Cob Building in the Ozarks

Hi everyone! I have recently discovered cob building and have dreamed of building an affordable tiny house. The design, among other great perks really appeal to my husband and I. The problem is, neither one of us are builders in the least. We really have no idea where to start other than buying a piece of land. We live in northern Arkansas/Southern Missouri. Are there any cob builders around here? Or anyone that has built a cob house in this area that could give us some advice? We would appreciate it so very much!

Hi Sarah, welcome to Permies! We may be neighbors since I also live in Southern Missouri--almost within a stone's throw of Arkansas (Taney County, MO). Whereabouts are you? As for cob ... I always thought it was too humid here for cob, but it turns out it is not a problem except in the early drying stage (and you can always use fans). Check out this link ... http://www.housealive.org/faq The thing I wonder about is where in the heck you plan to get the soil you will need to make it! If your place is anything like ours, you will have a bumper crop of rocks, but very little of the stuff you need for cob. We have a few outcroppings of clay on part of our place, but not nearly enough for a house. (Well, not without considerable trouble excavating and hauling it anyway.) Our soil is only a couple of feet above bedrock at best--hopefully, you'll have better luck!

Make sure you don't buy anyplace with building codes!
I'm having all kinds of stupid issues with them. Wish the land I bought (which I love) wasn't in city limits. My hedgerow is the city limits, I wish SO BAD I was on the other side of that fence.
I'm in Southern MO too

Hi Sarah!

I actually don't know of anyone doing cob in the Ozarks. I have heard of it done in northern Missouri although I'm not sure how well it has held up over time.

I do, however, know of people building an earthbag tiny house. One near by me was built about 2 years ago, I have lost my contact info for that group but there seems to be a young couple willing to teach volunteers about this construction method. Here's there website which contains a "Contact" link for volunteers to learn. Good luck!

http://www.ozarkpermaculture.net/

Hi Sarah, Cob is good to go anywhere as long as you have good high foundation and a good overhang. The only problem might be the farther north the harder to heat but there are ways to insulate. I think its the perfect building material because its non toxic and stays around 50% humidity all the time thus keeping a comfortable environment inside and good air quality. I'll bet we will be building with cob in Gods new earth.
  I bought some land in southern Mo. in Douglas county near Ava mo. I plan on building a cob house of sorts, Have to do more research but was thinking on a post and beam set the width of a pallet so pallets can be screwed to both sides of the post and the pallets being filled with cob. The space in between the pallets, the width of the post( maybe 4 inch posts) will be filled with a mixture of lime sawdust and maybe a little borax for bugs and fungus. I need to find out if the sawdust would retain too much moister being enclosed, They use it on cobwood houses. It will be more of a daub and wattle type. It will also have an earth roof but instead of earth I plan to use wood chips as they will soon turn to a light dirt and very insulative . Never seen any of this done before so its kinda experimental but sure it will work ok. Maybe if anyone in this area is interested in helping we could exchange labor or something.

Hello all,

I am curious to know if there is someplace close to Beaver Lake in NW Arkansas that can find enough clay to build a cob house.  All we have is the most phenomenal draining rocky soil I have ever seen in my entire life.  I can't find enough clay around here to build a rocket stove.  Had to resort to buying fire clay.  I am not complaining mind you I had enough red clay in Maryland to last a lifetime the first 50 years of my life. I know that there are areas of north eastern Arkansa that are famous for their clay, but it doesn;t do me any good as the transportation cost would be exorbitant.  ;-)

Hello all!

I am in south central MO also interested in building with cob. Have been wondering if a cob wofati is possible? From what I have read you just have to be sure and keep the water off of it so if you use a buried pond liner like a wofati to take the rain off and away from the structure I am thinking this is viable. I would not mind mixing materials like sort of wofati timber style on the buried exteriors and cob on the interior with a mixed timber/cob/stone exposed exterior front. Anyone currently building give me a shout I'd like to lend a hand for a weekend and see how things are being done.

