[Cob] two pennies and indian cob

[divarose]

as a new member I have mainly sat back and listened, gathering advice. However, even though the owner wishes us to read all past 3 months of information from the group, I will have to ask the owner and groups permission to be excused and just ask dumb questions.
Living in north India does not allow me the flexibility to surf for the hours neccessary or join into group conversations.
I have access to one Email a day and thus will always be late in replies.
I do have questions, but these can wait for the moment. First I have thoughts.
Vol2, 83 suggested that alum may be fine, because it is used in textiles. As a textile artist I need to stress that ALL ways of colouring textiles involves dangerous chemicals in some part of the proccess. Alum, is just the safest for the environment when it comes to disposal.Because it is used traditionally does not mean it is safe, just that it is safer , than say the chrome mordants.Until we all become like ghandi and only wear unbleached cloth, it will have to remain a problem that we create in the environment.
This volume also talked about the use of soap and alum together. While, someone more scientific than me may shoot down my argument, I suggest that by looking back to the Salas "Farmers bulletin", that information can be gleaned from between the lines. It states that alum added to lime increases its adhesive property and when soap is added to lime it creates an oil-like finish. Soap/ specifically olive oil soap is used in Morrocco to form Tadelak. A waterproof finish that looks like marble. Lime,sand, pigment and soap are the ingrediants. However part of the proccess is also the rubbing by stone to create the pressure and smoothness of finish. Small cracks are naturally expected to form to give a veining effect. The same principles are used here in India to create frescos. I am still trying to gather information about this.
Now in Vol2, 81, i think, someone mentioned the african proccess of redecorating their houses each year. maybe I can explain why this neccessity and why it frustrates a westerner, by explaining my situation.
 Partly it is cultural. Here in India there is a philosophy that nothing should last forever, for if it did how would further work evolve, thus a mud/cob and thatch house is not meant to last more than 15 years before serious reconstruction is neccessary. (usually by demolishing and starting again). We also use mitti/earth to create sculptural forms. Here however, they are designed only to last a certain time and part of the proccess is allowing them to disintergrate back into the soil, or we throw them in the river, symbolically.Secondly, there is the spiritual dimension of welcoming in the new year and cleaning up after monsoon.
At the moment monsoon is just finishing and I have spent 3 months watching the rains puddle the ground and the insect life taking refuge in my cob walls. The 8 to 10 varieties of ants have at least 2 homes and many an hour can be spent watching them migrate from home to home. The fact is though that their "refuge" is more likely to be in an area you dont want them and thus a battle is drawn, with the humans usually being the losers, unless they revert to chemical warfare.Im an organic baby and also make my living from westerners coming to sit and watch the animal life so cannot resort to such techniques. We can use Copper sulphate with limewash as a deterent, but Im looking for something which I can apply into the earth, more than coat it. maybe I need to strip my neem trees? Any ideas?
As well as the ants, there are the frogs, hornets, various other burrowing things and the shrews which enjoy the home comforts. Monsoon is a time of growth and aliveness in the animal kingdom. I have 8 traditional "bengali styled" jhoparies or huts. No drainage is put in and only the local mud/earth/mitti is used to create them. They paint themselves in mould of white, lime and turquoise as the moisture creeeps. Quite arty actually.
After 4 years I am beginning to be alittle tired of the upkeep and thus have joined the group to find alternative methods of finishing.At the moment I am wondering whether any will be feasible for me as I always have some dampness in the base of my walls. 80% of the walls have the hardness of concrete.
I have read that lime needs to be applied on dry walls, is this absolutely essential or can I get away with some dampness?
If I cannot; can anyone suggest an alternative coating I could apply on the first 18" of my walls. This is where I get most insect damage and also scuffing from furniture and mould/mildew. I have thought of embedding marble chips into the base lepai (finishing) coat and thus making it easier for the lime mix to adhere.Marble is cheap here.
 I think I will have to use a lime/earth/straw mix for the lepai as I get much movement in the walls, especially in april and may when the desert winds come through. These are strong enough to blow over brick fences and my thatch rooves receive a beating between them and the birds, who think it is ideal nesting material.
The huts have 3 verandahs of 5 foot width, designed more to keep the sun out and the environment cool, that rain off the walls. Of the two walls that have been exposed to the elements over the last 4 years, only one has shown any decay, but that is more from a mix of building styles than anything. The wall that has shown no damage to rain has no windows and thus is structurally stronger.
my problem has been where doors and windows are, and where the roof supports are adhered into the mud.These structures, because i wanted large windows have been built of half cured brick and where there is a join I have had cracking in the walls.
After a year of having the local experts  plaster over the problem, for it just to reappear I have taken to doing the work myself.It was a bit like fixing a broken leg with a kiss and a bandaid, so now Im in the midst of major surgery ,and I have discovered that if I, the westerner took over all the cob work I could make it last past a month and into years.Can't give you any mixes. here earth is earth and sand and clay arent separated. The mistry (expert) can tell by looking at a soil if it is "good" or not. Indian soil is fine clay sand mix, which resists water (thus our flooding problem), and then also blows into a fine dust that covers everything in summer. Im treating it all abit like experimental cooking, earth/mitti and grass mix as feels right and then left steeped in moisture until it looks right. working so far-lol.
As I am on my own, it means that any techniques proffered to me need to be able to be done by just one person. Which brings me to my other question. Lime needs to be worked wet on wet? right? therefore has anyone any idea of how long this gives me in time of days. Do I have to do all the work in one day. I have high humidity and normally high temperatures, think florida or queensland. Im just moving into winter where I will have temps of 15' and mists and fogs that will hang around most days.
At the moment I just need to finish 3 jhoparies with a finishing coat that will stand up to general wear and tear. These are for guests, who arrive to visit during winter months. The other huts are half finished and are my project for the next few years and will enable me to play with a few new techniques.
One last question; is there a way I can test dry powdered lime to find out what type it is. here, lime comes in a sack marked concrete and there is no varieties it is just lime. it is like all white flowers are called champa. All I know about it is that traditionally here it is used for limewash, mixed with water, pigment and a resin, that smells like old socks, is amber choc brown in colour and probably comes from some kind of conifer. it also dissolves in water. Any guesses out there what I have in both the lime and the resin?
Sure wish I could organise a big party, it sounds like fun all those workshops and heaps of people to slip up walls.Okay, Ive been pretty good and mainly stuck to cob.But have been known to move into the spirit of earth as well. Anyone wanting to talk off line  to someone who talks multidimensionally, earth/building/spirit/sculpture/art/nature love to hear from you. get sick of just talking to the trees and the frogs -lol
yana
a New Zealander lost in India.