Jane Porter

Jay, you are probably right that it's old activity as I didn't see many actual bugs at all. There are just dust trails where you can see something burrowed into the wood and some holes in the cob as well.

Jim, thanks for the tips on apply the new cob! I have been reading about using a slip and also wheat paste along with much of what you mentioned. The plan is to apply 3-4" of cob to the inside and 8-10" to the outside. The inside will be done first, then I can get moved there and start working on the outside. I realize I may not finish the outside before the weather prevents me from continuing or at least seriously slows down my progress. Winters here can range from very mild to rather severe, so I will just have to play it by ear as I go.

I guess I will not worry about the bugs and just get on with the cob!

Thanks to you both very much!

Hi everyone! I'm finally starting work on the old cabin I posted about awhile back. It was built with small timbers held together with cob. The builders had intended to continue with the cob so the walls were 18" thick, but the project was never completed. The cabin has been abandoned for the last 5-6 years and I am going to try to finish what they started now.

You can see where bugs have burrowed into the cob and the wood over the years. I am about to start applying new cob over the existing structure, but I feel that I should do something to get rid of any bugs that may be living in the wall currently before I move forward with the project. Can I spray or mop the surface of the existing cob/timbers with a limewash as an insecticide and then cover that with the new cob? Or should I be looking at a different solution for this situation?

Any other tips for preparing the surface for the new cob would be appreciated as well.

Thanks!

I decided on a date. I'm heading back to Arkansas August 13th.

Ok, first thing is the roof. Just need to fix that whatever it takes and be done with it. Then I'm going to cob up all the holes and thin spots on the outside to seal it up. Wood stove and whatever I can scrounge for insulation. Then hope we don't have a bad winter! LOL

Can I cob this whole house inside and out and just basically turn it into a cob house? I was thinking about scrounging some 2x4's and building out studs on the inside (and maybe a better beam(s) than the one in the middle of the floor), this should sturdy it up and will allow me to put some insulation in the walls, maybe slipstraw. Then cover it with chicken wire and cob/earthen plaster. Can I build a rock foundation for the cob to sit on and put a thick layer of cob on the outside? 3-4" or maybe 6"? Is this going to be a problem having the logs inside all this?

What about the floor? I've seen people put down plastic, then rigid foam board, then build an earthen floor on top of that. Will that work or is that a bad idea?

And now y'all have me wanting a rocket mass heater! I know all of this can't be done this year, but just looking at long term options. I'm sure by the time this winter is over I'll be ready to do something better for next year hah!

Thank you all for these awesome forums! I've been reading and learning so much. Many of us would never be able to even think about doing this without so many others sharing their experience and ideas!

Thank you both for the replies!

Christian, I agree. I'm starting to get real concerned about time, especially if we have an early winter. I'm on such a tight budget, I'm afraid to quit my job too soon and run out of money, but if I wait too long I may run out of weather

Thanks Alder, I like how you think!

I'm getting anxious to get there, looks like it will be mid-August. Now I have some ideas how to make my little cabin more comfy this winter. Will have to see what I'm up against once I get there. Thanks everyone

Thank you for your reply Tom! I do not have any experience with being off grid, but I have been reading and planning how to do it for at least 15 years. I will definitely be checking out your posts. Many of us would never be able to consider doing this without all the helpful people showing us the way

Good info. I definitely want to check into the rocket mass heater. I had planned to build a rocket stove for my outdoor kitchen. They built a cob stove in the cabin, but it's not much and I planned on removing it and doing something better. Rocket mass heater may be just what I need. There is also another setup for a wood stove pipe, so just have to see when I get there.

There are some holes in the walls where the cob has fallen out over the years, so as soon as I get there I'm going to work up some cob to get it all sealed up. Then figure out some way to insulate the roof. Just not sure what to do from there, I guess after one winter I'll know how much more needs to be done for next year LOL

Thanks for the tip on drying the clay! I had wondered about that, I know the red clay we have is difficult to work with, but that should help.

Thank you Miles!

I'm hoping to find a part time job just so I don't burn through what money I have too fast, but I will be able to spend most of my time working on the place. I have a few people who will be available to help some also, so that should move things along a little faster. Weather is pretty unpredictable, especially in Arkansas, but usually from December to February is the worst. This past year it snowed in May though, so go figure!

I will get someone to check the roof out better so I know what I'm getting into there for sure.

Hi everyone! Long time lurker, but this is my first post. I've been dreaming of going off grid for a long time and it's finally happening.

The property I'm moving to has an old cabin on it. It's built from small 3-5" round timbers with some mud/clay/cob holding them all together. It also looks like they started adding cob to the outside, at least I'm assuming it's cob because the owner called it a "cob cabin". It has been empty and unused for a lot of years.

I am currently 13 hours away from the property, so I can't go look it over firsthand. I will be heading that way sometime in late August. I had a friend go check it out for me and send me some pictures though, so here are three for you to check out. I plan to build a cob house on the property, but it will be a few years down the road. I had originally planned to get a cheap RV to live in until then, but since the property I found has this neat old cabin, I'd really like to make it work somehow. What are your thoughts?

There is a tarp over the roof, so I will assume that it leaks. My friend said it had rained pretty good overnight last night and everything inside was nice and dry today, so the tarp must be doing it's job. The roof is really the least of my concerns. My main concern is freezing to death this winter. The walls are thin, although thicker where they've added the cob, so I don't see me being able to hold much heat in this place and the cob isn't going to do much to help that. I am also unsure about the foundation. The picture with the front door looks like there is a foundation there, but the picture of the inside looks like the logs are just on the ground, so I don't know for sure.

I'm doing this whole project on a tight budget, so please keep that in mind. If I had plenty of money, I'd just build something nice and move on with life, but I'm poor and have to figure out how to make due with what I have until I can do something better. And this is what I have LOL

Thank you for your time! I look forward to hearing from you and becoming a part of your community here