hey all,
I've been using this site as a resource for a while now, finally decided to join. I'm currently building a small
cob and strawbale home on the back part of a property in the middle of Tucson. Under 200ft2 so don't have to worry so much about code.
So far I've got the rubble trench foundation built to about 18" deep, a 20" poured
concrete stem wall (with a huge amount of recycled blocks and stones as filler. Next time I will use stones). I'm 2/3rds done with the walls, which I've been doing in balecob style, with cob like mortar between bales, four cob pillars on the corners. I've adjusted it a bit, though, so that the bales are laid directly on top of each other instead of overlapping like bricks. This allows little cob pillars between each bale going all the way up to the roof. So far the thing is solid as a rock.
Concerns I have are the building of the roof (torn between skillion and flat roof), the connection of the roof to the foundation, and what kind of plaster and floor to use. For plaster I'm leaning towards an earth-based plaster with a limewash over it.
Hope to talk to you all more soon!
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