As far as coming up with clay in the Ozarks I think this red stuff you find a little deeper has got to be rich in it. I am conducting the water jar test to see about that. When I mixed this red dirt with the water it turned a really great earthy orange color. still waiting for it to settle. I believe the difficulty in our area is going to be sifting out the rocks.

Jay Gore: If you have lots of rocks, rather than sifting them out as unwanted, consider working with them. Use the cob as surfacing on the inside and detailing, with the rock as the waterproof area? Just a thought. I'm not a fan of fighting too much with what is available. The rock is a resource, use it too :)

Jay Gore wrote:Hello all!

I am in south central MO also interested in building with cob. Have been wondering if a cob wofati is possible? From what I have read you just have to be sure and keep the water off of it so if you use a buried pond liner like a wofati to take the rain off and away from the structure I am thinking this is viable. I would not mind mixing materials like sort of wofati timber style on the buried exteriors and cob on the interior with a mixed timber/cob/stone exposed exterior front. Anyone currently building give me a shout I'd like to lend a hand for a weekend and see how things are being done.

As far as coming up with clay in the Ozarks I think this red stuff you find a little deeper has got to be rich in it. I am conducting the water jar test to see about that. When I mixed this red dirt with the water it turned a really great earthy orange color. still waiting for it to settle. I believe the difficulty in our area is going to be sifting out the rocks.

How did the jar test go? Is there any reason you would be opposed to cedar cordwood? I too am in the Ozarks and feel the abundance of cedar and clay makes cordwood a viable option. I see lots of earth berm houses here and may incorporate that into my eventual design depending upon the countour of the land where I land.

I think the test is inconclusive. I'll have to do it again and use an actual glass jar. I had a water bottle in my car so I used that and it looks like its all clay but I don't think that can be right. I think the clay stuck to the plastic and messed up the test. Otherwise I just made cob in a water bottle. lol idk I'll get back to you.

Jay Gore wrote:I think the test is inconclusive. I'll have to do it again and use an actual glass jar. I had a water bottle in my car so I used that and it looks like its all clay but I don't think that can be right. I think the clay stuck to the plastic and messed up the test. Otherwise I just made cob in a water bottle. lol idk I'll get back to you.

Heh, you need straw or something to call it cob, you made pottery in a water bottle :D
You made me laugh :D
And in a lot of the Ozarks, rock and clay is what you get. It well could be all clay (with rocks.)
The land here came from old ocean bed, limestone and rocks mixed with fine slit. Any topsoil is more recent, any layered over the top of it.

yeah it needs a fiber matrix to be cob but I really expected there to be sand in there. When I took the sample it felt sandy in my hands. If it is the right ratio for cob will it stay mixed rather than settle into 2 layers? I haven't been out for another sample yet but the one on my desk just keeps getting a thicker layer of clear water on top and the rest just looks like orange clay.

Whoo... you might have solid clay there. Get a better sample, do some of it that way, but do a batch just barely wet, and feel what it does when it dries most of the way out, does it feel slippery like clay? If you can go there when it's just rained, run your hands through the dirt, if it's all sticky and you are covered in horrifying muck, you have clay :) Be careful if you drive on clay soil, it's an utter bastard to get out of if you get stuck :D

Jay Gore wrote:yeah it needs a fiber matrix to be cob but I really expected there to be sand in there. When I took the sample it felt sandy in my hands. If it is the right ratio for cob will it stay mixed rather than settle into 2 layers? I haven't been out for another sample yet but the one on my desk just keeps getting a thicker layer of clear water on top and the rest just looks like orange clay.

Yep looks like clay.

No matter what the ratio, it will settle out.  Cob as useable for building does not have excess water in it, and that is why it has the consistency that it does.  If you take a soil sample and add a lot of water to it for a test and shake it up, it will eventually settle out whatever the constituent parts and ratios are therein.

Consider yourself fortunate, all I seem to find on my property is rocks, rocks and more rocks.

Sincerely,

Ralph

Make some bricks with it with straw and sand, and let them dry then see how tough they are and what it takes to break one. Drop one from chest high and see if it breaks, it may break in two or three its ok, but in lots of peaces, better try something else. The biggest ingredient is not the clay but the sand. Finding a good source of cheap sand is the treasure.

