[Cob] Radiant floors - why not cob???

[paul]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "ocean" <ocean at woodfiredeatery.com>
To: <coblist at deatech.com>
Sent: Monday, January 29, 2007 3:01 PM
Subject: [Cob] Radiant floors - why not cob???
>
> Especially considering the fact that medical waste is often used to fire 
> Portland cement kilns resulting in embedded radioactive isotopes in your 
> slab...
>
Oh.

What else is in there - the leftovers of Al Capone?


> One of the side benefits to a cob floor is that if for some reason your 
> water system springs a leak (very unlikely) - cob is much easier to 
> excavate and reinstall than a concrete slab - you don't need a jack 
> hammer!  Just a flat shovel, mattock, wheelbarrow to demo a cob floor.
>

Good to know that it's unlikely, and how easy it is (relative to cement).


> One warning - Breitenbush has a little cob meditation hut called Budda's 
> Playhouse, with a geothermal system in the earthen floor.  However, they 
> must have used turpentine & linseed in the finish, and YEARS later the 
> system still stinks of solvent!  Very important to work out this detail, 
> since the heated cob will outgas any solvent more than an unheated cob 
> floor.  (Any thoughts on this Charmaine?)
>

I visited a cob home that smelled so bad (from this type of floor) that I 
think I would have heaved ho if I had had to live in it.  That really is a 
bummer of the first magnitude.  Can you imagine owning a home that smells 
like a chemical plant?

I guess tiling it is an alternative, although some oriental carpets wouldn't 
be so bad at first blush.

I can see that the floor is an adventure.


> And another concern, regarding the possible embedded clay pipe flue in the 
> floor - if there are any leaks (ever so small) you might be subjecting 
> your living space to carbon monoxide poisoning...

Now that is very dangerous.