Cob: cobbing in New Mexico

[Amanda Peck]

Start a library.  study at night with LED headlamps if necessary.  Charmaine 
Taylor at www.dirtcheapbuilder.com can probably help a lot.   I'm using some 
of the links to the amazon books, but--better service from Ms Taylor.

Monte Burch has a couple of books on pole buildings.  Including a lot of 
what you need to know to put up a roof and start cobbing underneath--I don't 
own them, but my impression is that they are ubiquitous--libraries, used 
book stores, Farm supply companies, etc.  I haven't cobbed here but rather, 
since I had a lot of trees down, put up a log building underneath a pole 
barn.  It seems like a pretty good idea.  We've tied the ceiling joists of 
the building into the skirt boards of the barn.  Which is giving us a nice 
lot of overhang--important for both styles of building.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0882662457/qid=1055361961/sr=2-2/103-6977152-4198211?v=glance&s=books

Get AT LEAST ONE of the cob books.  Plus, take a workshop if possible.  
Check what your county has to say about building codes.  On books, Becky Bee 
I'm liking more and more.  When I have a problem I seem to find the answer 
there quickly and in straight language.  Ianto Evans et al--sweeping and 
inspirational as well as fact-heavy--and besides my copy is loaned out.  
Michael Smith--one of the et al--some of his book seems to be reproduced in 
the Evans.  If you see a post of mine with "Ianto says" in quotes, it's 
half-way a joke, but generally only half-way.

Here is dirt-cheap builder's page for those books.  She's got some free 
information, so it's worth surfing around the site.

http://www.dirtcheapbuilder.com/adandearbuil.html

And I think I approve of starting with the composting toilet.  But I doubt 
if you want to stay there in a tent for the winter.

The Amish way of building was to do the barn first.  You (and in that case 
your animals) COULD spend the winter in the barn.  Don't want the cows in 
the house.
.............
Kristina wrote:

My partner and I recently purchased 20 acres of land near Taos, New Mexico 
and are now in the process of building our cob home on it.  We're camping on 
the land full-time (very dusty and windy!) and learning as we go.

Upon reflection, we decided to make our first building the outhouse for our 
composting toilet -- that way we could practice and perfect our cobbing 
techniques on a small rather than larger structure.  So far we have dug the 
foundation trench, filled it with gravel that we harvested from our property 
(using screens) and are now mortaring larger rocks and boulders on top of 
it.  Does anyone have any suggestions on how high our stemwell should be?  
Also how thick to make the cob walls?  We've been reading that cob is not 
quite as insulatory in cold winter climates so are a bit concerned.  Is this 
true?  How cold do Taos winters get anyway?  We've looked up the numbers but 
have yet to actually experience one.

Also, for our larger cob building, we want to put up the roof first so we 
can cob underneath it.  We imagine using four posts on which to nail the 
roofing material.  However, we can't seem to find any info on how to 
plant/mortar the posts into place -- does anyone have any experience with 
this?

Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions.... also, there are three 
other 20 acre parcels on sale next to us if anyone is interested.  The land 
is completely off the grid, west of the Rio Grande Gorge.  Full of sagebrush 
and red clay dirt.

Thanks,
Kristina



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