Rethink Your Life!
Finance, health, lifestyle, environment, philosophy 		The Work of Art and The Art of Work
Kiko Denzer on Art


Cob: Circular Foundation

Dulane silkworm at spiderhollow.com
Tue Jul 1 12:26:45 CDT 2003 

I'd like to think that the reason we haven't heard from folks, is because they are actually out there building! This is the season, right?

I am building the foundation for my 'garden cottage'. Since it is small, and since I have to build less than 120 sq. ft, I am using free cement cylinders for the underground part of my foundation. (I think the cylinders are 'cores', or 'test pours' from cement companies. They are 6 inches wide and 12 inches high, 30 lbs. apiece.)

It is pretty cool so far. I have gotten about 16 6'x12' cylinders per quarter. Right now, the foundation looks like a round clock face, and the cylinders are like minute markers. (I will have 64 minutes in my foundation.)

There will be 2 rows of cylinders that will bring me up to ground level, and then I will have to try to match up rocks to the cylinders. The 'cores' feel so stable that I am going to try not to use mortar on the lower part of the foundation. I hope my plan works. I already have french drains done, and I am using lots of pea gravel.

I got into an argument with the plumbing guy down at Home Depot. He asked me why I needed to plumb a small sink, and I told him I was putting in a 'garden greywater system'. He told me that it was against the law, and he couldn't help me, and that I would contaminate my neighbors. I said, "With what, garlic?" 
I tried to point out that if it was illegal, the law makers would have to change their law soon, because even 'reclaimed' water is getting scarce in drought areas. 

We are also building a more conventional house, and I have decided to build my 'cottage' to keep me sane during the process. In our county, we will spend over 6 thousand on plans (even tho my partner drew them), engineers and permits before we can ever swing a hammer, and then they pretty much tell us which products to buy. Our pemitting process is 120 days, so I'll probably be done with my project before we can ever start our house. I will not connect any plumbing or electrical to the cottage until the house inspectors go away, altho I will eventually hook them up to code. We currently live in an ancient trailer on the same property.

I hope that someday folks will come and look at my cob building and use it for examples of low-cost, functional and environmentally friendly housing. It may be small, but we can use our imaginations to fill in the areas that the county won't allow!

Dulane  
 



 
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<DIV><FONT size=2>I'd like to think that the reason we haven't heard from folks, 
is because they are actually out there building! This is the season, 
right?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>I am building the foundation for my 'garden cottage'. Since it 
is small, and since I have to build less than 120 sq. ft, I am using free cement 
cylinders for the underground part of my foundation. (I think the cylinders are 
'cores', or 'test pours' from cement companies. They are 6 inches wide and 12 
inches high, 30 lbs. apiece.)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>It is pretty cool so far. I have gotten about 16 6'x12' 
cylinders per quarter. Right now, the foundation looks like 
a round clock face, and the cylinders are like minute markers. (I will have 
64 minutes in my foundation.)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>There will be 2 rows of cylinders that will bring me up to 
ground level, and then I will have to try to match up rocks to the cylinders. 
The 'cores' feel so stable that I am going to try not to use mortar on the lower 
part of the foundation. I hope my plan works. I already have french drains done, 
and I am using lots of pea gravel.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>I got into an argument with the plumbing guy down at Home 
Depot. He asked me why I needed to plumb a small sink, and I told him I was 
putting in a 'garden greywater system'. He told me that it was against the law, 
and he couldn't help me, and that I would contaminate my neighbors. I said, 
"With what, garlic?" </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>I tried to point out that if it was illegal, the law 
makers would have to change their law soon, because even 'reclaimed' water 
is getting scarce in drought areas. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>We are also building a more conventional house, and I have 
decided to build my 'cottage' to keep me sane during the process. In our county, 
we will spend over 6 thousand on plans (even tho my partner drew them), 
engineers and permits before we can ever swing a hammer, and then they pretty 
much tell us which products to buy. Our pemitting process is 120 days, 
so I'll probably be done with my project before we can ever start our 
house. I will not connect any plumbing or electrical to the cottage until the 
house inspectors go away, altho I will eventually hook them up to code. We 
currently live in an ancient trailer on the same property.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>I hope that someday folks will come and look at my cob 
building and use it for examples of low-cost, functional and environmentally 
friendly housing. It may be small, but we can use our imaginations to fill in 
the areas that the county won't allow!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Dulane</FONT>  </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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