Building DIY Gardening

Today we look at biochar, which could change the way organic waste is got rid of – and also provide useful by products. When I was a child, I used to take potato and vegetable peelings to a big box for the local pigs - this was in a small English town. Nowadays of course all is thrown away. Small scale biochar machines can help localise waste and energy production, along with solar and micro generation.

Biochar machine

Terra preta (“black earth” in Portuguese) is a sort of enriched soil, dark in color.

Biochar and Terra Preta was first ‘discovered’in the Amazon Basin, where it has been used for over 2000 years.

Local peasant and small farmers and caboclos (mixed race, European and Brazilian Amerindian) in the Amazonian basin.

Biochar is a type of charcoal made by pyrolysis of biomass.
Unlike charcoal it is not burnt for fuel.

Biochar is used as a soil enricher, and as a byproduct, stores carbon that would otherwise enter the atmosphere. Carbon is locked into the soil.

Ever increasing pollution is causing poisonous effects for life on earth. It’s also the reason for Ozone depletion and global warming. Biochar is a fine-grained charcoal made from biomass used mainly for agriculture purposes. It is incredibly helpful in reducing pollution and carbon dioxide effects.

Biochar has been used for over thousands of years and is now getting a lot of attention for its ability to lessen green house gases.

Benefits of Biochar

Biochar is used with soil compost in order to provide rich fertilizer allowing soil to store more carbon in it.
Directly stores carbon that stays in the soil for thousands of years
It helps plants and vegetables absorb more nutrients from the soil

• Lessens soil acidity and groundwater pollution
• Biochar speeds up the decaying process in soil
• Making biochar results in production of a byproduct called bio-fuel which can be a substitute of diesel containing very little amount of carbon dioxide in it.
• It helps soil retain its nutrients for a longer period of time and lessens need for irrigation.
• Biochar production requires very little or no oxygen and less emission of carbon dioxide.
• It provides solution for animal wastes.

Production of Biochar

Biochar is made with waste from plants and agriculture matter called biomass. It is produced through a process known as pyrolysis. A kiln or furnace which needs low or no oxygen to burn with, is filled with organic material like wood, grass, farmyard scraps, animal manure, crop remains and other agricultural waste.

Pyrolysis process starts with heating furnace at 700˚C approx and adding organic matter into it. This slowly burning process results in production of three products : one is biochar which has the ability to retain carbon and the other is syngas – which contains carbon monoxide and little amount of carbon dioxide in it and third is bio-fuel.

Biochar, along with byproducts, is then processed in a gasifier through the process of gasification. This produces more refined biochar and bio-fuel. Syngas obtained from gasifier acts as useful energy to power pyrolysis furnace. Most of the carbon produced in the burning process is locked inside biochar therefore there is very less chance of carbon emission in air.

To fight against global warming and harmful gases with simultaneous increase in productivity, biochar is really an economic and environment friendly means to produce nutrient rich fertilizer, equally acting as a trapper for poisonous gases so it must be produced on large scales and governments must emphasize and assist in its production.
(by our bio tech writer)

See also:

Green DIY building advice >

Energy microgeneration >

Wiki biochar >

I get asked this – hire a builder for building jobs, or try do it yourself – DIY?

Some jobs are too big for DIY because

• too skilled or large scale – needs many builders to do it
• needs special equipment – diggers, scaffolding, etc
• needs builders professional insurance or professional sign-off – safety is most important

Roofing diy building - job for a builder?

But most of these factors can be solved by specific hire of equipment or builders (or labourers) for jobs. If you lack skills, hire in those specific skills for the job, or carefully learn first.

Some home jobs are done even by people who don’t think of themselves as DIY people. This includes

• painting, even quite large painting jobs are done by householders
• repairs - changing a fuse is a job
• interior design – where to put the new TV and sofa
• gardening and garden design – you don’t often call in a landscaping expert

For instance, making a wall, even a low one, by bricklaying is skilled, but can be learnt if you are keen. Bricks can be delivered, and even carried through to where you need them.

