[Cob] lime in with the clay

[michael hollihn]

howard, thanks for your insights on lime, i live in bc and am pulling
what's left of my hair out trying to find out if north america has any
quality lime to build with, i will insert a bit of commentary that
i've recieved from a greenbuilding list:

> Limestone out of our local NE Kansas quarries do definitely not get
> stronger over the ages.  This stone can be very soft, easily flaking
> away or
> literally melting in the rain.

Sacie's experience with limestone is a fine example of the folly in
bandying-about generalisations as fact because generalisations (including
this one) are usually wrong.

----

There are (relatively) old limestone buildings here in Ontario built in
the 19th C that are self-destructing because the stone is literally
rotting from the inside out (ie high iron content).

And as Sacie mentions, there are very soft limestones, some that are soft
enough to cut with a handsaw while still "fresh" from quarrying  (ie
before the process of carbonation has gone on for very long to harden the
outer portions exposed to the atmosphere.)
"

no one has been able to anwer me yet on these above statements about
ontario and kansas lime, whether it was the fault of the builder or
the lime, and whether or not there are quality sources of lime in
north america

-- 
michael hollihn,
british columbia,
www.michaelhollihn.wordpress.com (bioregional timber frames)
www.kettleriverfood.ning.com (building food security in the kettle
River watershed)
'Be the change that you want to see' ghandi