Cob: Re: rat runs in cob walls (fwd)

[Sheila]

I've heard that having a house lifted off the ground by a foot or so is what
prevents rats from finding a place interesting to burrow in.  Is the only
way to build a cob house is to have a dirt floor or can you create a space
under the structure and add a wooden floor?

Sheila.




> COB
> BUILDING IN EARTH
>
> written and illustrated by Ron Edwards
>
> The Rams Skull Press  1997
>
> ISBN 1 875872 33 7
>
> p26-27
>
> "Rat Runs
>
> One unexpected problem in cob walls that sit directly on the ground or on
> foundations that are not lifted far off the ground is that of rat runs.
> These occur when rats tunnel through the full length of a cob wall at
> ground level.  There will be no sign of them on the outside of the wall,
> but the whole weight may be balanced over a weak base.  While a single
> family of rats may not do much damage, countless generations of them in a
> wall over a period of a hundred years can create quite large chambers, and
> I saw one where the greater part of the base of the wall was hollow,
> although this was not visible from outside and had only been found by
> chance.  It was possible to put ones entire arm into the hole right up to
> the shoulder, and the wall needed urgent attention.  This was done by
> filling the cavity with lime mortar and stones.
>
> The old answer to this was to include broken glass in the cob mix...."
>
>
>
>
>