BRK #369
Photos from this past Friday's building
project at the Dogstar cabin.
Shani,
Haile, and
SEPPer Lisa joined me over there to repair a wall section. There used to be a window, however it was placed right next to the upper bunk and when someone broke the pane of glass when staying there one night we decided that a more impact-resistant option was appropriate for that spot. So after
SEPPer Jeff and I discussed the options, we decided upon a slip straw-insulated wall to be installed there. The team took care of the project in one afternoon.
Here's SEPPer Lisa at the mixing spot, just outside of the Dogstar.
Slip
straw is just a little bit different from
cob. You use primarily mud and
water for your "glue" and then dunk the straw into that until it's saturated.
Then the saturated straw is pressed into the form for building.
You build up your form a little bit at a time, from the bottom to the top, as the lower sections become filled with the pressed slip-straw.
Once the form is full, then the slip straw needs to dry. After that you can remove the form or keep it in place as the structural part of the wall (slip straw on its own really isn't useful as building support).
For now, I think we're keeping the form intact as the wall. Here's the view from the inside...
...And out.
I think the team did an excellent job on this construction project. It's certainly more resilient than what was there before, and I think it'll last quite a while. We may come back and finish the exterior with some linseed oil. Maybe after SEPPer Jeff and I have a discussion about it.
That's all for now. Thanks for reading, and enjoy your day...!
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