[Cob] Re: The Mobile Home

[Jennifer Roberts]

Frank,

I would like to learn more about the Larsen Truss. Is it suitable for a 
whole house? How continuous does it have to be, i.e. could I build them 
using found plywood and short lumber at the dump? I have seem the pallet 
truss idea and I am interested in that as well. I went to a Build Here Now 
workshop at the Lama Foundation, but had the stomach flu the day they 
covered the pallet truss =(. It would help to have more visuals. Also, do 
you know anything about snow load? (No pressure, just questions! I would 
love it if you could point me in the right direction.)

Thanks!
Jennifer




>From: "frank" <frank at computerbooksource.ca>
>Reply-To: frank at computerbooksource.ca
>To: coblist at deatech.com
>Subject: [Cob] Re: The Mobile Home
>Date: Sat, 08 Apr 2006 16:52:51 -0600
>
>Hi Lee,
>
>To begin with, I don't have any experience with cob building.  I really 
>liked
>the suggestion of exploring material that would hold the cob but the 
>question
>about weight for a mobile house frame really makes sense to me.
>
>My first question is, "How hard would it be to reorient the mobile home?"  
>It
>seems to me that if can change the orientation of it without incurring too
>much cost for electrical, plumbing, etc. connections that could be a good
>improvement and facilitate any additions.  The next concern I would have is
>moisture if you are going cover the existing frame of the mobile home.
>
>If you live in a hot climate then you need to add both insulation and mass.
>Insulation on its own will help reduce cooling costs but still allow fairly 
>large
>temperature swings whereas mass would reduce them.  Being in Texas I
>think that I would investigate using compressed straw bales for covering 
>the
>existing mobile frame and for additions.  Straw bales would provide
>insulation.  Earth bags could also work and they would provide both some
>insulation and mass.  If the climate is really hot you could also add some
>insulation.
>
>If you weren't going to add to the mobile home there is also a method for
>extending the side walls called a Larsen truss.  Larsen trusses are 2 
>pieces
>of 2 x 3 or ripped in half 2 x 6's joined by plywood web near the top and
>bottom and in the middle.  You could make them up yourself.  The plywood
>web determines how wide they are and how much insulation you can add to
>the walls and/or roof.  Since you have a mobile home I would suggest
>finding a way to support the trusses from the bottom.  On a normal 2 x 4 or 
>2
>x 6 wall supporting them from the basement wall would be enough and
>could easily be accomplished by using cutoffs from I-beams.
>
>Good luck,
>Frank Hanlan
>Edmonton, AB
>
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