Water will be no issue since I have a drip system that also goes to the citrus tree. I am thinking of a fan. I have some spare solar cells from my solar lanterns (got replaced by the company a while back). One has been converted to a battery charger (had 4 extra NiMH why not, lanterns do charge batteries). Maybe the other one can be used to drive a small 3V or less fan on the lid. Wet inside, fan on the top, could be interesting. As for winter, I'm thinking of making a mini-greenhouse enclosure around it (use the wood that was used for the bench when the bin was indoors :-( ). Only concern is not to fry them when the heat picks up. I heard someone mention use a wheat germ sock?? to help warm the bin or compost. Is this recommended. I have used Wheat germ before and boy does it get hot. I was thinking of packing a toilet paper role with wheat germ and newspaper (so it's not too anaerobic). Does this sound like a plan. The worms have plenty of space to hide in the bin (stacked OSRC JR). Oh Kelly, we had quick conversation on the stacking etc. Well definitely see some issues with my OSCR JR. Big issue is the weight of the top bin compressing unfinished items in the lower bin like newspaper. Thinking some shims on the side may help such that the bin sits nicely on the bottoms unfinished compost, then lower it slower as the bottom bin becomes more finished. I know the easiest would be to split the bin. Since they are outside I might do that, but in the spring when the weather is better. Right now the worms are hiding in the lower bin (a little warmer now).

Your welcome Lenny and thanks for thinking that Iam a guy on the internet worth asking.. This gets a little opiniony knowing squat about your situation involving many variables but.. probably not, yes and no in the same order you asked. I have no idea what level of code is enforced in your area but I highly suggest sticking to the minimum levels of energy performance called for in the International codes. IECC 2012 is about to have its 2015 update and Iam excited to find out how wrong or right I am in squawking how they arent going to raise many insulation requirements but blower door testing will see a lot of very overdue attention. This thread is long overdue, for a serious plug on reducing uncontrolled air leakage. If your home is not a certain level of airtightness, then insulation can be an enormous waste of resources. If you are concerned about reducing your exposure to toxic air then focusing on the interior materials is a waste, if youre not building tight and ventilating it right with the "home as a system" priority. Insulation is expensive compared to airsealing and less effective in terms of overall energy performance. Uncontrolled, moving air carries a lot of moisture that does serious damage when moving through building cavities and thermal enclosures. It also leads to condensation and mold, especially in poorly installed fiberglass batt wood framed wall cavities with small levels of insulative sheathing. Add in a good vapor source, moisture reservoir cladding like stucco and brick that really soaks in the rain and drives it to the interior when the sun comes up and you contribute to much job security for those in renovation. But hey, it could be fine if the masonry has a good draining and ventilating airspace and that 1/2 piece of foam is well taped foil face isocyanurate, and the wall cavities are air sealed on all six sides with a dense batt filling all voids. I suggest pricing between OC spray foam and dense pack cellulose or FG (not batt). These are the things that best achieve a completely filled wood frame cavity. If not venting the roof deck, I suggest spray foam or insulative sheathing to the exterior. More important than insulation, is your ACH50 as measured by a blower door. The level of air leakiness in most homes is unacceptable leading to massive amounts of energy loss and unhealthy indoor air conditions. The code calls for an ACH50 of 3 or lower for building climate zones 5 and 6. I think that's pathetically leaky and not at all appropriate for a home built with the current international levels of insulation in the code. Homes in all climate zones should be pushing hard for an ACH 50 of 1.5 or less. Cost effective energy efficiency, increased durability and moisture resistance, and the ability to control the cfm rate of outdoor air exchange, which is probably the best way of improving Indoor Air Quality. As for levels of insulative sheathing, cant explain it any better than Martin at GBA. Its an important detail for everything weveve talked about, cost-effective energy efficiency, increasing indoor air quality and durability of the building envelope. Minimum For 2x6 in zone 5: R7.5 and zone 6: R11.25. Even 1" Isocyanurate with a foil facing the air cavity will be slightly below code and risky as far as interior condensation. I would do my best to get 2" thickness, even if it meant falling back to 2x4 instead of 2x6. I also suggest everyone to set a goal for ACH50, inform your builder that you expect to meet it and hire a third party to do a blower door test which puts a number on the value of the integrity of your home in terms of energy efficiency, indoor air quality and healthier building science. Here is a link that might be useful: Calculating the minimum thickness of insulative sheathing

We used a polyurethane-type waterproofing under a glued-down BR-111 (tigerwood) floor in a below-grade (basement) slab. It was WP'er, then mastic, both were specific to the conditions. The floor has been fine for 2 years, going on 3. Neither of the products were low VOC, I'll tell you. Lots of brain cells were sacrificed. The aroma was very transitory, though. I think VOC's will be part of the formula for a product to accomplish this task successfully. Casey

The best plastic wraps are non-woven Tyvek, Typar and WeatherSmart. Avoid the woven perforated stuff; it leaks. Don't be confused by the DuPont warranty. It is for the material itself and not the installation. The material warranty only protects you in case of a bad batch of Tyvek and then it only gives you some new Tyvek and you have to pay for the removal and reinstallation of your siding etc. If the Tyvek fails it should show up in the first 10 years. The vinyl siding warranty is also usually only for the material discoloring, cracking, etc. and is probably pro-rated so it might not provide much protection late in the warranty period. These warranties are rarely transferable and the manufacturers rely on the fact that homeowners typically live in a house an average of 5 years and their fallback position is that their product was not installed properly. Companies generally tailor their warranties to meet consumer expectations and enhance their advertising.