[Cob] Do I have the right idea?

[T Smyth]

Hi,
  I'm new to the list and new to cob building but I think it's a wonderful idea. I've been in love with stone/earthen houses for a long time and since reading about cob houses all day I've kind of got a rough plan in my head. If someone could give me some feedback on if what I'm thinking is ok it'd be great.
   
  I live in Missouri - winters are usually snowy with temps around freezing, some days as low as 0 degrees F or slightly below. Usually about 10 Hours of sunlight in the dead of winter, Missouri is in the Midwest of USA.
   
  Ok, I'm thinking of a design roughly four leaf clover shaped. Kitchen/living area open to each other, bathroom, one bedroom. Small with enough room for 1-2 people and simple, clean, uncluttered living. Most of the furniture built in including the bed, couches, and bookshelves. The house would be built about halfway up a hill taking advantage of winter light. The whole structure would be dug out 3-4 feet below ground level. A root cellar would be built below the kitchen level and into the hillside accessed by a staircase in the kitchen and lined with stone. The roof would be either cone shaped or have a peak line(right term?). The foundation would be mortar-ed slabs of stone rising about one foot above ground level(making the actual cob only 3-4ft), the floor would be tile or stone set on a compacted sand base. Walls a minumum of 2ft thick and load bearing. The living room would have a cob fireplace and the bedroom would as well. Tongue in groove boards and poles to hold
 up the ceiling with plywood, foam insulation, and more plywood followed by a metal roof(making a vaulted ceiling). Outside windows would be double or triple pane and with the interior windows between rooms being stained glass.
   
  My questions are: Would there need to be additional drainage/waterproofing on the foundation other than the natural drainage of the site? (assuming it is already well drained)
   
  Would two fireplaces be enough to heat the house in winter considering the natural insulation of the mostly soil surround of the house? Would some type of insulation be needed below the floor and outside of the stone foundation walls? Would the house in any way be 'damp' by being underground - like a basement?
   
  I get that cob lasts much longer than the modern houses built in the US, but does it really insulate as well or better? Assuming the windows, doors, and roof are insulated to the max?
   
  Are pests a problem with cob houses? Any increase in the frequency of ants, mold, or other things?
   
  Thank you for your time. I'd really appreciate information from people who actually live in cob houses especially.
   
  Tiffany

       
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