Cob:

[Meagan McAleese]

Hello Jill,
Straw bales work so well because of the bale. Loose straw is a fire hazard, 
while the compaction of the bale renders it nearly fire proof. I'm not sure 
of the insulation value but I would assume that the bale improves this as 
well. (My bit off off-topic material)
A note on your house design. The perimeter of the house (Exterior walls) is 
what costs money. Extra square feet of roof is minor compared to an extra 
feet of exterior wall. The first thing I notice about your house plans is a 
phenomenal amount of perimeter. Yes, Cob is 'dirt' cheap but still, wouldn't 
you get a whole lot more square footage for the same price if you made it 
square, or even better, round??


Jill wrote: "Do you just tear up the straw bales and put in a layer? Or do 
you need to keep them in the bale form for some reason?


_________________________________________________________________
MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE*  
http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus