[Cob] smallest house design / kitchen appliances

[Mike Swink]

This is what my brother in law discovered. Of course he used fiberglass
insulation but cob/straw would be better.
 He found it worked so good that to keep things from freezeing he built
cabinets with polystrene sides.

If the walls were cob on the outside strawbale and then sheetrock inside or
cob plaster it should last forever. The use of a simple 99.oo dollar window
airconditor,that you dismantle the on and off switch and replace it with
wires going outside of the ac/unit then to a regular thermo coupler. It has
a tube that measure the temp a little knob on top to set to cut off temp and
open the two wires causing the ac to cut off and on.

You will find in the ac unit will not need to come on but twice a day. And
use very small amount of electricity. The size can be only the width of the
ac unit or a gaint walk in. Home made vent for winter or summer that allows
heat from unit to go outside or inside is a good option.

Note it takes longer for these but in time they pay back more than anything.
Also if you go to Amory Lovins Site and Rocky Mt Insitute SP? You might can
get a copy of the description of how he took a refidgerator took the heat
source/ out from under the fridge. placed behind unite with vent. add
insulation. The same with your stove. And capture all heat from top of stove
with open vent. in winter the heat is used to help heat home with very small
solar solar fan.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "SUSAN EVANS" <susansevans at msn.com>
To: "Jilly" <JILLPRUETT at peoplepc.com>; <coblist at deatech.com>
Sent: Friday, October 24, 2003 12:40 PM
Subject: [Cob] smallest house design / kitchen appliances


I've been looking at various web sites with house plans - log cabin
manufacturers, etc. for ideas also.  Have you checked out this site -
thousands of plans, and searchable by size, style, etc.
http://www.coolhouseplans.com/index.html

While building small initially is an important consideration, I would
definitely include those features that are important to me.  That includes
the ability to use home-grown produce - so food storage and processing space
matters to me.  Of course, you can also design in such a way that you could
add on - maybe a tiny kitchen for the first year that expands into a small
"great room" could become a harvest kitchen, laundry/pantry/food storage
area the next year or so?  As for appliances and tools - no reason why you
couldn't try to buy used compact appliances and then sell them later when/if
you decide to expand.

Sue Evans

In an attempt to plan the smallest cob house possible, per the advice of the
cob-building books I have, I am having trouble with the design. Most, if not
all the houses that I see, both online and off, don't have a bathroom or a
place for a washer/dryer, much less a refrigerator. Any resource
suggestions?
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