Foundations - this is a big job but say for an extension or shed, or garden building, can be done with a do it yourself approach – hire a small digger, hire people to do the ‘muck away’ – clearing the soil and rubbish – and have hardcore (rocks etc) and concrete delivered.

Roofing - another skilled and dangerous job – but can be ‘do it yourself’ if you are determined, depending on type of roof, height, etc

Generally though, these big building jobs are too much hassle, with too many risks, for a do it yourself approach.

It will also take far longer to try and do it yourself – speed is important in building work.

You also want solid quality work, which even your best DIY might not achieve.

With electrical, plumbing, energy, insulation, sound proofing, and other specific skills, you will need professional safety sign-off. A lot of the simpler work can be DIY though. It is just a complex area, so will take up a lot of time and energy.

Also builders costs are lower these days.

So we would have to say – if it needs more than two people to do (ie yourself and a friend, or a hired hand) then use a professional builder. Some people have even built a house themselves – although of course by the end, they will know a lot and not really be typical DIY enthusiasts!

Garden jobs are suitable for DIY as if the garden shed falls down it won’t kill anyone (perhaps the cat).

So start with a brick border, raised bed, or a brick or stone barbecue, a driveway or walls.

Timber building and use of wood is easier than using metal for DIY – and you will get an attractive result even if you are not totally accurate. It is also lighter and easy to work. Start with garden structures like storage and sheds, or fencing, decking etc.

Wooden building for roof gable - skilled large job

See our big sections on DIY building >

and Advice for Builders and Building process >

Build a brick barbecue >

Build a garage, plans and kits for garages >

Build a driveway >

Roof and Roofing >

David Snell DIY building expert

David Snell is a Contributing Editor to Home Building & Renovating Magazine, and he and some other experts are giving some talks at the National Self Build and Renovation Centre off the M4 in west Swindon.

So if you are worried your new extension might fall foul of some local Inspector, you’d better get over there. Very easy to get to, it is just off Junction 16 (I think) at west Swindon; just head towards Swindon from the motorway and look out for it on the left about 50-100 yards from the motorway roundabout.

Saturday 24th, 10am to 5pm. No charge. For more details see Building and DIY regulations seminars >

Building DIY com also has a lot of information on this, see

DIY and Building finance, regulations >

and

Starting a DIY building project >

DIY building - Worst case scenario

We have been trolling about looking at other building and DIY websites. The BBC and Channel 4have lots of information online as they have many TV programmes about do it yourself, property development and property remodeling and refurbishment, although fewer now that there is a property crash, or stagnation in the market.

Channel 4 has a funny DIY Disasters series where people – amateur even by DIY standards – have a go at wallpapering, fitting underfloor heating, building a shed or whatever. This is just an excuse to laugh at other people’s mistakes, like candid camera, but worth a look.

See C4 DIY Disasters >

We prefer to promote good practice with safety standards, but that is just us. Have a look at our tips and advice at DIY Building legal, safety and regulations pages >

We don’t have any DIY do it yourself plans for reactors, but this is very interesting as a way to microgenerate electricity. Solar for individual buildings, down to shed or outdoor building size, and small scale nuclear for blocks or factories. Bill Gates and Toshiba are planning a small scale reactor apparently.

We have a green and eco building background and now support nuclear as the alternative – more coal and gas – is so bad for the climate. The fears about storage of waste are misguided as in the future it may all be recyclable. And low level radiation is part of nature. People ignore coal because it is an old fashioned working class sort of energy source: nuclear is a sort of far out SF dangerous thing, mainly due to military use in WW2 and the cold war – if that had not happened (fantasy!) then nuclear power stations would be far more popular.

Chernobyl and Three Mile Island show how infrequently there are problems, and how small scale the fatalities are – compare to fatalities in coal mining, gas extraction, and transport, illness, etc. Also new designs are safer.

Getting off the elecricity grid is the aim as then central large scale plants can be reduced, or fewer new ones built.

