Cob: RE: Re: Cob/light clay hybrid

Fri Apr 20 11:02:03 CDT 2001

Hi Karen & Elke,

Perhaps a different approach can be used. I am thinking about making an
addition to my strawbale house utilizing light clay & cob. Between the
structural columns stretch some chicken wire and fill it with light clay.
Letting the light clay air dry till it is sticky, not soaking wet, before
stuffing the wire forms. Similar to letting wet cob dry out a bit, if it is
too wet, before working it into a wall. Once the light clay is dry then cob
both sides. Or just plaster the out side of the wall and cob the inside for
mass and creative expression.

Regards,
Will

-----Original Message-----
From: Elke Cole [mailto:elkec at island.net]
Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2001 6:31 PM
To: K. Clouston; coblist at deatech.com
Subject: Cob: Re: Cob/light clay hybrid

In my experience (on Vancouver Island) light clay dries slowly and probably
wouldn't make it inside two layers of cob before the straw starts rotting.
I've read about walls of light clay in Germany one foot thick that were
rotten within 5 years, because they never completely dried out at the
core...
Keeping the straw dry and stuffing the flakes into the wall might work?
Elke

presenting
Natural Builders Colloquium on Vancouver Island, BC
April 26- May 2, 2001
Check www.island.net/~elkec/calendar.htm#colloquium

for more info
----- Original Message -----
From: "K. Clouston" <dognyard at worldgate.com>
To: <coblist at deatech.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2001 9:28 PM
Subject: Cob: Cob/light clay hybrid

> Has anyone tried building a cob house building essentially hollow walls
> (with cob inside outside, letting them dry/cure, then tamping the hollow
> middle with light clay or slip straw? If so, how thick would the cob
> walls need to be in order to withstand the tamping of the slip straw?
>
> I'm wondering if this could, in essence speed up the drying/curing time
> of the walls. I live in a cold climate with potentially severe winters
> and would like to find a workable solution to the problems of
> freezing/thawing of uncured cob.
>
> Likewise, has anyone considered building large bricks of slip straw (not
> as large as straw bales, storing them until cured, then using those as
> infill within cob walls...perhaps in a honeycomb pattern or implementing
> a light wood frame construction with slip straw / cob walls?
>
> Karen Clouston,
> Alberta
>

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<P><FONT SIZE=2>Hi Karen & Elke,</FONT>
</P>

Perhaps a different approach can be used. I am thinking about making an addition to my strawbale house utilizing light clay & cob. Between the structural columns stretch some chicken wire and fill it with light clay. Letting the light clay air dry till it is sticky, not soaking wet, before stuffing the wire forms. Similar to letting wet cob dry out a bit, if it is too wet, before working it into a wall. Once the light clay is dry then cob both sides. Or just plaster the out side of the wall and cob the inside for mass and creative expression.

<P><FONT SIZE=2>Regards,</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Will</FONT>
</P>

-----Original Message-----
 From: Elke Cole [<A HREF="mailto:elkec at island.net">mailto:elkec at island.net</A>]
 Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2001 6:31 PM
 To: K. Clouston; coblist at deatech.com
 Subject: Cob: Re: Cob/light clay hybrid

<P><FONT SIZE=2>In my experience (on Vancouver Island) light clay dries slowly and probably</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>wouldn't make it inside two layers of cob before the straw starts rotting.</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>I've read about walls of light clay in Germany one foot thick that were</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>rotten within 5 years, because they never completely dried out at the</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>core...</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Keeping the straw dry and stuffing the flakes into the wall might work?</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Elke</FONT>
</P>

<P><FONT SIZE=2>presenting</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Natural Builders Colloquium on Vancouver Island, BC</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>April 26- May 2, 2001</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Check www.island.net/~elkec/calendar.htm#colloquium</FONT>
</P>

for more info
 ----- Original Message -----
 From: "K. Clouston" <dognyard at worldgate.com>
 To: <coblist at deatech.com>
 Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2001 9:28 PM
 Subject: Cob: Cob/light clay hybrid

> Has anyone tried building a cob house building essentially hollow walls
 > (with cob inside outside, letting them dry/cure, then tamping the hollow
 > middle with light clay or slip straw? If so, how thick would the cob
 > walls need to be in order to withstand the tamping of the slip straw?
 >
 > I'm wondering if this could, in essence speed up the drying/curing time
 > of the walls. I live in a cold climate with potentially severe winters
 > and would like to find a workable solution to the problems of
 > freezing/thawing of uncured cob.
 >
 > Likewise, has anyone considered building large bricks of slip straw (not
 > as large as straw bales, storing them until cured, then using those as
 > infill within cob walls...perhaps in a honeycomb pattern or implementing
 > a light wood frame construction with slip straw / cob walls?
 >
 > Karen Clouston,
 > Alberta
 >

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