[Cob] RE: Foundations and cob

[Yun Que]

   Cat here!  The protection is for the rain when it bounces up off the
   ground in a hard rain. Or in driving rains that normaly don't last too
   long and can be repaired after the storm.  This is also a problem with
   tomato plants when folks weed to ernestly about their bottoms and the
   water hits the hard ground and bounces against the stems bringing up
   bactiria from the ground to blight the plant.  So with the stem wall
   that is also called a knee wall because you can mesure it by where
   your knee is if your not too small it is between 18 and 20"  But in
   all this if you have a nice healthy roof overhang you will protect
   most of your wall anyway.  Porch all around.  For this look at the
   island thatch cottages of the Irish sea coast.  It's all been done
   before folks this is not about reinventing the wheel this is about
   looking around you and finding what you need under your feet and
   having the fath to be alive in what you do!
   for the good of all C.
       ______________________________________________________________

     From: "Mary Lou McFarland" <louiethefifth at hotmail.com>
     To: Coblist at deatech.com
     Subject: [Cob] RE: Foundations and cob
     Date: Tue, 01 Nov 2005 09:34:13 -0600
     >I'm getting confused on a couple of points about this question. I
     >would consider what is below ground or below grade to be
     foundation.
     > On top of the foundation would be the bond beam which would be
     the
     >continuous circle of concrete that holds the structure, more or
     less
     >together during shifting in the ground. Then would be the stem
     wall
     >which is the rocks that go up into the cob. (or urbanite if you
     are
     >recycling) I saw a special on cabin in the canadian rockies and
     >this old fellow said that the water protection came from the
     height
     >of the stem wall and that he would never build a cabin on a stem
     >wall less than eighteen inches tall. This guy was like....ancient
     >so I suppose he has seen a lot of cabins in his time. Don't forget
     >that wide roof overhang. Okay, I'm getting off track. Mean't to
     >ask if their concern was actually the foundation or the stem wall,
     >since in the original posting the foundation and the rocks that
     >joined the cob were both mentioned.
     >
     >
     >
     >_______________________________________________
     >Coblist mailing list
     >Coblist at deatech.com
     >http://www.deatech.com/mailman/listinfo/coblist