Yes, you can follow the guidelines of Calfire and build a concrete dome on a vast concrete pad, but most people don’t want to live that way, and content themselves with clearing as big a ‘defensible space’ as they can, around their house. In a wildfire fire crews have to triage and will let your house burn if they don’t think it has a chance. When we built in the 1980’s they required a 5,000 gallon tank with a hydrant, uphill of your house. I think it’s 10,000 now.
That is a standard treatment for wood construction in Japan. Anyplace you see a wooden building with black wood and white plaster the wood has been burnt. Search for “yakisugi”. Makes it more water, insect and rot resistant as well as improving fire resistance.
Haven’t done it myself, but watching .jp diy shows they pretty much just burn the wood with a gas burner till black, then brush it off with a brush and water.
Thanks. I found this:
The term depends on the type of wood you use, apparently.
A belated update:
I recently spent 9 days (it was a very nice vacation) with my friends on the property mentioned in the OP and yes, we’re still kicking around the notion of retiring there.
So, a couple revisions to the thread as I now have first-hand information.
First, good news! Some of the neighbors did, after all, go in on extending the grid out to their properties and hooking onto their power poles would very much reduce the cost of on-grid power. Sufficiently so that it’s now an option, although it will still be expensive.
The campsite we used on the property required an AWD or 4WD to access even in good summer weather BUT the suggested building site (by both the owner and some of the locals) would be on a county road that the average sedan could manage (well, in most but not all weather). It’s a common set-up on the island (I did mentioned this is on an island?) for housing to be built close to a road with the rest of the “estate” extending away from it. Makes for shorter driveways and less plowing in winter. This would also allow for access by emergency vehicles and actual mail service by the US post office.
The building site would require leveling. Also, re-logging. The owners logged it about 12 years ago, netting some profit. New trees have grown up since. Not impossible. There are multiple construction companies in the area with experience building in the area, where “leveling a site” might include a need for dynamite, or at least some sort of rock cutting/blasting.
Drilling for water will still be costly and an issue, but it’s unavoidable on the island which is part of the Niagara Escarpment and solid rock under the topsoil, except on the north which is alvar and thus pretty much just bare rock with a thin scattering of plants (also a great place for stargazing - not only saw constellations, the ISS, and the Milky Way but also a half-dozen shooting stars). Our site is not alvar, it has actual topsoil even if it’s thin (and a lot of rocks). The township does have a free well for anyone who wants to use it, and apparently recently went to the expense of re-drilling it to obtain better quality water (let’s just say you won’t be iron-deficient on the island if you drink the water from most wells). No treatment required to use it.
The island does have not one but two health clinics and a full-time doctor. Speaking to several residents in our age range, some types of treatment do require travel to the “mainland” but with the ferry running every 1/2 hour year round it’s not any worse than, say, me having to hypothetically travel to a hospital in Chicago now for advanced care.
Emergency services include ambulance and fire truck on the island itself, and 911 service.
Trash and recycling services are also available on the island. One person has started a private trash removal service with weekly home pickups. There is another service with dumpsters sited in “town”. (It’s called “Four Corners” or “The Corners” because it’s literally the four corners of two roads intersecting. It’s not so much a “town” as the “business district” of the township). The latter is open to visitors - at the end of our stay we purchased one of their disposal bags (you need to do this to use the dumpster) to get rid of what the recycling trailer wouldn’t take. And the recycling is, again, open to all and takes glass, some plastics, paper, and aluminum. This is important, because there are critters on the island which would be happy to raid your trash. Such as ravens, coyotes, wolves, and bears -
Bears?!?
Somehow this was never mentioned before I set foot on the island…
Well, fortunately for us the bears mostly seem to hang around the “tourist” campsites, which are frequented by the usual cross-section of humanity, some of which just do not grok the importance of make sure ALL of your food trash goes in the bear-resistant dumpster and store food in a locked vehicle when not actively eating it. The locals report that bears do wander about but interactions are infrequent, especially since there is an annual bear hunt (to control the population) so the bears avoid humans as a survival matter. If you want chickens you need a VERY sturdy coop, don’t leave your dogs and cats out at night, and if you own a horse you need a bear-proof barn (which will also keep out the wolves).
Got clarification on the propane situation which convinces me that it’s a viable option for heating. Also, the island gas station (there is exactly one) charges more than the mainland ones due in part (if not whole) to the cost of trucking in gas. A lot of folks fill up across the “passage” rather than in town, though of course you then have to pay the ferry fee.
There are people with solar arrays up there. As I expected, between the short days in winter and cloudy days not something to rely on 100% unless you like a quasi-Amish lifestyle. Saw a few mini-turbines, too. But everyone seems to have a propane tank and/or woodpile for heating. More “and” than “or”.
Everyone comfortably in the 21st Century has a WiFi booster or the like. Cell phone coverage is very spotty - AT&T has the most coverage, but even that isn’t total and there are parts of the island where you just don’t get service. Mostly on the eastern side of the island, which is mostly owned by either the State of Michigan or the Nature Conservancy. We’d be on the west, which does have contact with modern civilization.
Also has a library.
The island has one (1) laundromat, at the “Yacht Haven” which does have some expensive boats but it a bit more homey than the name might imply to some of us city folk. We used it mid-week, along with the showers you can rent because while bathing in Lake Huron does take care of most of the stink it leaves you smelling like Lake Huron. We wanted to clean up before taking a mid-week day-trip.
