What makes your home a Green or Healthy Home?
It’s a super-insulated house with straw bale R-54 exterior walls and a roof section with girder trusses on ten foot centers. Exposed beam and custom milled rough sawn trim detailing throughout.rnContinuous ridge & soffit vents allow air flow in the attic. 14 inches of blown-in insulation (R-40,+/-) over the entire roof section, including over the straw bale exterior wall section, present an efficient buffer between the ceiling and the attic space.rnThe home is heated by a free standing electric heater, passive solar energy and an efficient air tight wood stove. rnOther features include a 135-foot deep primary water well with 40’ water level and it’s own septic system.rnCurrent average electric bill (the only utility): $105/mo.rnRural off-grid is today’s reality. The house is ideally situated to receive a “beginning” Solar Panel roof top Installation with the local purveyor of solar design/build quoting a complete installation for under $8,000 and stating that it “would be sufficient to reduce the equivalent monthly outlays for electricity to less than $30/month for winter heating, summer cooling due to the super-insulation qualities of the house.” Adding solar would allow for the property to be with fully pressurized water, as served from the captive well water system, in times of interrupted (or no) electrical service. rnThe home sits on a 10,000 square foot lot that features multiple trees which provide a sense of peace and quiet, privacy and seclusion.Property Description
Current owners purchased the property in 1989 as a weekend getaway at Nebraska’s Lake McConaughy.rnSeeing that the rural environment was far superior to that of the “Big City”, in 1995 they decided that it was “time to get out of Dodge and move to the Lake,” an observation with parallels in today’s world.rnrnIn 1995, the original mobile home was encapsulated and added on to by the owner – a professional, certified ICBO (International Congress of Building Officials) Approved Building Inspector, as a PASSIVE SOLAR DESIGN INITATIVE PROJECT, as promoted by the U.S. Department of Energy in the early 1980’s, identified as the “Passive Design/Build Project.” The goal being rural, quiet, energy efficient and handcrafted.rnrnTo this end, straw bale exterior walls were constructed with ten foot on center concrete columns. Stretched chicken wire with attached stucco razor under one coat of mixed concrete and a 2nd coat of Q-Bond fiberglass reinforced stucco covered the walls inside and out. After 25 years the exterior has no cracks and remains in excellent condition. The interior was then given a 3rd layer of drywall mud for texture. 10 foot on center concrete columns, each opposing pair seating professionally engineered and constructed hold full span girder trusses designed to hold a full 14” of blown in insulation above the 7.5’ - 8’ ceiling level and over the walls.rnrnThe front elevation faces East, overlooking the mid tier of the three tiered lot with an oversize garage and entry drive way located to the left (as viewed looking East) perimeter (North) of the property. The lower level is adjacent to the entry street (Catfish Street). The connecting entry streets are rocked and maintained by the local resident group. The property features multiple trees which provide a sense of peace and quiet, privacy and seclusion. East facing windows make for a bird watchers paradise and also serve to provide a view of the seasonal turkey visitors. rnrnA 220 square foot wood deck on front is perfect for BBQ and get togethers.rnrnUpon entering, a long view is revealed, leading to the floor to ceiling book case that separates the first floor living room from the master bedroom. That same bookcase also serves as an offset for the architectural relief that is provided as the eye follows the circular stair way that serves to access the loft area which is a favorite as a "get away area and/or a child/grandchild sleep-over space." The book case extends into the loft area with the bookcase featuring the exposed beam construction that is utilized throughout the residence.rnrnThe floor plan incorporates the enclosure of the original Marlet mobile home in its entirety plus approximately 800 additional square feet of living space. Two of the three bedrooms in the house are from that original mobile home design. The original bathroom was redesigned to serve as a walk in closet. The new ¾ bath is located in the NE corner of the addition and is adjacent to the main entry. rnThe approximate North ½ of the original structure was opened up to become the dining and kitchen location for the remodel which was adapted to receive this area and to allow for an open floor plan final design. The master bedroom is located in the South of the enclosure design and incorporates a sliding door, seats a window air conditioner for summer cooling purposes and is wall papered on its West wall with a mountain/stream theme design. rnrnrnThe exposed beam carpentry is utilized throughout the ceiling construction and the kitchen area.rnAn efficient, air tight, wood burning fireplace adjoins the center of the living area, serving as a back-up heating source. A single free standing electric heater is sufficient to heat the interior under conditions of extended, continuous, moderate night time temperatures. Adding a second electric heater is an option. rnOnce the sun heats the interior space, the indoor temperatures rise and all heat sources are minimized. rnrnThe house is served by underground Fiber Optic cable that serves a 5G Modem that’s a necessity for today’s world that’s converting to “Tele-Everything.”
Neighborhood Description
Located in the rural area of Keith County, the small unincorporated community of Lemoyne sits adjacent to Nebraska’s Sand Hills, at the center of the North Side of Nebraska’s Lake McConaughy (elevation + 3,500). The lake is seasonally the recreation destination of walleye fisherman, beach and water sports enthusiasts from everywhere. The year-round hotspots in Lemoyne are the local post office and senior center.Market Area
Lemoyne has 2 small convenience stores, restaurant and lounge that are open during the season – usually May 1 – Labor Day. The nearest larger town is Ogallala on I-80, just 25 minutes away, with fast food and most shopping needs fulfilled. North Platte, NE is just over an hour away, Lincoln, NE is 4 hours. The front range of Colorado from Denver north is about 3.5 hours.School District
Community
Owners hail from all over the United States – some are permanent residents, while others use their properties as weekend getaways or vacation homes.Location of Home or Land
Rural
Air Quality
| Agriculture in Area | yes |
| Industry in Area | no |
| Air Pollution in Area | no |
| Pesticide Free | yes |
| Fragrance Free | yes |
| Cleaned with Green Products | yes |
Interior Environment
| Heating System | Electric Radiant |
| Cooling System | Conventional Forced Air - A/C |
| Ventilation System | Other |
| Whole House Filtration | None |
| Whole House Vacuum | no |
Energy & Water
| Water System | Well |
| Wastewater System | Septic System |
Construction Information
| Construction Type | Adobe |
| Exterior Finish | Masonry Stucco |
| Interior Finish | Cement Plaster |
| Interior Paint | Other |
| Floor Material | Tile |
| Roof Material | Metal |
| Window Material | Other |
| Insulation Material | Other |
Garage / Car Port
| Garage / Carport | yes |
| Garage Type | detached |
| Number of Cars | 1 |
| Garage Area | 500 sqft |
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