Cob: RE: Re: Temperatures

[Darel Henman]

A few corrections inline below.

Darel
------------------

Graham Cooper wrote:
> 
> There has been a very active discussion about thermal mass,
> insulation properties & passive solar. I would sum up.
> 
> IMHO - for very cold sub-arctic winters, cob is not appropriate. I'd use
> wood not mud.

There's little difference for the same volume of material, except that
cob won't rot, warp, or become termite infested.  I suppose that you're
talking thin boards, which would not function except to keep the rain
and snow out.  You neglected the use of insulation.   The main problem
would be would the incessant freezing and unfreezing of a building
material.  Though cob is reported to be used in Scandinavian countries
with no problem.

An important lead would be to answer the question, "How did the native
peoples in the very cold sub-artic winters shelter themselves.    Again
a good clay soil may not be available in permafrost areas.   Timber
trees were not available in other places.   Any Alaska Indians or
Inuits(sp?) historical experts out there?

Local materials usage should be an important criteria.

> For regions from arctic to temperate and for cold north-facing walls -
> there's straw bale, cob & cordwood
Again cordwood would be about the same as cob.  A little worse probably,
if cement were used as the mortar.

> For regions from temperate to tropical - simple cob is ideal.

Cob would not be good for continually hot areas.  You'd want the place
to cool down at night as quickly as possible.

> For hot deserts, tents work best with a nomadic lifestyle.
Cob would be great here.  Keep you cool in the daytime and warm during
the very cold desert nights.  Tents would not be fun in a freezing or
near freezing winter night. 

> 
> Graham Cooper
> Seattle
>