Want to build an environmentally-friend home? Not sure what material to use? Well, let's take a look at cob. First, let's take a look at what it is: a mixture where soil containing clay and sand is mixed with straw and water, then formed by hand into walls. Basically, you're using all natural materials, so building a cob house means there's no strain on the environment.
Advantages of Building with Cob
- The materials used are readily available, inexpensive, and, depending where you live, may be available on-site.
- Cob construction is straightforward and relatively simple--it takes very few tools and no formwork to build. Basically, you pile up thick, gluey mud until you have a wall.
- The walls are surprisingly strong and durable, even under frequent rainfalls--cob houses can withstand the elements.
- Walls made from cob are hygroscopic, which means "they'll take on and give off water vapor from the air in response to humidity changes.... This trait helps keep humidity levels more consistent inside a cob building, which discourages mold growth and in turn fosters good indoor air quality."
- Cob is virtually fireproof.
- Cob allows creative flexibility. Unlike with stick-built walls, it's easy to mold in curved arches and sloped ceilings as well as creating niches, shelves, and benches built right into the walls.
Source: Building Green : A Complete How-To Guide to Alternative Building
Other cob sites to check out:
http://www.daycreek.com/dc/HTML/DC_cob.htm (goes into not only the advantages but some of the disadvantages of cob, like obtaining permits)
http://www.maljonicsdreams.com/Dream_House/dreamhouse_build_your_own.htm (some information on the history of building with cob)
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