[Cob] cob/straw bale sandwich wall

[Jon Kerr]

On Jul 21, 2008, at 4:05 AM, Robert Alcock wrote:
>
> Is it better to put up the straw bale wall first, put in the bond beam
> and roof/floor beams, and then do the cob? The advantage of getting  
> the
> roof on quickly is obvious, but then I'm concerned that the straw  
> bales
> alone won't be strong enough to hold the roof.

It's always very important to keep the walls covered while building.  
I'd be tempted to do it however is easiest but remember to cover  
everything with tarps at the end of each day. Another method I've  
seen is to build a temporary frame first and put up the roof, then  
build the walls underneath. When the walls are about done, remove the  
frame and set the roof down on the walls, then just fill in the gaps.  
Voilá!

Hope those are worthwhile suggestions.

Jon