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Kiko Denzer on Art


Cob: cob countertop reality check!

Steve Lewis seaweedsteve at newmexico.com
Tue Oct 16 21:58:50 CDT 2001 

...."I've been thinking of a concrete countertop, but it occured to me cob or some such might work as well or better.  I would like to avoid concrete for the obvious reasons (emodied energy, etc) and I would like something that could take heat without scorching like plastic counters tend to, and is maybe cheaper than ceramic tile."........


AT the risk of not being PC, I wonder, at what point does using the best material for a job make more sense than going overboard to use a popular, but less fitting one?  This is a heavily watered horizontal surface here, folks!

If concrete is easily applied, lasts forever and it takes ONE  bag to solve a problem and it's only some percentage more embodied energy than lime, why NOT use it?  Is this a need to adhere to a contrived ideal?

If energy is what it's about, I bet you could skip one car trip for beer to cancel out that bag entirely.   A little perspective might be called for here!  

What is cement?  Rock, clay, lime, etc.  All earthen materials heated up, just as lime is, but hotter, as I understand it.     Lime IS great, especially when plasticity and permeability are important  and myself,  I favor clay whenever reasonable, BUT....
....And tile- how much energy goes into those kilns? 

What I can recommend is that you build up your "base cabinets" with cob,  shaping the base and sides with it.  You can make ledges for shelves as well.   But then,  concrete is so perfect for the top.  Think liquid stone, colored with earthen pigments, hand shaped and polished.  Can't be burned, cut, broken.  Lasts forever.   The stuff (cement) is perfect for this application!  

By the way, just got started today doing an exterior earth plaster on an adobe house.   Trying out linseed as a stabilizer.  It's a bit expensive but performed very well in the tests. It's mixing and applying very nicely so far.  1 gallon of linseed per wheelbarrow of plaster.

Steve
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<DIV><FONT face="Trebuchet MS" size=2><EM>...."I've been thinking of a concrete 
countertop, but it occured to me cob or some such might work as well or 
better.  I would like to avoid concrete for the obvious reasons (emodied 
energy, etc) and I would like something that could take heat without scorching 
like plastic counters tend to, and is maybe cheaper than ceramic 
tile."........</EM><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Trebuchet MS" size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Trebuchet MS" size=2>AT the risk of not being PC, I wonder, at 
what point does using the best material for a job make more sense than going 
overboard to use a popular, but less fitting one?  This is a heavily 
watered horizontal surface here, folks!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Trebuchet MS" size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Trebuchet MS" size=2>If concrete is easily applied, lasts 
forever and it takes ONE  bag to solve a problem and it's only some 
percentage more embodied energy than lime, why NOT use it?  Is this a need 
to adhere to a contrived ideal?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Trebuchet MS" size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Trebuchet MS" size=2>If energy is what it's about, I bet you 
could skip one car trip for beer to cancel out that bag 
entirely.   A little perspective might be called for here!  
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Trebuchet MS" size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Trebuchet MS" size=2>What is cement?  Rock, clay, lime, 
etc.  All earthen materials heated up, just as lime is, but hotter, as I 
understand it.     Lime IS great, especially when 
plasticity and permeability are important  and myself,  I favor clay 
whenever reasonable, BUT....</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Trebuchet MS" size=2>....And tile- how much energy goes into 
those kilns? </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Trebuchet MS" size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Trebuchet MS" size=2>What I can recommend is that you build up 
your "base cabinets" with cob,  shaping the base and sides with it.  
You can make ledges for shelves as well.   But 
then,  concrete is so perfect for the top.  Think liquid stone, 
colored with earthen pigments, hand shaped and polished.  Can't be burned, 
cut, broken.  Lasts forever.   The stuff (cement) is perfect for 
this application!  </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Trebuchet MS" size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Trebuchet MS" size=2>By the way, just got started today doing 
an exterior earth plaster on an adobe house.   Trying out linseed as a 
stabilizer.  It's a bit expensive but performed very well in the 
tests. It's mixing and applying very nicely so far.  1 gallon of linseed 
per wheelbarrow of plaster.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Trebuchet MS" size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Trebuchet MS" size=2>Steve</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>