Introduction: Building a New 20 Foot Gertee

About: I'm a full time researcher and writer who began seeking alternative housing in order to continue my work (which doesn't pay very well). Along the way I became a cold weather housing researcher and full time yu…

In the spring of 2008 we built a 20x24' wooden platform for a whole new 20 foot gertee. The walls are 7 feet high, the center height is 12 feet, and there's a 4 foot wide roofring with a recycled plastic wndow covering the hole.

Some of the materials for this one were new, i.e. the white marine duck canvas outside wall cover and the 30' pool cover tarp used on the outside roof. Inside the roof is a layer of used parachute. In October I added an inside layer of painter's plastic and covered it with recycled and new RadiantGuard.

This gertee was Camp Redington's Alaskan Peoples Museum all summer. We began modifying it into a winter home in late September. The remodel is ongoing.

A special thanks to Tim Redington for his carpentry skills and especially for giving us a place to build our weird little huts. We never could have done this without his assistance. His quirky Alaskan pioneer's knack for recycling materials continues to amaze me.

This 20 foot model cost $600.00 in wood for the platform, $300.00 in lumber for the frame, approximately $300.00 for exterior coverings and another $300.00 in misc used and new materials. The cost of the recycled materials: priceless.