[Cob] failure

[Robert Alcock]

Re foundation width: Traditional Devon cob buildings have the foundation 
slightly narrower than the base of the cob wall. There's a good reason 
for this: stone is stronger than cob. Our cob house has followed this 
pattern and the wall hasn't failed (well, actually it did, but that was 
a failure of straw bales not cob, and is another story.)

Robert
www.abrazohouse.org


> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2012 11:36:22 -0400
> From: dhowell at pickensprogressonline.com
> 	<dhowell at pickensprogressonline.com>
> To: coblist at deatech.com
> Subject: [Cob] failure update
> Message-ID:
> 	<9376C7C3-D0D8-4211-B1BB-A674B6551DA9 at pickensprogressonline.com>
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>
> So, what I gathered from asking the list what projects failed and how  
> to prevent it reoccurring: Make the cob around your flue thicker,  
> don't apply your lime plaster or cob in freezing temperatures, make  
> your foundation as wide or wider than the wall it will support, if  
> you're going to use cobwood make sure the wood is cured before  
> building, use double-pane windows in cold country. One thing that I  
> can add from personal experience is, you can't do enough planning.  
> Draw out every detail then make a model using modeling clay and  
> sticks. It will save you a lot of time and labor if you can see the  
> project from beginning to end before you start. I read in a Habitat  
> For Humanity book, "if you can draw it, you can build it." Good luck  
> everyone with their various endeavors.
> Damon in Georgia, USA
>
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