hours east and north of Toronto where land is much cheaper and building off grid is doable.

3) OUR AGE -  73 and 65.

4) DISTANCE TO HOSPITAL - 15 KM

5) NAAN BREAD RECIPE - Click HERE to go to the site Mary gets the recipe from. The Naan bread is so delicious as well as the donuts.

ANSWERS #3

Thanks for every question you send. I will continue to reply here as I'm sure others may be looking for similar answers.

1) COSTS ONCE LIVING OFF GRID Our daily living expenses are very similar to what we were paying when we lived in the city. EG: Food, Fuel, Taxes, Phone, Internet, Clothing, etc are the same whether we buy them in Bancroft, Toronto or on the internet. Medicine the same.

2) POSITIVES: Slower pace of life. Quiet, Clean Air, No rush hour traffic, Know your neighbours, Fishing, Hiking, Canoeing, Snowshoeing, Fat Bike Rides all just steps from our back door. Friendly people who have the time to chat, Viewing wildlife out our windows, Enjoying the seasons as they come and go. Connected to the world through the internet, Order on Amazon and it's delivered to our door, Safe and crime free environment, Lots of social opportunities (dances, church suppers, Clubs, Farmers' markets, Craft shows, Studio Tours, etc.) Thriving art community. Live Theater, Friendly mechanic (you can stand and chat while he repairs your car) Four season playground, 40 minutes to Algonquin Park, Car insurance is much lower because of where we live. No water, electric, or sewage bills,  Grocery Store, Hardware Store, Doctor's Office, Drug Store, all just 10 minutes from home.

3) NEGATIVES: To see a medical specialist we usually have to travel 2-4 hours to their office. We do get compensation for the travel, meals, and accomodation. Some supplies we stock up on as they may not be readily available in town, eg 50 lb. bags of flour.  Distance from family. Clearing snow off the solar panels on a cold winter morning. I prefer the chair beside my woodstove. That's about it.

ANSWERS CONTINUED #2

Thanks for all the questions from the folks who have watched our video on "Exploring Alternatives"

1) COSTS Here is what it cost us to build back in 2010-2012 We took two years to build the house and spent our winters camping in Arizona. We are not rich but you could camp in Arizon for 5 months for $185 US$ back then. That gave us a camp spot in the dessert, drinking water, garbage collection and sewage dump. Now for some construction costs: All numbers Canadian dollars back in 2010-2012.

Driveway - $5,000, Well - $10,000, Solar - $32,000, Spetic System - $10,283, Windows (triple glaze) $34,000,  Building blocks - $30,000.00, Roof Trusses - $10,000, Plumbings Fixtures - $9,252, Interior Walls - $2,796.77, Light Fixtures - $935.49, Framing - $785.11, IKEA Cabinets - $10,587.66, Steel Roof - $11,918.95, Spray Foam Insulation - $8,903.79 DRywall - $4,326.89, Plumbing - $5,889.75, In-Floor Heating and HVAC system - $18,000 Wood Stove Installed and Chimney - $6,000, Electric Outlets, Switches, Panel Box - $5,686.80, Dig for footings - $6,837.90, Steel Siding/Construction Labour/Concrete/Gravel, Etc - $220,581.56, Architect Fees - $42,541.40  Land Purchase $69,000  TOTAL ≆ $530, 000 approximately

2) MEDICAL - As we age we seem to see our doctor more often. We wanted to settle in an area serviced by a hospital and Bancroft has a small 10 bed hospital and a variety of medical professionals. We were fortunate to get accepted by a young dynamic GP who takes the very best care of us. Our medical coverage is provided by the government and we seldom see a bill for medical expenses. Mary had spinal surgery a few years ago for a tumor, spent 4 days in hospital and then had to have radiation treatment a year later. We never saw a bill and the doctors and nurses were outstanding. She received the very best of care from everyone. When I fell off the roof and broke my ankle the ambulance was here within 20 minutes. I was taken to our local hospital for an x-ray then transferred and hour and a half by ambulance to the closest hospital where two pins were placed in the ankle and a cast applied. Once again, no cost to us.

3) SOLAR SYSTEM - 16 – 8L16 East Penn 6 volt/740/Amps

12 – Sharp 235 watt solar panels

Magnum MS 4448PAE 4400 watts inverter/charger

Outback fm60 60 amp MPPT Controller

Mid-Night E-Panel

ANSWERS FROM THE VIDEO

We have been amazed at the interest in our life here off grid near Bancroft, Ontario, Canada, since appearing on "Exploring Alternatives".  Mat and Dadielle produce an excellent  17 minute video of our lifestyle and why we chose to live off grid. Many of you have questions and so I decided to try and answer them here.

1) We are "OFF GRID" in the sense that we are not connected to the electrical power grid here in Ontario. We made this choice after receiving a quote of $45 - $75,000 to bring the power line to our property. We would then have to hire a private contractor to bring the line to the house in accordance to code; more $$$. WE decided to install a solar system which cost us $32,000 compltely installed and inspected. That decision saved us at least $15,000 I suspect a lot more.

2) WHY 2,5000 sq.ft. We want to live here until we die and felt that a one floor structure best suited that decision. WE have no basement, which would have been used to house the mechanical room, wood storage, cold storage for food, furnace, work shop, etc. Basement space isn't considered in the square footage of a house here in Ontario and that would have given us a much smaller footprint.

We have extra bedrooms for family and friends when they visit as most have a 4-5 hour drive to get here. When they come they stay and we are delighted.

3) SIZE OF PROPERTY. We have 33 acres, most is covered in bush with two small beaver ponds and a small stream on the property. We have trails through the property for snowshoeing and hiking. We removed dead trees in the fall for firewood and we preserve an area along our south wall where the turtles come to lay their eggs in June. The bedrock is very close to the surface so we built 8 raised garden beds where we grow our own vegetables. These beds are protected with chicken wire to keep deer, groundhogs and raccoons from enjoying our harvest.

4) EXTERIOR WALLS The cost of building this house would have been the same whether we were off grid or connected to the power source. Our exterior walls are 16 inches thick. The ICF blocks we used are made from wood chips and cement from a factory near Ottawa, about 3 hours from our property. Half the block is filled with Roxol insulation while the open space is filled with re-bar and cement. This faces towards the inside of the house giving us a huge thermal mass which helps cool the house in the summer and keeps the house warm in winter.  (See blog posts from July August 2010-2012 for construction pictures.)

5) SOUTH WALL The house is oriented to take advantage of the sun. The south wall is mostly glass with the roof overhang extending 5 feet over the wall. This allows the sun in the winter to enter the south room. On a sunny day we have no need for supplemental heat, the sun keeps the house warm. The concrete floor and walls absorb this heat and store it for release once the sun goes down.

In the summer the sun is much higher in the sky and the large overhang of the roof keeps the sun from directly heating the rooms. This keeps the house cooler and in the evening when it is cooler outside we open the windows and enjoy the cool breeze. The thermal mass from the walls and floor are cooled this way during the night helping to keep our house cool on hot summer days. No need for an air-conditioner.

6) BOBCAT We use power tools and equipment whenever necessary to make our life comfortable and easy. Before construction started I considered buying a tractor to help clear the property, move construction materials around and do some grading. In my research I was advised that a skid-steer (bobcat) was much safer as it had a lower center of gravity and the operator was well protected if an accident should happen. So I bought the skid-steer (used) and I'm happy I did. I use it to haul logs from the bush, plow snow in the winter and lift heavy rocks for landscaping when needed. I also plow out the neighbours' driveways when the snow gets too much for their snowblowers. That's the way we do things in the country; help each other.

More answers to follow.