AltaRock Energy Melts Rock with Millimeter Waves for Geothermal Wells (2020) • Hacker News Board

Re: AltaRock Energy Melts Rock with Millimeter Waves for Geothermal Wells (2020)

#41

Post by JoeAltmaier » Sat, Oct 15, 2022, 1:17 PM UTC

csours wrote: post #39

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not really true. My house is built into the side of a hill. We just bulldozed and dug and put good drainage around the foundation, inside and out. Pretty even temperature year-round. The floors are never, ever cold. HVAC costs around $90/month and it gets from -30 to 104 around here. Never had one tiny ounce of water problems, not in 30 years.

I'm curious if you were involved with the construction/original owner. Do you know how many layers of moisture protection were added?

I am the original owner.

There was tar put around all parts of the cement walls underground. Then gravel and sand, then dirt.

Drainage was put around the base outside the wall, and underneath the floor. It ran out the front of the hill, 10 yards from the house. It's never significantly flowed.

There's a 4" structural foam (the blue stuff) pad under the poured cement floor, nominally to insulate the floor but some moisture protection too I imagine.

Under that, sand then gravel, a couple feet worth total.

That's what I remember.

Re: AltaRock Energy Melts Rock with Millimeter Waves for Geothermal Wells (2020)

#42

Post by csours » Sat, Oct 15, 2022, 2:57 PM UTC

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #41

csours wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm curious if you were involved with the construction/original owner. Do you know how many layers of moisture protection were added?

I am the original owner. There was tar put around all parts of the cement walls underground. Then gravel and sand, then dirt. Drainage was put around the base outside the wall, and underneath the floor. It ran out the front of the hill, 10 yards from the house. It's never significantly flowed. There's a 4" structural foam (the blue stuff) pad under the poured cement floor, nominally to insulate the floor but some moi…

Thanks for the follow up. It sounds like you built in the 90s? The houses I was talking about were in the 60s-80s.

I think it's possible to build houses like yours, and I think it's possible for them to be economically feasible at scale, but it takes more early investment and competence, and that extra X% is hard for people to justify.

I think about how people will look for a feature list because quality is hard to determine.

Re: AltaRock Energy Melts Rock with Millimeter Waves for Geothermal Wells (2020)

#43

Post by JoeAltmaier » Tue, Oct 18, 2022, 3:49 PM UTC

csours wrote: post #42

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am the original owner. There was tar put around all parts of the cement walls underground. Then gravel and sand, then dirt. Drainage was put around the base outside the wall, and underneath the floor. It ran out the front of the hill, 10 yards from the house. It's never significantly flowed. There's a 4" structural foam (the blue stuff) pad under the poured cement floor, nominally to insulate the floor but some moi…

Thanks for the follow up. It sounds like you built in the 90s? The houses I was talking about were in the 60s-80s. I think it's possible to build houses like yours, and I think it's possible for them to be economically feasible at scale, but it takes more early investment and competence, and that extra X% is hard for people to justify. I think about how people will look for a feature list because quality is hard to d…

90's

Re: AltaRock Energy Melts Rock with Millimeter Waves for Geothermal Wells (2020)

#44

Post by jessaustin » Wed, Oct 19, 2022, 2:13 AM UTC

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #41

csours wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm curious if you were involved with the construction/original owner. Do you know how many layers of moisture protection were added?

I am the original owner. There was tar put around all parts of the cement walls underground. Then gravel and sand, then dirt. Drainage was put around the base outside the wall, and underneath the floor. It ran out the front of the hill, 10 yards from the house. It's never significantly flowed. There's a 4" structural foam (the blue stuff) pad under the poured cement floor, nominally to insulate the floor but some moi…

It ran out the front of the hill, 10 yards from the house.

This is key. Your house is not "a mere 20 feet below the ground" as thread parent suggested, it's in the side of a hill. This works fine if done correctly, and lots of builders have the experience to do that. It would be difficult to find anyone experienced at the construction of living spaces below 20 feet of soil. Those who do so as amateurs, like that criminal Beckwitt, generally have poor results.