Cob: Thermal mass works, PAHS works, Insulation works

[Amanda Peck]

The three house types--heavily insulated, passive solar thermal mass, PAHS, 
might each have their place, work better under different conditions.  Not 
all appropriate for everywhere.  No matter how much we hope they'd be.

Yeah, my friends would laugh at you.  They tend to laugh at everyone who 
isn't them.  Oh, well.  They do have their good points.

And the community center in question is mostly stick-built, not much 
insulation, not much solar gain, partly up on stilts with the underside 
open.  It houses a shower, washing machine, ping-pong table, and a kitchen 
with a large dining room.  And it's inhabited for maybe 9 hours a week. 
Built by a committee on a tight budget back in the 70's.  The weekly dinner 
is the big event there.  I'm a guest member.

Using this as an example. Yes, we would care if, five or six months out of 
the year, it took two or three days to get the place warmed up enough to 
have a pot-luck dinner there.  It works better for that purpose to be able 
to come in, start a fire in one or both wood stoves and have the place 
comfortable within half an hour.

PAHS in our rocky soil?  trying to dig down through little rocks, big rocks, 
Great Dane sized boulders, rock ledges?  With backhoe guys that don't show 
up for six months?  I'm not going to do it.  If I were to move back to the 
Sandhills of North Carolina I might try.


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