[Cob] Thermal attic/PET offgassing?

[Shody Ryon]

Well how about HDPE, high density polyethylene? If that works, poly tubing used in irrigation is polyethylene and comes in many sizes, I am thinking of 6 or 8 inch diameter pipe filled with water and capped at both ends sitting on racks. Still don't like that? How about ferro cement or stainless steel troughs as shelves (they would need to have covers)? how about birch bark, white oak or elm and asphalt emulsion? How about food grade enamel on metal, as in roofing used in rain water collection systems that collect drinking water? How about 6 or 8 inch diameter steel, copper or glass pipes filled with water, capped at both ends?

This would be more costly and heavier than plastic, but it is do able and would not add significant structural cost to standard wood framing, and the cost savings in upfront costs for a furnace or boiler (for hydronic heating) and the ongoing maintence and monthly utility (corn cobs, wood pellets, fire wood or?) bill more than justifies the expense, let a lone the savings to the planet in a reduced energy foot print, by substituting thermal solar gain (the most efficient form of solar energy used at this time) for other burning types of energy such as coal or what ever people use besides solar.

It is the very obvious responsible thing to do, and I am very open to discussion. Thanks for the interest in the subject.

Too me, the most important aspect of building green is energy, be is for heating and cooling including domestic hot water, which is preheated in the thermal attic, be it the choice of R value and thermal storage used in construction or be it the embedded energy in the materials used for construction. It is quite obvious to me, however, I have been incorrect in my assumptions in the past, so please talk me through this so I do not steer anyone down the wrong path.

Thanks
Shody

--- On Sun, 4/5/09, Barbara Roemer <roemiller4 at gmail.com> wrote:

> From: Barbara Roemer <roemiller4 at gmail.com>
> Subject: [Cob] Thermal attic/PET offgassing?
> To: coblist at deatech.com
> Date: Sunday, April 5, 2009, 8:45 PM
> > Thanks, Dorothy and Shody for
> your responses on this topic.  Shody, I
> > agree, of course, about plastics being ubiquitous, but
> that's also in part
> > why I'm concerned about PET bottles.  As I said
> before, I'm not a
> > scientist.  The "T" in PET bottlers stands for
> terrapthalate, and it's
> > pthlalates that are associated with (not necessarily
> causal) autism in vinyl
> > flooring.  I'd rather err the safe side of less
> rather than more exposure to
> > potential toxins, esp. in my living space. 
> Probably the weight of glass
> > would be difficult to deal with.  I'm not sure
> there is a good solution, but
> > I appreciate your thoughts!
> 
> 
> 
> Barbara