[Cob] two small questions

[Quinn]

Anyone know what the projected amount of shrinkage would be for a cob wall?  I understand that there are a lot of variables --proportion of materials, climate, etc--- but I'm wondering, ballpark.  10%?  20%?  And does it shrink in one direction more than another?  ie; gravity cause more shrinkage/ compression?

I'm wondering if one couldn't elaborate on Ed's idea about the ridgid foam by adding 1/2 or so of semi-soft foam (weatherstripping type stuff) inside the ridgid foam when one constructed the window.  Obviously it would have to go all the way across the top and bottom.  When the cob was completely dry it could be covered with a more attractive moldng of some kind.

Just a thought.
Quinn


> > .  I am wondering if anyone has made a 
> > double paned window like this.  
> 
> Copper:
>        I embedded a double pained window into cob. I anticipated a problem in 
> that cob shrinks as it dries, and I allowed for this by enclosing the two 
> pains of glass rigid foam insulation 1 inch thick for a 3 ft by 4 ft double 
> pained piece of glass. This was not quite enough in that the outer pain of glass 
> broke.