[Cob] hybrid systems(cobwood)

[Taylor Publishing-DirtCheapBuilder]

Here in the mountains of North Carolina cob and cordwood make the most

sense. Besides tourism, our only real industries are lumber and rock. There
are always wood scraps available for free/cheap and I have had good success
so far using rock dust in the place of sand. The price difference alone
between rock dust ($9.50 a ton) and sand ($50.00 a ton) make rock dust the
obvious choice as an aggregate in cob.

>>
>> Phil Hawn
>

 As has been mentioned by Phil and others on various lists, using what 
you HAVE is often the best option.  Cob and versions of "cobwood" ( 
several people have called it that) paper cob- paper adobe, etc etc all 
all just convenient names.  German methods are far ahead of our use of 
sawdust and chips...but it is catching on in parts of the US.

If people have wood chips and clay then this method is faster and easier 
than straight cob, and requires only simple tools for faster building. 
Combinations of cob on south walls, and insulated "wood chip clay" 
cob-crete, sawdust-crete" etc on North and other walls can provide 
excellent low cost  options.  

After seeing how much work light straw clay is ....either hand tossing 
labor, even requiring big mixers that feed water-straw-clay trough like 
a sausage maker-- I still like the sawdust-woodchips and clay best.   If 
desired rental of a basic  mortar  mixer    ( or if power tool use is an 
issue) then hand mixing and forming is quick and easier on the body. 
Hybid use of materials seems the most logical to get a dwelling built.


Ms. Charmaine  Taylor/ Taylor Publishing
PO Box 375, Cutten   CA 95534 707-441-1632    books at dirtcheapbuilder.com
 http://www.dirtcheapbuilder.com    http://www.papercrete.com