Skip to main content

Cob Workshop - Foundation

foundation
It's finally time, what probably none of you have been waiting for! A review of our cob workshop! I'm going to divide the workshop into several posts, from the ground up. I am going to provide all the notes I took from the workshop lectures first, then a summary from our trip and any notes I have to add. If anyone has any questions feel free to ask! First up- foundation! 

Think about piping first!
-a perforated pipe drained to fresh air
-water lines
-drainage below foundation

Recipe for Lime Putty
-2-3 inches of water in five gallon bucket first
-add hydrated lime gradually until greek yogurt consistency
-use builders lime - NOT garden lime
-mix with a paint mixer on low speed to blend

Recipe for Lime Mortar
-1 part lime putty
-1 part coarse sand
-1/3 part grog

-grog is a powdered fired clay used as a hardening agent to set foundation up well
-can be found at most builders supply stores or pottery supply
-the grog can be used in the putty as well, for a harder finish
-lime putty can be stored and remixed indefinitely!
-lime is caustic, so remember to wear gloves, mask, goggles, etc

Rubble Trench Foundation
-dig trench two feet wide by two feet deep or deeper, to the frost line
-lay two inches of gravel below a four inch perforated pipe in a U shape
-fill with gravel and tamp every six inches to set in gravel
-the pipe and drainage allows water to drain from the cob

Rock Stem Wall
-use clean rocks to help sick
-use largest rocks first
-set bottom stones 3-4 inches below grade to give it a little seat
-set the first layer 24 inches wide
-narrow to 18 inches for the next layers
-two stones filled with gravel is okay

Laying Rock
-two stones over one
-avoid vertical seams
-blocks can be set sideways or flat

Pointing Mortar
-used to fill in gaps between outside foundation stones
-same lime mortar and gravel to fill holes
-use a spray bottle to keep all surfaces the same moisture level when applying
-for bigger gaps it helps to  form a ball of mortar and gravel in your hands, then fill the hole

Geothermal Air Conditioning
-4 inch fan inside of non insulated pipe run for at least
  200 feet underground from outside to in the house
-the fan can easily be run on solar power
-in case you don't understand, this means practically free air conditioning!

two layers of stone and gravel

chipping away a piece of rock

two of our instructors (in the orange and stripes) and Josh from New York

one wall of foundation we built

the old wall in the background, and two foundation walls we built

making a strong corner

 In all the reading and planning I had done before the workshop, the foundation always confused me the most. I felt clueless. When we had the lecture and starting putting the rocks together, I was blown away by how simple it was. It's just a gigsaw puzzle with gravel in the cracks! We were working on the foundation for a shop building at the front of the property. There was an existing section of wall and foundation (with cinder-blocks) that was completed in the fall of last year. We continued with two sides of the building, setting the foundation, applying mortar, and then made a wall (that's to come later, I'm getting ahead of myself!)

That's step one of our building adventure!
Check back for more fun- you haven't even seen the mud yet! :)

Until next time,


Angela Kelly

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

a new beginning

Hello there strangers. I'm sharing this with you on my new iPhone. I'm not usually big on having new fancy things, but I'm excited. My absence in this space has been mostly due to a terrible computer that makes it nearly impossible to work on. I hope now I can finally be productive in this space again. I've missed you.   

puppy play date

Yesterday Trilli got to have a puppy play date with her best friend, Oreo, and a new boyfriend, Yeti. Everyone in our group has a dog or two, so socializing them is essential. With several large breeds covered in our pack, they can be a bit much at first. Oreo (the pit bull) is quick like lighting, nudging the others with her nose and batting her paws. Trilli (husky and lab) loves to play but has the biggest mouth, constantly barking. We're working on that. Yeti is a basset hound and great Pyrenees mix, still growing and just beautiful. He got along with the girls wonderfully, outside taking turns pouncing on each of them. It's great to watch a pack of dogs together, it's so natural for them, their own kind; friends.  Hopefully next time I'll remember to bring my camera! Until next time, Angela Kelly

raising rabbits: newborns in a wind storm

bunbuns love lettuces :)  We had eighteen baby rabbits last week, the first litters of the year. We also had a super wind storm the very day after they were born, which knocked the hutch over, and nearly scared me to death. We were in town and had to rush the hour home to check on them, and amazingly enough, they all survived. We shuffled them around, moved two moms with babies inside the house, secured the rest, prepared for the storm. We made it through okay. It's been almost a week now, and they are starting to get their fur and move around a lot, so we will be moving them back outside very soon. It has been pretty cool having them so close, keeping an eye on them all the time, watching them grow. Raising rabbits is always an adventure, and we are learning more every day. I sure am enjoying the process, though. the new mommy eating some lettuce newborns more babies - they look like little aliens the rabbits at sunset Until next time, Angela Kelly...