Cob: Update: rubble trench, rethinking roof, attitudes

[phil]

I, too, am digging a foundation by hand. Mine is a bit smaller at thirteen feet across (as big as you can go and still be classified as a shed and not require a permit). My foundation is also 20"to 24" wide, 36" deep on the up slope and 24" deep on the down slope. I hit clay anywhere from 4" to 16" down. I also hit a lot of rock! There is at least one that will not be moved and become a part of the foundation. It will be a rubble trench. I have about eight feet left to dig.

We are going to try and use only materials from the site with the exception of sand and maybe gravel. I live in a forest and rock is abundant (we live in the oldest mtns in North America, the Blue Ridge of North Carolina). I'm about 3 weeks behind schedule because of weather. I had hoped to be laying rock at this point. The plan is to start cobbing in June but it may be July or later. Weather here will start to turn cold and wet around October.

It's good to share!
BB
Phil



 --- On Tue 05/20, Waiting4 TheDay < waiting4theday at hotmail.com > wrote:
From: Waiting4 TheDay [mailto: waiting4theday at hotmail.com]
To: coblist at deatech.com
Date: Tue, 20 May 2003 08:30:30 -0500
Subject: Cob: Update: rubble trench, rethinking roof, attitudes

Hello all,<br><br>The circular trench is dug down to a depth of approximately 24" -- here in <br>southern Illinois the clay layer begins at about 12".  At this point I'd <br>have to agree with the proponents of the shallow trench.  After several <br>rains I have a fairly deep pool on the downward slope of the trench that has <br>sat there through several days of wind, sun, and dry weather.  The water <br>isn't being absorbed into the clay in its unpacked state, so I can only <br>imagine how impervious it will be after a good, solid packing.  I'd say the <br>total time involved in digging this 20" wide trench with an inside diameter <br>of 20' with a garden spade and pick has been about nine hours.  (Perhaps a <br>wider assortment of hand tools might have helped on the time some.)  I've <br>been considering making a trench within the trench for the drain pipe.  It <br>will be just big enough to inset the pipe on the bottom of the main trench <br>and will be covered with landsc
 ape fabric.  The reason being I'm concerned <br>that the weight of the building could eventually crush the pipe and limit <br>drainage.<br><br>I had wanted to use logs from my property as rafters, staying away from <br>dimensional lumber as much as possible.  I don't see that happening now.  <br>It's an issue of time and energy.  Cutting, moving, peeling, and letting dry <br>the logs will be a very intensive process, on top of the very intensive <br>general building process, and I think that this is a point at which I can <br>compromise and not be too perturbed.  Besides, I HATE peeling logs LOL!!!<br><br>I'm starting to catch the attitude from the family: "Mud?  You're going to <br>build a house out of mud?  What's going to keep it from washing away?" etc, <br>etc.  No matter the logic of the argument, there's no changing preconceived <br>notions of what a house should be.  I guess only the finished product will <br>suffice.  My son (16 y.o.) is more open to the whole idea,
  with his <br>questions being more like "then why aren't more people doing it".  Then we <br>get into the whole sociopolitical concept of housing, money, and <br>governmental control.<br><br>Mike F. -- about the solid tires....my dad had a Sears wheelbarrow with a <br>solid rubber tire.  I used that thing all through my adolesence, which is <br>why I swore I'd always have a pneumatic tire on a wheelbarrow LOL.<br><br>Chuck<br><br>_________________________________________________________________<br>Protect your PC - get McAfee.com VirusScan Online  <br>http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963<br><br><br><br><br>

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