Cob Re: house plan, straw bale book

[Renewables at aol.com]

Mike,

In a message dated 3/3/99 11:38:47 PM Central Standard Time,
Diceman at 954access.net writes:

> I would love to see more people write books when they build their
>  own house. Just put up the info on a website or something. If and
>  when I build my house, I would love to write about it in step-by-step
>  detail with everything referenced. One of my pet peeves is I think
>  most "how-to" books are absolutely awful. My problem is that I
>  need to learn "how-to" first and actually do it, then I would
>  love to write my own perfectionistic "how-to" for others. : )
>  
>  ~Mike
  
I think many do-it-yourselfers don't always build with dedicated plans and
they certainly don't want us greenhorns trying to copy them and then get into
trouble because they weren't the craftsmen they hoped to be.  I think if you
want to copy such a house, it is best to go there, study and photograph it
with the owners permission, and then build it.  Or better yet, help the
builder construct it so that you will know it first hand and then you'll have
no difficulty copying it yourself.

Some of the workshops have attempted to duplicate this.  The CCC workshops for
example have a one week and three week workshop.  The one week teaches you the
basic cob methods, but the three week workshop gets heavily into foundations,
framing, ETC.  Many folks feel they cannot take three weeks off from work to
attend this type of workshop, but look at the amount of money you can save
over working at a job you may hate to pay for a stick-built tract house.  I
myself plan to take a year or two off from work to build our future dwelling,
and then be sufficiently stress free to pursue helping a friend expand their
solar business and try some organic truck farming.  Those are two passions
I've always wanted to try, but could never swing it while working in a
fluorescent (badly) lighted cubicle 60 - 70 hours a week.  Suddenly, nothing
looks impossible when I don't have to shell out $12,000 a year for a home
mortgage that I have to take care of on a constant basis (including expensive
utilities).

Dave Knapp
Winnebago, Illinois
http://www.bigfoot.com/~renewables/