Timber frame with Cob infill

Hello, I am new here and I have to say I am really enjoying reading these forums. What a site!

I live on the SC/GA border near Augusta and we are very blessed with some great Georgia Clay and of course, the everpresent Georgia Pine. I think it would be great to incorporate both pine and clay into a hybrid timber frame/cob infill house. The only problem is, I can find a lot of info on timber framing, and a lot on pure cob construction, but not so much on this combo. I've heard it mentioned here and there, but I can't find any detailed information.

There's a couple reasons why I'd prefer to use timber frame with cob infill, and the main reason is inspection/code. Timber frame houses have precident and as long as the cob is "insulation" it's going to be a lot easier to get it okay'd by daddy government (or at least that is what I have been told on the internet). Secondly, I just like the exposed timber look and like I said, we got a lot of pine trees so I think it'd be a nice touch.

If anyone could point me in the right direction, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks!

Matt

Mathew, welcome to Permise!!!

Give me a bulletized list of what you want to know and I will answer (or give you sources) for all you need to know to design/build like this or have it built for you. Great choice for your area of the country, and a wonderful concert of traditional building mediums.

Regards,

j

Investigate light straw clay. It will take less time, it weighs less, and it is a much better insulator. You won't need sand. I can't think of any point where cob beats light straw clay, other than it's workability when sculpting. Earth plastered make both products look similar.

There's a history of this infill being used for timber frames in Europe.

Hi Dale,

Thanks for that post, as it reminded me to bring something up that I haven't as of yet. Of all the things I read about "cob" and what contemporary folks are doing with it that they think is "new" or innovative, most are not at all. Say I build with "cob" is like saying "I where wool clothes." OK. you build with cob, what kind, and is it the best form of it.

Clay straw and clay chip are cob, and I know that may throw some folks of, but clay stray modalities have been around for 1000 of years, ever since we as a species started planting, growing and harvesting grain crops in all there permutations. Perhaps even before that, when we would harvest grasses for thatch and insulation. Bousillage methods of cob come in the dense and solid form for interior work then a nice plaster of clay or lime wash, yet the exterior is often a "light" bousillage, which today you would see as "clay straw."

This same concept reminds me of "cordwood" construction which, Roy and I have dialogued about several times. "Cord wood" constructions is simply a modern reinterpretation of many of the wood mass stack wall methods like "Kubbhus," which has been around for over three hundred years. Again, nothing new, just forgotten and remembered. I might add now that kubbhus methods would also be a wonderful infill method on portions of Mathew's timber frame, adding a thermal mass to the interior that would create a great heat sink for gathering some thermal inertia. Cover that with a light straw cob, and you really are getting into achieve "net zero" architecture, but all natural and sustainable.

I had never heard of bousillage before. Wikipedia has a blurb --- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bousillage

With all of the reeds and grass along with clay available to them, it's a pretty safe bet that the Egyptians and Mesopotamians had their own version of it.

It seems like it would be much quicker than wattle and daub.

Some people are growing cattails for the root. Studies have shown that the leaves and stems make poor animal fodder due to low nutrition and it's fibrous nature. Make bousillage from the tops and feed the roots to the pigs.

Matthew Tubman : Depending on luck and available resources (and a good google search), you should be able to find large amounts of Timber frame and
Cordwood building, There is much in common with Cordwood infill with a Timber frame Construction and the various other types of cob Infill with Timberframe
construction !

I am not advocating that you change your plans in any way, only making you aware of the many commonalities of these type of construction !

Rob Roy, who is a leading proponent of Cordwood and Underground/ cordwood houses, has been a very prolific and entertaning writer, Much useful information
can be garnered from his books and you may be able to acquire most of them 2nd hand in good to excellent condition Through Amazon or Alibris books !

Good luck, For the Good of the craft ! Big AL !