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[Cob] Cob in OhioJack Simmons ganesa_9 at yahoo.comThu May 4 15:36:09 CDT 2006
-I have been consulting with a green architect who has advised me not to- -build with cob. This is because the area where I live, northern- -Kentucky/SW Ohio, is, according to him, unsuitable for cob. His main- -concern is winter temps and r-factor/insulation issues. Is there any - -way to salvage my dream of building cob on my property?- I think it would also depend on how large a structure you intend to build. A small home with a low ceiling is easier to heat than a large home with high ceilings. And the beauty of building a smaller home is it's not quite as much work to build a thicker and therefore "mass-ier" cob wall that would do a better job of holding in warmth generated by a woodstove. Even a small woodstove will produce a surprising amount of warmth in a small house. I lived in a old miner's cabin in Colorado for a couple years way back. It was drafty as all out but with the woodstove going it would get so hot in the winter that I'd have to open the windows just to keep from baking alive. The wife and I also are going to try to build with cob in Ohio (eventually). We've found online examples of cob buildings in cold snowy places like Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Can't imagine what your green architect would think could go wrong in Ohio. The only concern I have is that Ohio can be so very wet. But I think a large overhang on the roof and starting the cob part of the home far enough above ground level should take car of that. Jack Simmons 42 East Lowell Avenue Akron, Ohio 44310 (330) 922-9842 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
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