“Uses”
The 14 footer does not seem to have much head clearance in the picture on the website, although it states that it is 7 feet tall. How much walk-around space would there be for a 5 foot ten inch man?
It is 7′ tall in the center. You would not have much walk around room; perhaps an 8′ circle. How about the 18’er?
Keeping it small in Montana might be
a good idea. I would love the room of the 20, but fear that it could not be
heated well.
Glenn
“Climate”
Ihave a 20′ Solar Dome. I am going to erect it on a raised, oversized platform. I am
in Ecuador, just east of the Andes. In this region, we get alot of brief, intermittent
rains and quite a bit of heat in between. I am building the platform in a very shady
grove and am building a raised, inner floor for it. It was suggested in your questions
and answers that a plastic vapor barrier be affixed to the entire underside of the platform. I’m not seeing this as making sense because of the height of the platform
(five feet) and the raised, inner floor. All the local houses are of this “platform style”
and dry quite readily due to the height of the platform.
It would only make sense if you wished to exclude the moisture in the air. It sounds like your climate is dry enough so you do not need the vapor barrier.
A friend of mine used the same type of dome in the mountains of souther Ecuador
and had alot of problems with rain blowing in through the closed doors. In our area
there is not so much wind, but I will be wanting to keep all four doors open even
when it rains. What do you suggest in this case, to keep the rain out.
I suggest you attach a small tarp porch over the door openings with small tarps (Grip Clips may help you do this). Attach the tarp to the clips above the door and to the pole running horizontally to each side of the door. The tarp should be wide enough to protect the open door from rain. Tie the other corners of the tarp out and away from the dome to create a open porch. You could alternatively use our porches.
“Uses”
Dear Sir,
I hope this email finds you well. I live in the U.S. Virgin Islands, on
the island of St Thomas. I have designed and built a high performance 18″
Newtonian telescope which I use to do public and private Astronomy
Presentations. I am very interested in your 18′ Star Bubble. Please email me a
photograph of this particular unit, so that I can see if it will work for my
purposes. I am particularly concerned about how I can rotate the dome (Star
Bubble) in order to access different areas of the sky. Please send me any
information you have that might be useful in this regard, as well as any other
information you may have. Thank you for your assistance.
Sincerely,
Kary Williams President Star Charters Astronomy Adventures
Here is an image of a 20′ Bubble. The 18′ Star Bubble is the very similar but is make of our light blocking covering. The structure is free standing and can be attached to coster wheels.
“Uses”
I live in an old stone house on 5 acres in the middle of 500 acres of brush
and citrus groves in north San Diego County. I’m thinking that building a
dome would be easier than fixing the old house. I have perused with great
interest the sturctures on your web site, wondering if I should put up a
20′ solar dome this summer to see how I like it, then building a somewhat
larger permanent dome.
I visited a smallish dome in an avocado grove about 25 years ago. It was
very open with lots of skylights and was lovely. It seems that people try
to make these domes into regular houses with corners, sheetrock interiors,
and small room spaces. I would like the interior very open with lots of
skylights. My place is on a hill with lovely views. I’m not much worried
about building codes or what the neighbors would think, because it’s VERY
isolated here.
So my questions is this: If you were going to put up a permanent residence
dome, who would you hire or what company would you use? Or do you do this?
My other question is esthetic: Do you think living for the summer in a dome
covered mostly with vinyl will be a good test?
Just do it yourself with the help of a couple of friends. Our domes are not made of vinyl; but yes a great idea.
“Greenhouses”
interested in buying one of your
greenhouses. It is the best deal and quality I have seen since I began my
search for a greenhouse. My specifications are that I live in a rented
space therefore it can not be permanent and I think is zone 8 here in
Seattle. My deck is around 400 square feet and I am interested in using
1/2 or 1/4 of it for a greenhouse. I have many tropicals and frost tender
plants inside that I would like to grow in the greenhouse along with
spring germination of seeds. I guess my questions would be how low of
temperature does the greenhouse get at nig
It can approach the outside temp if there is no sun for days.
should I use an
alternative heat source,
Yes if you need to. The only way to tell is watch it or use a thermostat.
and how small is it to store in the summer when I
want all my plants outside???
They all pack up small. Two duffel bag size.
I am interested in the GroRow, GroDome and
lighthouse. I also rent a 200 square foot garden plot in another location
and the GroRow would work there also. What would be the benefients of having the Grodome or lighthouse instead??
You can not grow in the lighthouse.
“Uses”
I would like to build a 20 foot round straw bale house on some desert property that I have and have been thinking about a custom-domed roof for it.
I need ultraviolet , and water-proof protection for long-term use. Do you have these materials, and can you give me an estimate on price? I would also like to know if you have any ideas for attaching the roof to the straw bales. Sincerely,
Dale Barger ,Savannah, GA
Sounds like a great idea. Our 30’roof shell would work, being about 23′ in diam. Our covering will last about 3+ years or much more if you shade it. You could attach it by running a cord from the clips (there are 20 base clips in the 30’er) down the bales and staking it to the ground or the bales. .