cob chimney

[Damis101]

Very nice!  You are in the UK then? I am trying to find out more about 2-storey cob cottages and how the second floor is installed. I am in the US and we are so behind you in re-discovering this old technology--it seems like no one here has the knowledge or ability to practice the art of cob building (outside of small sheds or one-storey houses with flat or sloped roofs, that is)!

[fieldofrob]

#1 Thanks very much, im in portugal, the house is stone but i'm trying to bring cob into it as much as possible, great having tons of warm fire heated cob in the winter and also tons of nice cool cob for the summer help to keep the house very comfortable. There are some good books on cob, a lot from the uk and also a big earth building scene in oregon and california, plus loads of stuff online, as far as putting a second floor in goes,just allow the joists and beams to be able to move...cont..

[fieldofrob]

#2 cont.. within the wall if they need to, cob walls will settle over time and if the ends of joists and beams are really tied into the walls then they cant adjust to this movement and you might find they are pulling your walls apart, of course they need to be properly supported on stone or wood pads within the wall but aslong as they are in a good depth then they arent going anywhere,so no need to put loads of nails etc in the ends of them to bite them into the cob.Where are you from in the us?

[Damis101]

Thanks! I'm in Oregon and have a small farm in Oregon City where I would love to build my next home. I always wanted a cob home but I'm afraid there may not be any permits allowed for it. I just experienced a cob structure for the first time--a bus stop bench. I loved the smooth, sun-warmed seat, which allowed me to imagine how cozy it can be when warmed by an indoor fireplace. This illustrates how rare it is to find anything made of cob in this area (population 2+ million, cob homes 0)!

[Damis101]

#2 cont..So when you set the joists and beams, do they stay inside the walls or do they stick out through them? Silly question, but are the stone or wood pads simply inserted in the walls or are they supported all they way down to the ground? I've noticed that windows and door frames also have a support beam above...

Thanks again for your great video and your helpful replies. I wish you all the best in your wonderful home! I hope I can say the same for myself eventually! ; )

[werewolfsharptooth]

it's too bad you didn't run the chimney under the bed platform it would have kept you really nice and cozzy when the cob warmed up

[fieldofrob]

I would like to run some heating pipes through the bed platform from the wood burner down stairs,i've finished the chimney now and all the cob,i want to replace the rest of the upstairs floor with an earth floor so i can have some nice cob stairs up to the platform. I wanted a system I could turn off rather than the chimney going through it,as in the summer it gets super hot and it's nice to have a fire at night but not get the house too hot. Thanks for looking, i'll put an update on soon.

[watchmyfilms]

Wow seems crazy, cant believe its going this quick matey, the pad is so sweeeet! When do i move in, could you confirm the date again please...