Cob: Re: Showers in Cob houses

[Michael Saunby]

For what it's worth the bathroom here at Teachmore (C17th cob farmhouse) has
been in for about 20 years I guess.  We recently re-tiled and replaced some
of the pipework etc. unlike cob houses, even well cared for plumbing doesn't
last centuries.  The room is a fair size (12ft x 6ft + a bit) with a
ventilated window. The exterior cob walls are not tiled, just painted with
(breathable) matt emulsion and the tiled interior wall by the bath is not
cob (plasterboard). At the end of the bath is a cob wall (the chimney
breast), when the old tiles were removed no damage to the earth plaster
beneath was noticed, there is no sign of damage to the cob.

My gut feeling is that breathable coatings on any parts of walls and ceiling
that are not likely to be frequently splashed would be best, sure moisture
will get in, but at least it can get out again. Reqular splashing of cob,
e.g. at the base of an external wall, does it no good at all, the same will
be true for a bathroom, and it makes a muddy mess too.

Cob is a very resilient material, 300 year old wood, brick or stone
buildings tend to be in much poorer shape than cob in the UK climate, your
climate may differ.  Then again bathrooms only came inside about 1900.

Michael Saunby