Building a DIY reactor - this is about solar power from our book

With all this energy generation, adding more sources usually gets absorbe din the overall increase in eberhy consumption. Norway has added more wind farms, but they do not decrease energy use, just get added to conventional sources of power.

Building your own reactor may sound extreme, but only because people are scared of nuclear, which is irrational when compared to the dangers of say coal powered station, in mining, transport, pollution (illness) and carbon emmissions.

People are experimenting with low energy fusion reactors (Bussard reactors) using ionized hydrogen as well.

So if you fancy building a DIY reactor, get searching for plans, get some cash, and get building now!

See our DIY Building pages on microgenration of power using solar, water, biomass, and many other sources >

There is also the DIY Building article on renewable energy >

We have just put on some pages about architects, architecture and builders in films and movies. This is not our usual thing but we felt like a change.

We don’t have a section for buildings only – not characters. Perhaps a short list might be:

• Blade Runner – this seems to represent everyone’s idea of the future. Has Frank Lloyd Wright’s Ennis House in it
• Ben Hur – lots of large scale civic buildings here
• Towering Inferno – the skyscraper is the star! This film makes it to our top 10 list above
• The Pyramids – these are in lots of films
• Battersea Power Station – is in 1984
• Tate Modern power station / art gallery – Children of Men
• Skybreak House – Clockwork Orange
• Empire State Building – in Independence Day it is blown up by aliens – now that is funny!
• 2012 – this has many famous locations being destroyed. This is obviously some psychological thing

Blade Runner architecture

Visit Top 10 architects in films and movies >

See also
Part 2 of the Top 10 architects in films and movies >

Best of the Rest – next Top 20 architects in films and movies >

Upcoming course at National Self Build Centre off M4 in Swindon.
These look very interesting indeed.

Home extension

Saturday 10th July, Sunday 11th July, 2010.
These are seminars so just drop in, tickets for the weekend event from:

Making More Space in your home tips >

See our DIY Building on adding space and remodeling a home >

This is an interesting competition with good prizes, to get ideas for renovating or replacing a large low cost housing development on the edge of George Town Penang, an island off north west Malaysia. It is open to architects, town planners and also students of the above.

Rifle Range housing Penang hawkers and blocks

It is jointly organized by the Penang State Government, Penang Municipal Council, Malaysian Institute of Architects (Northern Chapter) and Malaysian Institute of Planners (Northern Branch).

Visit the urban renewal competition for Rifle Range Housing Penang Malaysia website >

Sponsors are DNP Land >

See also Malaysian Institute of Architects (Northern Chapter) (PAM NC) website >

State Local Government and Traffic Management Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow gave an excellent speech at the opening at the very grand Penang City Hall on the Esplanade – an old colonial building from 1903. This Neo-classical British icon was itself renovated a few years ago by local architects including Arch. Nik Rahiman of Urbanisma >

Penang Municipal Council City Hall

We have finally put our Article Directory live >

It is easy to join – just create an account by registering your basic details, then add articles with images, videos, text, and links.

There are many sections including

* Architecture & Design
* Building & Construction, Plant equipment, Tools, Lease, Hire & Buy
* Building Advice
* Green advice & Info
* Landscaping & Gardening

We also have sections for

* Photography
* Websites and Internet
* Vans, transport, plant
* Software for graphics, architecture etc
* Educational toys
* Other – which is anything you want like hobbies, essays.

This is brand new so we haven’t got any articles in there yet!

Today had fun planting 12 sakura cherry blossom at Miami Green Condos Penang Malaysia for Earth Day. This is the ‘watering ceremony’.

The gardeners got there first and put them in, which was not the plan, but keeps people employed.

These are around the main entrance with the waterfalls, and a few other places.

See also Building DIY gardening advice >

And Green roof & Vertical gardens >

Some more pictures:

Miami Green condos Penang - 12 trees planted for Earth Day 2010

Miami Green condos Penang side area where the trees were planted for Earth Day 2010

Miami Green condos