Cob: Foundation and stemwall

Mon Jun 2 22:35:02 CDT 2003

BlankRight now we're at a standstill. Below
is [a slightly edited] part of an email I just sent to someone else that
will explain why. Am sending this partial copy to the group, instead of
writing it all over again, to save time [hope no one takes offense at that].
If anyone can answer the questions I posed in it please feel free to do so.

Kim

============================================================================

Background:

Original plan was a round house with plenty of room.

Not enough materials found for foundation so house size decreased.

Couldn't wrap my brain around putting a roof on a round house so house
changed to square.

Rubble trench foundation is complete--dug, graded, tamped, gravel layer
added, tamped, piped, more gravel added, tamped, ditched to daylight
downhill.

House will be a 16'x16' two-story with either a "1/2 vertical log 1/2
screened in" or a "1/2 cordwood 1/2 screened in" 10'x20' room on the north
side [running the length of the cob] for the kitchen and laundry.

Trench is 4 foot wide for stability, varies from 1 foot deep to 2 foot deep,
and is on red clay subsoil.

Walls will be 2 foot thick and taper up to 1 foot thick at the top.

Right now I am at a standstill. I know the foundation is very important and
must be done right else it will fail and the house will fall. My next step
will be to start the stemwall. I had intended to have a concrete beam on top
of the rubble trench and embed the first course of urbanite into it. Called
and it will cost over $300.00 for the 6" deep layer of concrete all around
the trench.

We do not live in an earthquake zone--we have the best rating possible for
earthquake probability I believe.

The house is being built on a nearly flat piece of land with a slight slope.

Questions:

1. Is it a must to have the concrete beam poured atop the trench given the
dimensions of the house I am building, or can I get by without embedding the
urbanite in concrete?

2. Some people do a dry stack on the stemwall. Is that a no-no since ours
will be a two-story?

3. Can we simply place a mortar bed atop the trench instead of having the
concrete poured?

4. What is your opinion on our options for the area between the rubble
trench and the stemwall given the figures above for the house?

Apologies, but we had everything planned out so that we would have enough
money for this--but the price of everything is going up so much it is
scaring me. Plastic sheeting went up 33% from the time I bought some a
couple months ago to when I got some a couple days ago. Both rolls were
identical: 24'x100' black, 4 mil. A couple months ago it was $39 and a
couple days ago it was $52. At this rate we will never have the resources to
finish this house as planned. I am going absolutely nuts! I know this part
has to be done right or we might as well stop building. Already we are way
behind schedule due to the excessive rain storms and I can't keep stalling
much longer--no matter how crazy this is making me I gotta either [blank] or
get off the pot as they say! (:D)
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<DIV>Right now we're at a standstill. Below<BR>is [a slightly edited] part of an 
email I just sent to someone else that<BR>will explain why. Am sending this 
partial copy to the group, instead of<BR>writing it all over again, to save time 
[hope no one takes offense at that].<BR>If anyone can answer the questions I 
posed in it please feel free to do 
so.<BR><BR>Kim<BR><BR>============================================================================<BR><BR><BR>Background:<BR><BR>Original 
plan was a round house with plenty of room.<BR><BR>Not enough materials found 
for foundation so house size decreased.<BR><BR>Couldn't wrap my brain around 
putting a roof on a round house so house<BR>changed to square.<BR><BR>Rubble 
trench foundation is complete--dug, graded, tamped, gravel layer<BR>added, 
tamped, piped, more gravel added, tamped, ditched to 
daylight<BR>downhill.<BR><BR>House will be a 16'x16' two-story with either a 
"1/2 vertical log 1/2<BR>screened in" or a "1/2 cordwood 1/2 screened in" 
10'x20' room on the north<BR>side [running the length of the cob] for the 
kitchen and laundry.<BR><BR>Trench is 4 foot wide for stability, varies from 1 
foot deep to 2 foot deep,<BR>and is on red clay subsoil.<BR><BR>Walls will be 2 
foot thick and taper up to 1 foot thick at the top.<BR><BR>Right now I am at a 
standstill. I know the foundation is very important and<BR>must be done right 
else it will fail and the house will fall. My next step<BR>will be to start the 
stemwall. I had intended to have a concrete beam on top<BR>of the rubble trench 
and embed the first course of urbanite into it. Called<BR>and it will cost over 
$300.00 for the 6" deep layer of concrete all around<BR>the trench.<BR><BR>We do 
not live in an earthquake zone--we have the best rating possible 
for<BR>earthquake probability I believe.<BR><BR>The house is being built on a 
nearly flat piece of land with a slight slope.<BR><BR>Questions:<BR><BR>1. Is it 
a must to have the concrete beam poured atop the trench given the<BR>dimensions 
of the house I am building, or can I get by without embedding the<BR>urbanite in 
concrete?<BR><BR>2. Some people do a dry stack on the stemwall. Is that a no-no 
since ours<BR>will be a two-story?<BR><BR>3. Can we simply place a mortar bed 
atop the trench instead of having the<BR>concrete poured?<BR><BR>4. What is your 
opinion on our options for the area between the rubble<BR>trench and the 
stemwall given the figures above for the house?<BR><BR>Apologies, but we had 
everything planned out so that we would have enough<BR>money for this--but the 
price of everything is going up so much it is<BR>scaring me. Plastic sheeting 
went up 33% from the time I bought some a<BR>couple months ago to when I got 
some a couple days ago. Both rolls were<BR>identical: 24'x100' black, 4 mil. A 
couple months ago it was $39 and a<BR>couple days ago it was $52. At this rate 
we will never have the resources to<BR>finish this house as planned. I am going 
absolutely nuts! I know this part<BR>has to be done right or we might as well 
stop building. Already we are way<BR>behind schedule due to the excessive rain 
storms and I can't keep stalling<BR>much longer--no matter how crazy this is 
making me I gotta either [blank] or<BR>get off the pot as they say! 
(:D)<BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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