So we are seriously considering building the PineTop residence out of mud. Well, not exactly mud. Actually, cob. Which is a mix of clay, sand, and straw. So, pretty much mud. Essentially, you stomp together a bunch of clay, sand, and straw with some water then plop it, one batch at a time, onto a foundation. Then you let it dry and plaster over it. No shit. It's really strong, has awesome thermal mass, is fire-resistant, and is about as cheap as you're gonna get. Plastered, it holds up really well to the elements. There are cob buildings that are several centuries old in Great Britain. Our roof is already complete, so our place wouldn't be quite as free form as the house pictured here, but that's fine by me.
One of the coolest things about cob is how sculptural it is. I would love to have little nooks in the walls to store and exhibit things. I would really love to build a cob bench like the one to the right. Anyone feel like cob-stomping at PineTop next summer, let me know! Oh, and both photos are from housealive.org
2 comments:
You should totally do it, it sounds like a similar mixture to bousillage. Considering the Badin-Roque house has held up for over 200 years, I think you are headed in the right direction!
It's totally like bousillage!
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