Cob:Insulation & papercrete-bad idea

[Sojourner]

Well, other than to say you don't like the thought, you give no reason
why you think papercrete and cob is a "bad idea".

So going from there -

crtaylor wrote:
> 
> Well, I hate to say this but no cobber I know would want a cement based
> material anywhere near cob...it ruins the purpose of earth-friendly and
> recyclable for one, and cob stands very well on its own and is cheaper
> without the addition of wire and cement cost.

I know at least one guy who was talking about papercrete as a possible
way to get some insulation in his cob house.

I have NO IDEA how well it would work, if at all.

As far as being "earth friendly", I personally don't have an issue with
the use of concrete, except that I don't much care for it personally
from the standpoint of my own sense of aesthetics.  There is no need to
eliminate it altogether.  I plan on using concrete for my footers. 
Concrete has many perfectly good applications.

Whether or not papercrete is one of them, I can't really say - but I
won't dismiss it out of hand just because it uses concrete.

Lumber, adobe mixes, sand, gravel - all of these building materials
nearly always have to be harvested/mined from SOMEWHERE, and trucked to
where ever you are using them.  Concrete's no worse, IMO.  In fact, from
the standpoint of longevity of the building, a concrete building that
lasts virtually forever actually could be said to leave a smaller
footprint on the earth's ecology - as opposed to the current fad for
stick-frame buildings that are often decrepit and require extensive
repairs in 20 or 30 years, and are usually a lost cause in less than 50.

> Insulation value of Papercrete has NOT be tested, all supposition
> at this point. It probably insulates well, but  we don't know for
> sure.

Insulative value of COB hasn't really been tested - it CAN'T be, due to
the variation from one building to the next on just what went into it.

Papercrete's worth looking into, anyway, if you're concerned about
insulating a northern cob house.  It may not work out, but who knows? 
Maybe it could.

> Wayne's intentions are good...but combining two very different
> material/methods especially earth and cement is not so good. 

Oh, come now.  There's no real reason to be a hardliner.  There is no
rational reason why combining building materials and methods, if
properly done, with forethought and common sense, couldn't result in
success - and a very interesting house.  It's the BUILDER'S
sensibilities that need to be satisfied.  He or she is the one who has
to be happy, content, and comfortable.

Holly ;-D