[Cob] Cob DOES not resist our weather, and COWS.

[Matthew Caswell]

Hiya,  I appreciate the help I got from this mail list earlier this year (guess what, it helped the most on a Philmont trek :] ).  At the beginning of our summer here (Illinoise, USA) I built a test cob wall and some test cob bricks.  I plastered them and such...and waited till winter.  What I found is that the cob re-mudified and literally washed away in the fall and  winter so far (we get wet winters).  I may build a facility out of cob here in the future, but I was wondering some ideas to plaster it effectively.  In Cimaron, New Mexico I observed some different plasters, one of which was thin boards of wood (pine, maybe) that were slanted at a 45° angle from the ground, which plastered the building.  On top of this was regular siding.  Does anyone have any suggestions?  I'm also looking for an alternative to concrete, gravel or rocks for foundation.  Thank you, Matt.