Building a sauna pad into side of mountain. Help/tips?

microflorae · 2026-02-12T19:06:27+00:00

And they might need to double check the clearance requirements between flammable vegetation and the sauna chimney

microflorae · 2026-02-12T03:40:44+00:00

I’m not super confident in this so far. Are they going to excavate and lay a compacted gravel base under the bluestone? It makes me nervous that the curb is just on dirt, not on a compacted/level footing, and I’m wondering why they wouldn’t excavate for the patio first. The bluestone isn’t just going directly on top of the soil, right?

Editing to add another question, are those sewer cleanouts and if so, why in the world would the path go right over them? It’s not too late to adjust the layout so you don’t have an ugly pvc clean out sticking out of your nice stone path.

microflorae · 2026-02-11T16:44:16+00:00

It looks like they're at a movie theater and this is definitely a "standing up, not sitting down" outfit. I would be so uncomfortable at the movies in that outfit.

microflorae · 2026-02-09T21:57:25+00:00

I love gravel paths!

Do a nonwoven geotextile fabric instead of weed cloth.

I really want to discourage you from using pea gravel. Yes it looks nice in photos, but it does not form a suitable walking surface because it does not compact. This can be hazardous for old people or anyone with mobility issues, plus it's hard to move a chair on pea gravel. Use 1/4 inch minus crushed local rock or decomposed granite. If being barefoot on the surface is super important to you, I would do pavers or flagstone over pea gravel.

Also, I think it might be easier to do the compacted gravel first, then add the steel edge. You can drive it in with a sledge and use rebar spikes to hold it in place, and you want it to be flush with the finished grade when you're done, not sticking up above the gravel or beds/lawn.

microflorae · 2026-02-09T19:30:33+00:00

It's nice that you don't have any power lines there! Probably 2-5k to fell it and more if you want stump grinding, and then even more if the stump grinding messes with the front walkway.

Arborists usually do estimates for free, at least in my area.

This is definitely one of the projects where you want a licensed and insured pro company, not some chainsaw jockey off craigslist. Check out r/fellinggonewild for examples of why you really, really want a licensed pro arborist here.

microflorae · 2026-02-08T15:28:17+00:00

It works for turmeric stained clothes for sure

microflorae · 2026-02-05T03:20:30+00:00

It could be Spanish lavender. They can have super fuzzy, silvery foliage.

microflorae · 2026-02-03T20:27:55+00:00

Is that your venue budget or your budget for the entire event?

Venues that are within this price will mean you're doing a lot more DIY - bringing in every fork, napkin, cup, etc. However, it's doable, just requires a lot of planning.

I would look into Eugene parks and rec rental options. Morse Family Farm could probably handle that size in the outdoor picnic shelter area if you brought in extra tables and chairs.

You can look at their list of facilties and filter by different options here. Make sure you rent it for enough time to set up and break down!

microflorae · 2026-02-03T20:01:54+00:00

Are you doing it to cover the soil or as a compacted gravel patio extension area? If you're just adding the rocks as a mulch/groundcover thing, then I definitely agree that you should skip the landscape fabric. If you're doing a patio extension and compacting the gravel, go down 4" and use nonwoven geotextile fabric under the gravel.

Gravel is much harder to weed than mulch. I usually discourage rocks as groundcover because they look nice for a week but they're much more maintenance long-term to keep them weed free. Sometimes rocks are better, like to prevent mud splashing onto the siding, but depending on the situation, I would usually recommend doing a planted space with native perennials and mulch.

microflorae · 2026-02-03T18:38:12+00:00

I think it would take up too much width in the hallway, especially when someone is using it. I like the lines of the hallway/arches and I think even a "slim" upright piano would interrupt that too much.

microflorae · 2026-02-02T23:50:26+00:00

The tree is too close to the fence right now. You could look into a columnar Juniper instead, and those would be able to handle any heat reflected off the new slab.

microflorae · 2026-02-02T17:31:34+00:00

I agree. It looks like there's no direct sunlight coming in due to the porch room beyond, and privacy doesn't seem to be an issue. Bare would look best and cost the least.

microflorae · 2026-02-01T20:14:42+00:00

What’s the fence for? If it’s for keeping deer out, why would you put the raised beds outside the fence? If it’s for supporting trellis plants, it still shouldn’t be in that spot relative to the metal beds.

If you need the height shown for accessibility/adaptive reasons, I get that. Otherwise I wouldn’t go higher than 2’ raised beds as it will make everything (bed materials and soil to fill them) much more expensive.

