[Cob] Metal flake epoxy???

[Ocean Liff-Anderson]

Very hard for cob to dry completely in a humid, short summer season  
like they have up in Ithaca.  Very likely your epoxy resin will trap  
water inside a bench which seems dry, which will result in failure of  
the straw binding agent.  Probably not a dangerous as a wall, since a  
bench isn't load bearing, but I would expect long term that the epoxy  
would show bubbles and peeling.  You're in New Mexico, right?  Very  
dry down there...


On Dec 17, 2008, at 2:19 PM, Ron Becker wrote:

> You know what? After it's dry a cob bench does not need to breath  
> or get any exercise, or take up Feng Shuei [sp] that breathing  
> stuff is important for the walls of a home. Doesn't matter much for  
> a bench. You could cover it in rainbow metal flake epoxy resin and  
> the bench wouldn't care so long as it had fully dried. I'm being  
> facetious here but I hope you see what I'm getting at. The  
> aesthetics don't necessarily apply to every use of cob. If it's  
> sealed very well breathing isn't necessary for a bench. This only  
> applies if the bench is dry before sealing. You will soon know if  
> it was not and take my name in vain. {:^)
>
> Ron
> Living and playing outside the box.
>
> http://www.myspace.com/ron45becker
>
> On Dec 17, 2008, at 1:13 PM, Ocean Liff-Anderson wrote:
>
>> A real problem you're going to have in Ithaca (that they don't have
>> in Oakland) is that any moisture which inevitably penetrates the cob
>> will likely freeze and cause the plaster to fail, flaking off.  Only
>> a completely water proof seal would prevent this, but then this would
>> compromise the cob which needs to breathe.
>>
>> I think the best thing is a waterproof roof or a very good tarp, with
>> room for ventilation (tarps can also trap condensation underneath if
>> they don't have ventilation).
>>
>> Do you have a picture of the bench?  I would love to see it!
>>
>> Peace,
>> Ocean Liff-Anderson
>> www.fireworksvenue.com
>> www.peacemaking.org
>>
>>
>> On Dec 17, 2008, at 11:01 AM, Terra Incognita wrote:
>>
>>> Brina,
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> There's an uncovered cob bench at the Merritt College landscape
>>> horticulture building in Oakland CA. I don't know how long it has  
>>> been
>>> like that or how it's held up/been maintained. I should figure  
>>> out how
>>> to contact them...
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I really like how your bench has the roof supports incorporated  
>>> right
>>> into the body of the bench. Since I've already built this one,  
>>> that's
>>> not an option.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> thanks,
>>>
>>> ~Dirk
>>>
>>> --- On Tue, 12/16/08, yewberry at wavecable.com
>>> <yewberry at wavecable.com> wrote:
>>> From: yewberry at wavecable.com <yewberry at wavecable.com>
>>> Subject: Re: [Cob] Weatherproofing a cob bench
>>> To: nomadbuzzahd at yahoo.com, coblist at deatech.com
>>> Date: Tuesday, December 16, 2008, 2:56 PM
>>>
>>> Terra Incognita wrote:
>>>
>>>> I've seen uncovered cob benches elsewhere.
>>>
>>> Where?  And do you know if they held up long-term?
>>>
>>>> Is a lime plaster my best bet or are there other options?
>>>
>>> Lime is water permeable if water is left to sit on it (in the case
>>> of a
>>> horizontal surface, like a bench seat).  I can't think of any  
>>> natural,
>>> waterproof coating that will hold up to the elements for more than
>>> a season in
>>> most of the Continental U.S.  You might have luck with a beeswax/
>>> linseed combo,
>>> but I'm guessing you'll have to renew the finish every year.
>>>
>>> Cob simply doesn't perform well without a roof.  Any chance you
>>> could build
>>> one into the bench (instead of making it free-standing)?  That's
>>> what we did
>>> with ours, and it's holding up well:
>>>
>>> http://home.wavecable.com/~yewberry/cobbers/back8-4-06.jpg
>>>
>>> Brina
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Coblist mailing list
>>> Coblist at deatech.com
>>> http://www.deatech.com/mailman/listinfo/coblist
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Coblist mailing list
>> Coblist at deatech.com
>> http://www.deatech.com/mailman/listinfo/coblist
>>
>>
>