Momplex

Ever wonder what the Interior of Alaska looks like in November?

The weather has still been too darn hot for us Alaskans to work on a deck in the heat (yes, for us, heat is anything above 80 degrees - pathetic, I know), so our decking project is going to wait for another day. Inside the Momplex, it's nice a cool. When we choose to build with ARXX blocks (Insulated Concrete Forms that are basically hollow legos that you stack and fill with concrete) the main reason was energy efficiency and preventing heat loss. Ironic how we are enjoying how cool the M

For me, the sawdust is where it is AT.

Wood is my medium of choice.  I love how easy to cut wood is, how naturally beautiful it is.  I love how it smells when you work with it, I love how functional it becomes when you use it.  I love that wood is renewable, and while it renews, it renews our air.  I love working with wood.

But while taking on a Momplex, we've had to work with alot of other mediums.  Styrofoam blocks, poured concrete, and drywall. &

FACEBOOK PAGE UPDATE: On March 14, 2014, our Facebook Page was hacked, I was deleted as the admin, and the page name was changed.  The hackers then started using the page to promote their own business.  Finally, the page name has been changed (to Ana White) and the permalink has been restored back to www.facebook.com/knockoffwood.  Unfortunately, the hackers also deleted all content on the site, and this cannot be restored. I am very sad to see so many of your photos and questions

Everything is going smooth.  Very smooth.  Too smooth really. And then we hear an odd sound. Not a loud one. More like a stretching sound. Like the kids are playing tug-o-war and suddenly they both yell, "I win!" at the same time.Like a sound you aren't supposed to hear. But you heard it. And you know something is very wrong.I run around the outside of the Momplex, and I see, the ICF blocks have just barely started to separate on the side, and concrete is just start

After getting our two weeks notice in the form of a white slip of snow on Donnelly Dome, we decided to take some extra steps in preparation for a very unwanted visitor who will be staying a long time. Think of him like bad in-laws from the movies ... you know you have to get along, but you really don't want to (not you Mom-who-likes-to-sew). Yep, Mr. Jack Frost is on his way.  And he's packed and prepared to stay until April or May.

Have you ever wondered how overhangs on roofs are done? It turns out they are much easier to do than one might think.

When we put that first piece of siding up, I got so excited, I felt like a magic wand was going to twirl, and the Momplex would be done - at least on the outside - in mere moments!

What to do after you've spent a year and a half building a super insulated building, so air tight it's poured in concrete?

Drill big fat holes in it of course!

We've entered my most dreaded phase of building.  

It's utility time.

I despise this stage because there is so much work, so much money invested ... but you can't see it.  In other words, you aren't getting a finished project.  You are getting what looks like a freeway interchange of pipes to be hidden i