Cob Structural changes & Abandoned cob

[Shannon C. Dealy]

On Fri, 21 Nov 1997, Michael Saunby wrote:

[SNIP]
> Does anyone know if the present range of cob buildings in the UK is the
> same as 300 years ago?  The areas where they are now found haven't changed
> much over the last couple of centuries, unlike many other areas.  An
> abandoned cob house wouldn't last very long.  Cob houses don't lend 
> themselves to structural changes either, so changes in lifestyles which
> are more pronounced in urban areas might also be a factor.
[SNIP]

I am a little puzzled by the statements that abandoned cob houses don't
last long and that cob houses don't lend themselves to structural changes,
but it may be just in my interpretation.  I have seen pictures of a couple
of abandoned cob buildings in Devon that hadn't been maintained for
decades, both showed noticeable deterioration, but were still useable.
The worst of the two probably would have been in better shape, but the
roof was failing, so the real problem was the roof not the walls.  Of
course this could be just a difference of opinon as to what constitutes a
"very long" time.  The idea that cob does not lend itself to structural
changes bothers me more, since it is in my experience, the easiest system
in which to make structural changes.  Adding a doorway or window to an
existing wall is usually just a matter of cutting a hole in the wall with
an old hatchet and using some fresh cob to attach the window or a mounting
for the door.  Adding a new wall is even simpler, though it does of course
entail all the work that building any cob wall would require.  While I
will grant that removing a cob wall would be alot of work, it is also
quite a bit of work to remove a conventional wall without damaging
surrounding walls, and even more work if you try to take it apart in a
manner that will allow you to reuse the materials rather than adding them
to a landfill.

It is of course all a matter of perspective, so maybe I am going on about
nothing :-)


Shannon Dealy
dealy at deatech.com