Cob RE: light-clay

[suetoddchelceylindsayolivia]

Dear John,

the input on "light-clay straw" wall construction continues to be intriguing but I'm looking for some more specific information about the quality of the walls insulative properties.... specifically what is the theoretical r-value per inch of wall construction using this technique?  I am interested in building a conventionally framed house (for the most part) with 6 inch thick walls.   If I infill this framing with the light-clay technique, what total r-value should I expect.  Can I expect to convince building inspectors in a suburban sprawl county (spotsylvania, Va) to embrace such a methodology?  Are their definitive fire and insulative value studies to support this technique?  Thanks for whatever responses are fothcoming....  You may respond to the group if you think it is appropriate.  Otherwise I may be reached at:


Todd Larkin
zimbabwe at ns.gemlink.com

----------
From: 	John Schinnerer
Sent: 	Wednesday, February 18, 1998 9:35 AM
To: 	'coblist at deatech.com'
Subject: 	Cob RE: light-clay

Aloha,

-----Original Message-----
>Where can I learn more about it?

  The north wall of the office building of the Permaculture institute of 
Northern California  is built using light-clay (the rest is cob).  I saw part 
of a video showing a workshop in light-clay building at my permaculture 
design workshop.  I still haven't found the article I think I have (it's a 
different one than Paul has offered us).  If I can find source info for these 
and anything else I'll post it...

I've seen other takes on what's in the page Paul has offered.  That is 
actually the thickest wall technique I've heard of so far.  Most of the light 
clay I've seen is 4 - 12 inches thick.  Some of the thinner ones (4 - 6 
inches) are simply conventional stud framing with straw-clay infill.  The 
article I hope to find shows a method of making thicker walls, based on 
timber or stud framing, without using a ton of extra wood; I think the 
thickest suggested was about 12 inches.  The thinner the wall, the less time 
it takes to dry (and the less insulative it is), so the one year drying time 
mentioned in the article Paul has is specific to the very thick walls that 
builder recommends.

John Schinnerer

-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: application/ms-tnef
Size: 3325 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://www.deatech.com/pipermail/coblist/attachments/19980218/beba7da6/attachment.bin>