Cob: Cob insulation idea

[lightearth at onebox.com]

Cob has been used as a building material mostly in warm/hot climates such as the Zone 8 warmth of the Pacific northwest or the desert and such....we're doing a modified Cordwood structure using Cob instead of cement and insulating between the outter layer of cob/wood and the inner wall because we're in the Great Lakes area that gets very cold and stays there for months!

No , Cob isn't a real great insulator but it makes good thermal mass which is good if the days warm up some (After a cooler night)but really SUCKS if they stay below freezing (and below zero for periods) for along time as they'll radiate your internal heat out through the walls and build up a cold so deep it'll take alot of energy to warm those walls up!

Also the thermal mass on the INSIDE of an insulated (or call it OUTSULATED) Cob wall helps to store the internal heat generated inside the building as it can't so easily escape out to the cold outside...

This is another reason that people use Strawbale walls instead of Cob, for alot of insulation....we're trying to hybridize something that utilizes CITY waste streams with natural earth i.e. - 2x4's, clay, sand, waste paper+other non-toxic insulating ingredients!

Hope that helps, write if you need further info.

Marlin

<snip>
From:     andrea arnold <yodasroom at yahoo.com>


I'm a little confused - I thought cob walls didn't
need a layer of insulation in the middle.

wouldn't a thick solid cob wall be more insulating and
quicker and easier than making two thinner cob walls
with a layer inbetweeen as you are doing?

Please explain - thanks!

Andrea