[Cob] Things I've learned this morning....

[Lee Courtney]

Because I've been out playing in the mud while it's cool outside.

1) If you attend an exercise class, you can stop right now. I finally bought a tarp to mix the cob.  Before I was using a large plastic bin and mixed it mostly by hand.  Stomping in the mud on the tarp is an excellent work out!  My legs got tired from pushing and pulling in the mud and my arms got a workout from rolling the tarp.

2) Don't wait till the last minute to use the bathroom.  Self explanatory here.

So this is my plan for the mobile and I will let you know my successes and failures. I put a section of wire mesh that I had lying around on a section of the siding and used light cob pressed into it.  On another section I put the light cob directly on the siding.  The siding has horizontal ridges and I'm just seeing how well it keys in and sticks.  On another section I am building up a thin cob wall, pressed into the siding and about 4" thick.  If that works out then I am going to build a six inch wall pressed into the siding for the room additions to attach to the side of the house.  If what some say is true and that the walls assist in supporting the roof (not just the frame) this may be a safer way to go.  I can still tear out the drywall on the inside and lay cob between the frame for the niches and such if I want in the future.  We will see when I get there.  There is so much that I want to do on the oustide first.  

At least this way, if it fails, I will have lost nothing except time and will have learned something along the way.

Blessings
Lee