Just found your post.  I live in Northern Arkansas.  I m interested in Cob building myself soon and have a lot of questions.   Maybe I can help you in exchange.  

Thanks.   Paul.   usurpme2@aol.com

Hey Paul I am wanting to build some cob structures soon but not sure when I'll be able to start, I'm no expert but it is a pretty straight forward process. What I plan to to do is a post and beam with wood pallets stuffed with straw and about 4 inches of cob on each side. If you use post and beam you don't have to worry so much about your walls crumbling in an earth quake or such. I plan to char some cedar post for the beams to prevent rot and fungus. If you have any questions I'll try to answer but keep in mind, I'm not expert but I have built a lot of things. I am near Ava Mo. so maybe we could give each other a hand if I can ever retire. Have a great day.

Hi William!
I just bought property in douglas county near Ava and I plan on doing a post and beam house with straw being the insulation and cobbing over the straw. Unknown it's been 2 years since you posted this so I'm really hoping you get this post! Was wondering if your building plans worked out. Since we are neighbors I could use some tips.  My name is Diane

Hey!  I just bought property in southern Missouri the way prices are going now definitely thinking about carb get a hold of me when you can let’s have a chat.

Usurpme2@aol.com

870-810-4658.     Paul

Definitely want to build with cob and straw bale. Need guidance!!!

Did you ever build a cob home in this area? Very interested to learn results. Thanks for sharing!

I don’t think ste Genevieve counts as the ozarks, but they used the French wattle and daub technique called bousillage (hope that spelling is correct) during the colonial period and those buildings are still standing to this day. It is very humid there and they also receive some heavy rains each year as well they are along a river. The temperatures throughout the year are pretty much Identical to the ozarks. The ste Genevieve homes use wide verandas around the whole house to prevent heat gain on the walls of the house and keep the bousillage walls from getting wet. The houses also have tall(ish) attics to allow heat to rise up away from living spaces. If you are building in the Missouri area I would as general advice suggest building in either Georgian Colonial Style or the ste Genevieve or creole cottage style, they are not only time tested but harken back to a time when people had to make do without modern day industrialized construction materials.

Hello! I’m wondering if any of you had success building a cob home? My husband and I are really considering it. We live in NW Arkansas / SW Missouri. My email is weldsource.kc@gmail.com

Hey there, we have been working with clay and straw in south central Missouri for the last few years. We’re in the process of building a timber framed straw bale house. We’ve mainly used slip straw (aka light straw clay) to infill stud framing with success on a sauna, “solar shed” end composting toilet. I love this technique for its ease, light and functional application and final beauty.

As far as working with cob- we were definitely excited to try that (coming from Pacific Northwest/Vancouver island), but some good reading from Sigi Koko and the Natural Building forums on Facebook steered us toward a higher insulative material (instead of the thermal mass provided by cob). Straw acting as an insulator in our cool climate.

The clay dirt we work with is beautiful! I’ll see if I can attach some pics of the plaster finish on this Saturday morning.

hey i libe in the ozarks and am planning to start my cob home this fall. i could sure use the extra hands for help of anybody is interested

Roughly where are you? If I'm close enough I'm interested.

Hi Libe, I am glad to came across your post,
I am from St.louis County, I can able to come and help out as I am doing some research on building COB house in SO MO,
reach me at senthilsky0@gmail.com
Rgds
Boomisenthil

Hi everyone, I'm in Fayetteville, Arkansas and am looking to gather a work party for cobb this coming October/November.  I can provide the most amazing farm to table meals!  We have fresh goat milk and ducks eggs from our farm.  There is an old barn on the property and I would love to host a workshop if anyone is interested.  The proposed project is to seal up a beautiful 1920s barn and make it a workshop space and apartment for guests to stay.  It is already wired for electricity and water.  The walls have lots of gaps and holes, but the wood in it is beautiful.  Anyone interested in coming and being a part?  Anyone have the ability to lead a workshop?   contact me at cobbdream-ar@snkmail.com  , I am hoping to gather some beautiful community and make this dream a reality!

