Hello to all

Discussion in 'Introduce Yourself Here' started by MattJ, Sep 2, 2013.

  1. MattJ

    MattJ Junior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2013
    Messages:
    6
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Hi folks

    I'm Matt from Devon, UK and I can't wait to start contributing here.

    I have been involved with new-build cob house building projects here in the SW of England and France, so if anyone is interested in earth/cob building techniques, hopefully I can help.

    - Matt
     
  2. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2009
    Messages:
    5,925
    Likes Received:
    9
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Any photos you can link us to of the projects you have worked on?

    And welcome from the Antipodes.
     
  3. MattJ

    MattJ Junior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2013
    Messages:
    6
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0

    Here's a few photos of the most interesting one...

    Main part of the dwelling - the block work is usually stone-faced for prettiness, but on this one the owner is aiming for a sustainable house code 6 certificate, so the whole exterior will be insulated and lime rendered over...

    [​IMG]


    Going up...third lift of cob.
    [​IMG]


    Fast forward 12 months... Two structures (main house on right, and granny annexe on left, both linked by a glasshouse
    [​IMG]
     
  4. Rick Larson

    Rick Larson Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 1, 2013
    Messages:
    743
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    That is quite involved! Any pics of the surrounding earthworks?
     
  5. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2009
    Messages:
    5,925
    Likes Received:
    9
    Trophy Points:
    0
    WOW! That's massive! Look at the thickness of those walls! It looks like a medieval castle.
     
  6. mischief

    mischief Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 21, 2009
    Messages:
    1,665
    Likes Received:
    94
    Trophy Points:
    48
    Gender:
    Female
    Occupation:
    s/e
    Location:
    South Waikato New ZeLeand
    Climate:
    Cool mountain
    Wow! that looks fantastic!Pleeeaassse remember to post pics when its finished!
     
  7. 9anda1f

    9anda1f Administrator Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jul 10, 2006
    Messages:
    3,046
    Likes Received:
    200
    Trophy Points:
    63
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    E Washington, USA
    Climate:
    Semi-Arid Shrub Steppe (BsK)
    Another enthusiastic welcome MattJ. As you can tell, there's lots of interest in alternative building and I can tell that I'm not the only one wanting to "pick your brain".

    Have you done much work with non-cob earth construction? I'd love to do cob, but there's no available clay within a reasonable area ... just the local sand-silt mix.

    Bill
     
  8. MattJ

    MattJ Junior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2013
    Messages:
    6
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Hi there. Cheers! Ask away...

    I have never done any building without clay.
    Luckily the owner has both the clay and a seam of sand on this property.

    There's plenty of clay down here though - cob houses are common in the villages. Unfortunately they had a good old time with cement rendering in the 50's and 60's, so a few of them have succumbed to the damp and badly need repair.

    If anyone is interested in perhaps building a cob structure in the future, then a garden wall is absolutely the best learning experience for cob. Build yourself something reasonably thick, with some curves here and there, and a right angle or two, and you'll have more than enough of a handle on the material. A water well cover is also a good project.

    A mini digger would be ideal, but if you don't have the access to one then it can be done by hand. We use a JCB3X backhoe loader, and trucks, on the building site.

    You might be interested to know that no cob touches our hands. A manure fork is used to handle the cob, and peel away excess from the top of the wall, and a heavy mattock for 'facing' the wall nice and flat. We use hardwood whackers to dress the cob, and these range from a rounded off cricket bat to a Thor's hammer design.

    I've seen photos of people working the cob with bare hands and feet and "thumbing" it into the wall. I can see how this would be therapeutic and fun, but if you're concerned about the work rate then you need a stout pair of walking boots and some hand tools.

    It's a lovely material to work with!
     
  9. Meryl

    Meryl Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2013
    Messages:
    11
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    That looks stunning! And huge! I'm as new as you are here but welcome. We're probably looking at an extension or separate studio on the place we're hopefully sealing the deal on soon. Will be examining all options...
     
  10. MattJ

    MattJ Junior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2013
    Messages:
    6
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    A few more photos showing the grass roof:

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  11. songbird

    songbird Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 12, 2013
    Messages:
    1,791
    Likes Received:
    148
    Trophy Points:
    63
    Occupation:
    gardening, reading, etc
    Location:
    near St. Charles, MI, USoA
    Home Page:
    Climate:
    -15C-35C, 10cm rain/mo, clay, full sun, K-G Dfa=x=Dfb
    cob in the news

    thanks for the posts and pictures.

    as it just so happens the Mother Earth magazine has an article on
    cob construction this issue. what i'm not really sure of is how it
    performs in an area with high water table or flooding.

    also, i'm not sure what you mean by the word "rendered".
     
  12. MattJ

    MattJ Junior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2013
    Messages:
    6
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    I'd be interested to read that.

    I don't know how it's done overseas, but we build a reasonably high plinth, which the cob sits upon. In old days, they built it up entirely in stone. We build up to height in block work, then face it with stone. Of course, proper drainage is key - especially somewhere like Devon.

    We render with lime, then a lime plaster and finally a lime wash. You can actually leave the cob naked, providing you have good enough roof coverage, but I think it looks unfinished.


     
  13. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2009
    Messages:
    5,925
    Likes Received:
    9
    Trophy Points:
    0
    How do you water proof the roof? And can you collect water off it?
     
  14. MattJ

    MattJ Junior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2013
    Messages:
    6
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    A waterproof membrane used before the substrate goes on. The owner will collect water in 2 storage tanks fed from the slate roof outbuildings. He also has his recessed PV panels up there.

    Green roofs systems on houses are inappropriate, in my opinion. They do look very pretty, but the space could be used more wisely I think.
     

Share This Page

-->