Building Your Home in Remote Locations Part 2

Published by cravat | Filed under Real Estate

We are finished discussing about issues to consider in transporting materials; this is a continuation of a previous article about building or relocating your home in remote locations. Here are more tips:

Heating

Heating, much like a home, has many alternatives, all of which vary in cost and performance. The most common means of heating are wood, propane or oil. Fuel can be easily transported or obtained on or to the location, and do not necessarily require the use of electricity. An added bonus is that the heating plant can be utilized, not only to provide space heating, but to also provide cooking facilities, hot water for showers or baths, and with propane, refrigeration or lighting.

1. Wood heat still outweighs all other means of heating for cottages or resorts, located in isolated areas. Its fuel source is readily obtainable from the forests in the surrounding area, although rather labour intensive to cut and split. Most often it is installed as a central wood stove, but installations of wood furnaces with electric blower fans and ductwork has been done. Central wood stoves, although very cheap to install, tend to leave rooms located at a distance from it, at lower temperatures. Wood stoves can be used for cooking on, as well as providing hot water for showers or washing.

2. Propane, which is often the fuel of choice, has many advantages over wood. It can not only heat your building, but provide hot water, cooking, lighting and refrigeration, without the use of electricity. Its only draw back is that the tanks must be replenished from time to time, which usually means disconnecting and transporting the tanks back and forth from a supply source. It is relatively cheap, and easy to have installed. Heat can be obtained from a central furnace with electric fans and ductwork, to independent sources located in each room, generally radiant heating units. Standard gas hot water tanks, cook stoves and refrigerators can be converted to LP or propane at most natural gas appliance dealers. Balancing convenience and cost, this is often the choice for owners.

3. Oil heat has all the advantages of propane, except for providing refrigeration. I have yet to see an oil fired refrigerator (though I may be wrong). Oil still requires transportation to the location from the supply source, but can be transported in smaller, easier to manage containers. Prior to propane, oil was the choice for remote locations, but with the advent of compressed LP gas tanks, propane soon became the equivalent fuel of choice.

In closing, unless you are going to install a power plant, or bring in an electrical service, your heating options are rather limited. Although wood tends to be more popular with a “roughing it” lifestyle, the convenience of propane or oil is rapidly become the fuel of choice.

Sometimes, the concept of isolation, and living or vacationing in remote areas has its own draw, and with more and more successful fly in fishing or hunting resorts being built, this lifestyle is rapidly becoming popular with people escaping the pressures of city living. It is a relaxing opportunity for people to get away from it all, and enjoy nature at its purest. The rewards and pride of a successfully completed project provides satisfaction for years to come. Just remember to approach it with caution. Information gathering and good planning is your best defense against increased costs, frustration and disappointment.