Apparently manufactured housing is a thing. This runs the gamut from some… creative… use of no-longer running RV’s and local wood resources to some high-end double-wides that are not easily distinguished from “stick-built”. It’s enough of a thing that there is a standard ferry fee for shipping it to the island: $500 per “single wide” unit, as that is the only thing that fits on the ferry (and fills it up so on that trip it would be the ONLY thing going) so transporting a double-wide to the island is $1,000 for the boat trip on top of any other transportation fees. This has convinced me that it is a viable option to look into.
The local “supermarket” is… well, you won’t starve. Think Aldi’s but it’s not a chain, it’s the current iteration of the island general store. Apparently the locals use it for last-minute or won’t-keep-long items but normal practice is to make a trip once a month to “The Soo” - Sault Ste Marie which is about 60 miles away and has hospital(s), stores, and pretty much anything else you’d need for modern civilization. Well, these days I’m pretty much doing 1 major shopping trip a month with just grabbing a few perishables in between for things that won’t last a month so that’s my current shopping habit.
Major industries on the island are the dolomite mine, logging, servicing ships at the docks, and keeping tourists happy and handing over money. The local rock shop/jewelry maker did mention that they occasionally got someone panning for gold, which is possible, but not plentiful and frankly sounded like more work than worth it. The rock guy agreed, which is why he’s making jewelry out of the local minerals instead of looking for gold in them. There are opportunities for local craft people and all the souvenir shops featured stuff made by locals to one degree or another.
The local township government does have some services for senior citizens.
In many ways this seems even more doable than I first thought it might be.
However, it would be at least six years before any of us retire and can relocate to supervise a build up there, so meanwhile we’re still lining up finances, researching other options, and so forth.
This is all very impressive. I’d die in the first winter.
The locals were complaining the winters weren’t what they used to be, there was insufficient snow last year for the snowmobile trails (that’s winter tourism and important to the island) and if this climate change thing keeps up there won’t be anymore travel over the ice road to Canada.
I know it sounds crazy that anyone would complain winter isn’t intense enough, but if part of your economy requires winter it’s a problem.
Me, I’ve been highly irritated that the last 10+ years where I currently live there hasn’t been enough snow for me to use my skis. I also own ice skates and like to snowshoe. Which is why I tell people retiring up north in an area that experiences winter is not a problem for me. Although I would also demand a snug and solid home because even the most die-hard winter lover eventually wants to get inside, warm up, and sip hot chocolate.
I might be more fearful of the wolves.
We have bears where we live. They have ripped the door to our shed off twice. I have since reinforced it.
And they have gotten into our cars three times. Luckily no damage but muddy footprints and scratches near the door handles. They learned that if you just swipe at a door handle enough, a claw will catch it and pull on it. We have been told not to lock our cars because they will just rip the handle off.
It can be kind of scary when you see your doors open. Ya don’t know if they are still in the car.
A friend of a friend had their bumper ripped off. I keep a firearm at the ready to scare them off.
We used to heat with wood, now propane. It’s a passive solar house and we get LOTS of sunshine. When the sun get low in the winter, it can get to hot in the house.
We also depend on winter for out economy. Ski areas. Lots of world class ski areas. I don’t ski myself. Hate it. My wife does once in a while. Winters are very long here in the Colorado mountains.
This is a tangent, and the circumstances very different from yours, but there might be something of value in the experience of this group who built a shared living space about 10 years ago https://www.rarebirdshousing.ca/
Looks lovely, but you’re right, it’s a tangent.
Among other concerns, there are stairways instead of everything on one level and the images of the bathrooms are not elderly-friendly (no grab bars, for example).
For us (my group) among other things we’re expecting to share one large bathroom instead of having individual ones (that would allow more floor space, and possibly a walk-in bathtub/shower, we’re still debating that one).
But there are some good ideas in the RareBirds.
One shared bathing-room may be enough – but consider that the ability to wait to use the toilet is likely to lessen significantly with age, and the time needed to use it may actually increase. I’d really recommend at least an additional half-bath, and maybe even one for each.
The Rarebirds place looks incredibly neat and shiny. I don’t think they’d want me living with them.
Yes, that concern has been raised.
But we wouldn’t add more than another half-bath.
You must to this.
When taking care of my elderly mother, I might get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom only to find her in there. Now that I had it in my mind that I was going to use the bathroom, I had to find an alternative.
Or consider having a dormitory style bathroom with a common area for a couple of sinks, and stalls for showers and toilets. One big room but anyone can use the facilities. Perhaps with the laundry and pet wash areas included and an exterior door for direct access after grubbing outside.
Their “Flight Manual” for how they would make decisions and work things out struck me as particularly useful.
When I was pondering the idea of turning my mom’s house into a single house for her and her 2 sisters, my plan actually included 3 bathrooms for 3 people. A half bath off mom’s bedroom, a full bath in the hallway and a full wheelchair-accessible bath off the other bedroom. Getting up to go to the bathroom at night seems to be the main activity for these particular 3 ladies. YMMV.
Sounds good ZipperJJ.
One thing to also consider is frame it for 36" doors. This doesn’t just help for wheel chair accessibility, but also that couch you bought. And also stretchers that EMS uses.
Wow, at present we’re only 3 people. Maybe 4 if the surviving parent of one of our number lives long enough to join us. Not sure if we need more than 1 bathroom and a spare toilet.
My partner of 40 years assures me the secret to our relationship is “two bathrooms.” Her bathroom has “hers and hers sinks.” If you can swing it, more bathrooms might be useful and welcome.
Even if your mileage varies now – it may not stay that way.
That’s our situation as well. I’d hate to have to share a bathroom. Dealbreaker.