Cob: stucco question

[Michael Saunby]

> Tar paint to the rescue!
>
> Although a waterproof layer is supposed to cause trouble with
> delaminating  and sloughing, it sounds like the only solution in some
> locales.  Like wind-driven rain locales where three foot eaves aren't
enough.
>
> Jay, do you see patching or constant maintenance where people in England
> use that tar  paint on cob?
>
> I've seen pictures of the erosion that backsplash causes, and I wouldn't
> want it on my house.  That's why I like the three foot plinth that Mike
Wye
> recommends.
>

I'm pretty sure the tradition of painting with tar (bituminous) paint only
really applies to the stone plinth that forms the bottom few feet of
traditional cob walls.  Having said that I'm sure I've read that the
tradition of black plinth and white limewashed walls is nothing like as
ancient as the buildings, probably a Victorian idea of maybe a bit earlier.

The tar paint certainly doesn't last a very long time, say five years or so,
but as it's only covering stone it's largely cosmetic anyway.

There aren't many (any?) unrendered cob houses in Devon, though there are a
fair number of cob barns with no obvious render or paint to protect them.
It strikes me that over the centuries very different levels of maintenance
have been applied both to houses and barns, sometime neglected for long
stretches and at other times regularly limewashed, or lime rendered.  It's
always the case, everywhere, that more fuss is given to new structures, or
when ownership changes.

Michael Saunby