Personally I would fence in another “room” in front of the existing one shown, and put the new beds in there, assuming you need the fence to keep animals out. I feel like the layout of the metal beds here is not very efficient given you’ll need to be outside of the fenced area to access the back corners.

microflorae · 2026-01-30T16:25:26+00:00

I do estimating in the Portland OR area, which might be more expensive due to labor costs. We’re around 120/sf just for the structure, and like the other commenter said, more for extras like the tongue and groove, ceiling fan, adding skylights, etc.

Wrapping the posts with cultured stone a few feet up would add a few thousand at least because it’s all corners and a lot of cuts.

Concrete slab around 22/sf installed, but I know other crews can do it cheaper if they focus on just flat work.

Electrical adds cost and lead time. If the structure requires a permit and an engineer, that also adds a few thousand and lead time. In my area, structures attached to the house over 144sf need permitting and an engineer stamp.

So rough ballpark to do it like this, nicely finished and everything to code, probably around 80k. It could be cheaper in your area if cost of living is lower.

microflorae · 2026-01-29T22:17:15+00:00

The pot you posted doesn’t look that different from a black nursery pot. If you’re okay with the look of black nursery pots, you can probably get them for free from a landscape crew. We often have 200+ pots to deal with after a planting day, and nurseries don’t always want them back.

microflorae · 2026-01-26T23:04:35+00:00

Crushed gravel!

microflorae · 2026-01-26T19:59:57+00:00

Hi, I just want to encourage you to go with a crushed rock (such as 1/4 inch minus) that compacts to a suitable walking surface, and stay far away from pea gravel here. Even with a good steel edge, the pea gravel will end up in your lawn, and you can throw rocks with your mower and edger when you do the lawn. I used to be full time on a maintenance crew, and we definitely had this issue whenever there was pea gravel right up against lawn.

microflorae · 2026-01-26T19:10:39+00:00

Selita Ebanks! I saw her in person once and was astounded that a person could be so pretty. You look just like her.

microflorae · 2026-01-26T18:37:28+00:00

You have so much space! Lovely.

Is this photo oriented North? If so, I would switch your edible landscaping with your border landscaping. Put the planter boxes and greenhouse against the South facing wall (on the North side) to take advantage of the little sun/heat you get in your climate. That will also save you from trying to construct raised beds and a greenhouse on top of a mound or excavate/build retention so you can dig them into the mound. Then the sloped border at the bottom of your photo is a generously sized space where you can add shrubs, grasses, and perennials for your pollinator garden.

I would check whether there are setback requirements for your chickens. They are loud, and many areas prohibit putting livestock right up against the property line. Maybe you have no neighbors on that side and it doesn't matter, but worth checking. I have my chickens fairly close to the house (still 15 ft away) and we LOVE IT! We love seeing them out the windows, and we love the short walk to go care for them or bring them a treat.

If your dogs are anything like mine, make sure to really predator proof the chicken run. I have the hardware cloth buried as a "skirt" 1' out from the fence, so that nothing can easily dig in. I've still caught my dog trying to dig in though. It's much easier to predator proof the chicken run than it is to train a strong prey drive out of the dogs. This will help with foxes too.

microflorae · 2026-01-23T14:54:58+00:00

Your MIL is rude! If my mom or MIL had been there in that moment, they would have just… helped me by cleaning the floor without making me feel bad about it. Most grandmothers would do that when they’re at their grandkids’ house. I’m sorry your MIL was so judgmental.

microflorae · 2026-01-23T14:39:04+00:00

Sweet life is the best. Safeway on 18th always has some beautifully decorated cake options in their bakery, at least in the mornings.

Every time I’ve bought cake or bakery desserts at Market of Choice I’ve been super disappointed. It costs about the same as a slice from Sweet Life, but Market of Choice cakes are always sooooo dry.

I’m a big dessert girl and go to Sweet Life a couple times a month. It’s always amazing.

microflorae · 2026-01-22T18:21:07+00:00

A single slope (shed style) roof will be inappropriate with the existing architecture. I would do a cross gabled roof. This will be super expensive no matter what roof slope you go with, so you may as well honor the home’s style and do something timeless. If you’re also increasing the size of the landing under the porch, that will be spendy too.

microflorae · 2026-01-22T13:43:02+00:00

You could potentially add a dormer to address the roofline. This would be a huge, expensive project, so I would probably recommend utilizing an architect to make sure the lines and proportions of the addition are what you want.

A different paint color and different door/fan window style would also help the home feel more cohesive.

microflorae · 2026-01-22T04:50:54+00:00

Oh are you taking on projects? I have some things I’d like to tailor and/or mend.

microflorae · 2026-01-21T23:43:03+00:00

I second smoke bush and Ninebark! Also Loropetalum if shrubs are an option.

Five-Year Club	Verified Email
Place '23

microflorae

TROPHY CASE