Ref.: Cob: RE: patio walls?

[Kelly, Sean]

What is this potassium silicate?  A sealant of some sort?  Does it have any
outgassing issues, or toxicity issues?  Does it breathe enough to keep the
wall healthy?

Sean

-----Original Message-----
From: ortoneda [mailto:ortoneda at wanadoo.es]
Sent: Friday, May 12, 2000 9:36 AM
To: coblist at deatech.com
Subject: Ref.: Cob: RE: patio walls?


I've used succesfully potassium silicate outdoors and I strongly recommend
it. Actually I would really like to see potassium silicate paint as a
standart for all cob, indoors and outdoors. Outdoors because of the weather,
indoors because of the dust. Making experiments is extremely valuable, but
if cob has to be professional we need of formulae that are effective and
universal. I am introducing cob in Spain and fighting the image many people
has of cob, strawbale, etc as experimental. I do commercial eco-building
work, have several employees and pay taxes, I cannot afford experiments that
would put costumers off and put myself facing risks that could take my
company down. I cannot go around looking for pieces of marble or specially
shaped stones. I can do it privately, never as an employer. I can't get
enough  fresh horse shit for some people to do plastering 8 hours a day and
not a way to have it delivered to the building site that is cost effective.
Experimenting is good, bu!
t unless we use what we learn  to get a standart that is universal,
practical and reasonably priced,  it's barely idle and anecdotical. By the
way and keeping in the realm of the anecdotical, I covered a cob oven with
cooked flour as if painting, the oven has stood outdoors for over a year,
weathering heavy rains, hail, and three weeks of snow with only minor
damages. For the garden wall I recommend potassium silicate.
-- 
    -   Mateu Ortoneda Colomar
                Infant Paga, 3,  1
               Palma de Mallorca
                    07010-SPAIN