[Cob] Re: insulation-AKA PARACRETE

[dirtcheapbuilder-Charmaine Taylor]

On Jan 17, 2006, at 3:13 PM, Will Kernan wrote:

> I have made some test blocks at 1 to 1 and 2 to 1 ratios of cob to 
> Styrofoam. The blocks are very light,  don't burn, and are durable 
> enough to be a wall surface. They aren't as strong  as regular cob. I 
> haven't found a way to quickly shred the foam, a friend is going to 
> loan me a wood chipper to try.




  Hi-   a builder at Mother's Trust Spiritual homestead-retreat created  
Paracrete - which is cement and  styrofoam dust- aka "grind" a waste.  
it may be better to use  cement for this type of material for strength, 
and eps in clay-cob may be a hindrance, not a structural help.  the 
clay will not chemically bind with the eps dust. and so weaken the 
overall  mass.  adding lime to the cob may help, but does not solve the 
  chemical bond issue.

I hate to say it but this may be the place were cement is actually 
better to use for insulation value. fireproofness, etc.

The man- Swami Tapasananda ( a white  male American)   has done a  
small buildings with  his Paracrete cast panels of eps  + cement and 
other additives- NOT  natural- but using recycled materials.  left over 
paint, etc.

Not a sales pitch, but I helped him create a CD book on his experiments 
and structures.
   view at: http://www.dirtcheapbuilder.com/pabubooncd.html
  more on his recipe-mixes.  essentially you need a wetting agent in 
cement + styrofoam use, so it wont all float to the top after mixing.  
cob wont need that.

PS ALSO on HGTV last night they showed an adobe brick home in NZ, all 
wacky and with cob plasters, they showed the woman and her son building 
  with a clay+shredded paper pulp plaster- giving him credit for 
inventing it. (by inference)  Episode HWEXT-102-

I did not catch her full name but  it was Donna  I think,  see World's 
Most Extreme Homes
Episode HWEXT-102- they are not showing the episode on Computer  yet, 
but maybe soon.


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