I am in NW Arkansas as well. I have been on an offgrid homestead started as raw lang 2.5 years ago. Have yet to use much cob. Only for a small test project of a rocket stove. Are you still planning on doing the workshop? Sounds like fun. My wife and I would be interested in attending. a

Saw a lot of folks in NW Arkansas on this thread. I built a cob home with rocket mass heater in Winslow, AR. I built an outdoor wood-burning oven and stove from cob as well. The only issue with humidity is that the earthen floor is softer in July and August. Pointy-legged chairs leave dents during those months. It could be that enough maintenance oiling of the floors would prevent the dents, but I've not re-oiled hardly at all. I've just gotten better at patching. Oh, also, our light-colored clay paint showed mold spots in summer. I added more borax and a bit of lime slip to a refresher coat, and that seems to have alleviated the issue.

Amethyst Allee wrote:hey i libe in the ozarks and am planning to start my cob home this fall. i could sure use the extra hands for help of anybody is interested

still need some help building?

Fellow Cob Home enthusiast here and currently living in Fayetteville.
How are everyone’s cob projects going?

Hi Laura we live in Joplin Missouri we have recently bought land in Winslow and we would really like to talk to you about that as we are looking into cob houses also you can contact me at Peggy-beck@att.net

William Egan wrote: I plan on building a cob house of sorts, Have to do more research but was thinking on a post and beam set the width of a pallet so pallets can be screwed to both sides of the post and the pallets being filled with cob. The space in between the pallets, the width of the post( maybe 4 inch posts) will be filled with a mixture of lime sawdust and maybe a little borax for bugs and fungus. I need to find out if the sawdust would retain too much moister being enclosed, They use it on cobwood houses. It will be more of a daub and wattle type. It will also have an earth roof but instead of earth I plan to use wood chips as they will soon turn to a light dirt and very insulative . Never seen any of this done before so its kinda experimental but sure it will work ok. Maybe if anyone in this area is interested in helping we could exchange labor or something.

Hi William. I've built a couple of wattle and daub type houses for colder climates. I built a modified post and beam frame with 6x6s every 8 feet. My local lumber yard sells bundles of long wood scrap that averaged 1/2"x 2ish" and i attached them to the inside and outside of the posts with about 6-8" between them. The infilll was light straw clay (straw coated in a clay mud slurry) that would slump out between the slats and create a surface to attach a base coat of clay mud with long straw which would easily span the wood slats. Adobe plaster doesn't naturally want to affix to wood but with all of the long straw to hold it together it works out fine. Your plan with the pallets sounds really cool and like it would create some nice thick walls. If you have suitable dirt to make cob and mud, that light straw clay in fill might be more resistant to critters and mold than the sawdust idea. Good luck. sounds fun

aaaannnnnd I just saw how old this post is

Hey guys! My wife and I have bought some property in Malvern AR and plan to build our forever home with stacked hay bales and cob as well as earth bags for a lower level cut into a hill. We plan to build a test run to get our feet wet with cob before committing to such a large project. I’d love to come see some of y’all’s builds and ask questions to people who have actually done it! Maybe give me some pointers and suggestions on what to do and what not to do. Maybe things you would have done differently looking back. If anyone is interested in helping us out or letting us come tour your place let me know! My name is Jacob Carter and you can reach me on fb messenger m.me/jacob.carter.5682?hash=AbZgrTeRXzURR1qJ&source_id=6946816

I also would like some info on Cob Building. Are there any groups in the area? (Boone co. AR) I would like to see about bringing someone out to assist in a cob build in the spring/summer of 2025.

Thank you,
Chris


PS: I’m also looking for someone who does “water witching” in the area.

Greetings! My husband and I are about to move into our RV on 10 acres to build our cob community! By next year, we should be ready to host classes in cob building and sculpture if anyone nearby is interested. Onsite camping will be available. We are located about 20 minutes south of Camdenton MO. There is a lot to do before we can get started but we ate hoping to get an outdoor shower/ composting toilet house complete by fall this year.