Cob: practical difference between cob & rammed earth

[Robert Bolman]

Gail asked:

>How do you know which is the way to go between rammed earth or cob?

Do rammed earth if you have lots of money and it's to be a larger structure
that needs a permit.  Do cob if you have more time & energy than you have
money.

>Is any one better than the other in certain ways?

Cob has more of a natural, whimsical sort of beauty.  Rammed earth is more
rectilinear - although certainly of a beauty of its own.  Rammed earth is
more "mainstream"  Cob is more "counterculture".

>I haven't seen any pictures of finished homes showing the kitchen and
>bathrooms. Also, what about appliances? Refrigerators, washers, tv and
>computers?

You could put them it both types of homes.  You're generally more likely to
find upscale appliances and "stuff" in a rammed earth home.  People in a cob
home would wash their dishes by hand and maybe even have a cold closet
instead of a refrigerator.

>I'd like to do some searching for property now as the first step,
preferably
>Oregon, but haven't found a website to my liking for raw land?

How rural versus urban do you want to be?

>I know I sound so green!

Yes, well you gotta start somehwere.
Be well,
Rob