The Toilet
My toilet is of the composting variety … i.e. it will take my kitchen and solid wastes and turn them into fertilizer. But it will still be a toilet. It needs a seat, and support … oh and it ought to look nice. So, first, I wrap my base with a nice wood face …
The moisture is from water used to soften the wood to permit bending it around the toilet without shredding, then allowing it to dry slowly. A nice look, if I say so myself.
Flooring
The floor was problematic. It needs to serve not only as flooring, but as a shower basin, able to channel water back to the fish pond. But, I also had a budget to contend with. This suggested linoleum. It tends to shed water, comes in a continuous roll reducing seams, and can be glued down fairly quickly. The downside … the small space was complicated by the intent to carry the linoleum up both sides — creating a near-seamless “basin” for showering. To say it was challenging would be an understatement! Despite this, the result was very good, indeed!
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Light Fixture
Early on, I decided on using flourenscent tubing for my “grow” lights. Incandescents or HPS are just too hot; and LED’s, while prices are falling, just are too damaging to my budget just now. Not only that, I wanted to simulate the daylight cycle as closely as I could: bluish light in the morning, bright white during the course of the day, and warm light in the late evening. With my electrical background I know how to switch these lights just so the manage this effect.
The tube-tombstones are mounted in a two-sided frame with a piano hinge on one edge. This affords the ability to lift the fixture out of the way when I wish to shower. More importantly, as the fixture is open on each side, more light from the tubes will reach my plants. Typical fixtures are mounted flush against the ceiling, using a reflector to push light directionally. I realized that I might possibly see a minor increase in light efficiency without having to have such a reflector.
Once installed, I found that a simple hook would hold it up against the ceiling. Interestingly, I noticed a very slight (likely subjective) darkening of the room when the light was lifted to the ceiling.
This position will only be used when I use the shower. Hmmmm. This will require an adjustment … have to get used to dodging the hanging fixture when coming and going. Oh well.
Vertical Planters
With the planter boxes below, I now could place the hangers for the 36″ vertical pipes that will carry 13 plants each. With 4 tubes mounted on each side, I stand to harvest nearly 100 plants from the tube-garden alone. Note in the picture that I have begun the laborious process of notching the pipe for the net-pots. Seven on one side, 6 on the other will afford 13 plants per tube, 54 on each wall, for a total of 108 plants in the tubes. In the upper left corner, you can see the light fixture in its down position.