[Cob] Cob on a north slope CA mass inefficiency

[Janet Standeford]

Hi Barbara,Thank you for the input.

Actually, the only thing different for me regarding the LaPorte home is 
I'm not buying a ready made stove. I have repeatedly stated I am 
building a "Baffled Fireplace" with a well fitted damper and a custom 
glass front with adjustable vents. This fireplace will function just 
like the baffled stove you mentioned. I even intend to extend those 
baffles into the walls if Shane will approve it. Don't see why he wouldn't.

Someone just wrote me that pipes to heat the floor are known to cause 
thrombosis to will put those into the walls close to the interior as well.

I am using a LOT of straw in the sandy clay which is at least half clay. 
That's why I just bought so much straw.

My foundation is going to be insulated per the County and also per the 
County, my roof is going to be heavily insulated.

I will also have an electric thermostatically controlled heater or two 
per the County.

This is a home engineered by a Civil/Structural Engineer and the County 
will be approving my plans. They know this area as well as I do and they 
won't allow me to do anything that is out of line. They are always 
watching out for energy consumption as well.

I prefer temps between 50 and 65 so nobody needs to worry about me 
burning too many trees.

I will build ALL cob above ground and up to the roof and have it 
permitted. Under ground will be the insulated foundation, earthbags and 
rocks. In the walls will be poles to support the roof and for tie downs.

Janet Standeford OR
www.buildingnaturally.info (Owned by you)
A resource for healthy homes.



On 7/20/2010 10:27 PM, Barbara Roemer wrote:
> Janet, Charmaine suggested I pop in here.  I've followed your posts loosely,
> but don't know your zone.  Ours, on the federal schedule, not Sunset Mag, is
> about 7.5.  We have southwest-facing land, heavily timbered.  The timber
> breaks cold winds, the slope drains off cold air, our coldest lows lie at
> about 18 degrees, with normal winter low temps anywhere from 22-38 degrees.
> We have hot summers, though over 90 is very hot for us, with a 30 degree
> diurnal difference, so it still cools off at night.  The heavy yellow
> pine/mixed woodland forest here transpires plenty so the air isn't as dry as
> it would be otherwise.  Our elevation is about 3500 feet, up on the San Juan
> Ridge above Grass Valley/Nevada City in the northern CA Sierra foothills,
> 39.3 degrees north, 121 degrees west.
>
> With all that as background, I wouldn't build a cob house here.  I have
> friends with one, and their rocket stove is mostly fired all winter.  we
> helped other friends nearby with their straw clay LaPorte designed home.  It
> stays toasty, but has a LOT of  straw, an insulated foundation, and a
> heavily insulated roof, as well as a sunspace bump-out on the southern side
> &  careful southern siting.  They also put in a Tuli Kivi baffled masonry
> stove, a major investment, but works beautifully.  You can see all of this
> at LaPorte's website.
>
> A hybrid is the way to go for this climate.  I'd put bales on the north and
> west, heavy thermal mass in the floors and interior south facing walls,
> strawclay on the south because it's easy to deal with odd spaces around all
> those windows,and probably straw clay on the east - mass for summer and
> insulation for winter.  Even if it's a small house, you'd want a structure
> in conditions similar to ours to be super efficient, and a hybrid best
> addresses the varying conditions. Relative tightness of your building
> envelope also matters - a LOT.  Good luck!
>
> Barbara Roemer
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