Cob House Part One

[pugdogy]

it amazes me how people could live in nothing but beauty and instead choose to live with deep junk piled all over the place--how depressing

[freakypeoplehunter]

This is seriously awesome!

[vaidotas86]

she is beutyfull

[Flayprime]

Well, Improving the land is most important. Self sustainability is hard work, but very very beneficial. Personally, reducing the amount of "stuff" around your house would be a starting point. Select cutting some trees and setting up a very large vegetable garden. Not pointing fingers, just seeing and saying.

[rickster348]

livin' off the land, man.

[MrSafetymeeting]

Beautiful house. I don't know why anyone would think otherwise, but I live in a housebus so........

[nuksucow1983]

do you care about the world?..... check out TheZeitgeistMovement

ideas for a ssustainable world future, and whats really wrong with ours at the moment.

[vutEwa]

way cool!

[brianzpartner]

Beautiful !

[bikemessenger7]

that looks like a place to live that promotes activity, things to do and see and work on. great home Decky! yours earl

[Cstrife234]

I don't know why people want gigantic houses. You only need enough room for sleeping, eating, having a bath/shower. The rest of your day is spent outside, or elsewhere, with your friends/family...or whatever you intend to do. I spend most of my time, while at home, on the computer. Also, the smaller the house, the less it needs to be cleaned.

[granitestatedave]

Yikes - toilet outside, hope you have a heated toilet seat.

[mercurystar2002]

those houses are cool and all but you end up living in a cluttered mess because there is nowhere to put your belongings.

[jannevellamo]

@mercurystar2002 There's this new invention you may be interested in. It's called a closet. Would you believe they actually make them in various shapes and sizes?

[mercurystar2002]

@jannevellamo Wow! why is everyone so negative! All I said was they seem small. I have a husband and a daughter that have a lot of stuff... That's all I am saying! It would be great for a single person though. But I was not putting this plce down by no means... I think its cool! Chill ppl!

[jannevellamo]

@mercurystar2002 Sorry, just being funny. I guess. Sort of. Still, the size is not the issue, as the structure really places no limitations to size. Upscaling is really just a matter of time, energy and resources. If any one of these is in short supply, it probably is a smart move to keep it small, so you'll have a place to live before winter comes and halts your project. You can always expand the building later. The only real limitations are the building code and your imagination.

[mercurystar2002]

@jannevellamo I actually told my husband I thought ithis was pretty sweet...He looked at me like I was insane. I think it would be amazing... lets see how crazy he thinks I am when I'm outside building him a man cave! LOL!

[jannevellamo]

@mercurystar2002 You know, maybe a small structure like a garage or a children's playhouse would make the idea easier to sell. That way he could see for himself that it actually works. And when he realizes just how much money he has saved in comparison to a more industrial approach... Well, you do still need a decent foundation and a proper roof, but otherwise the expenses are negligible.

[mercurystar2002]

@jannevellamo We don't have our own land yet, We are staioned @ Ft Campbell and renting, But I have considered the playhouse many times! It would be a great family project as well!!!

[jannevellamo]

@mercurystar2002 Alrighty then, finding a lot with loads of clay should not be a problem, once you have the money for it and after that it's just hard work. Remember to dig deep for the clay, though, as the stuff you want should contain no topsoil at all. The good stuff is in the anaerobic layer, which should be virtually free of microbes and fungi. You'll know when you hit it. The playhouse would really be great practice and I'm sure the kids would just love to help you get muddy.

[TheDudeRulez09]

@mercurystar2002 obviously you have no idea what you are talking about, and if you have enough stuff to make a cluttered mess, maybe you should consider getting rid of some stuff......

[triflind]

hey, why did you move out ?? Nice dog too.

[calmingbrook]

The house was beautiful I could tell

but wow thought I was watching Blair Witch

[wkp413]

this kind of puts me off the cob house concept...

[rustydusty40]

awsome

[AbdultheImpailler]

The cob house isn't a bad idea at all in a rural area, just put in some modern items like toilets, there are composting ones so you don't need it hooked up to the plumbing.

It would be a nice looking property if they cleaned up all the junk, perfect breeding grounds for rats, it looks like a typical Gulf Islands property, natural is good, junk strewn everywhere is not

[Redshift21]

The house looked interesting but all I could think of as she walked up to it was how much I wanted to clean up all the crap around the place, video was very dark and hard to see in places but I'm still thankful to the maker for it.

[dusteroo]

totally cool.

but the outhouse just doesn't do it for me. Especially in that environment. You're hardcore, kudos to you on that part !

[ohdearjane]

tomorow starts construction on our cob village quite neat actully i love cob and its super cheap yay

cant wait

[TroyBilt007]

I too am planning on building a cob house in maybe two years but I will have a bathroom with a toilet in it. I like this house tho and nice video. Thank you

[StarrJaded]

Looks like paradise =)

[aquecedoroleo]

that house reminds me a friend of mine house too.

[SaakashWilly]

It seems to me, here at night will be an zombie attack. Very possibly, isn't that so?

[1dschamp]

A truly incoherent sentence.

[SaakashWilly]

Wood, house, silence & absence of people - all specifies in forthcoming zombie attack.

Look ta films.;) Very similar.

Uhhhhhhh - braaain... uhhhhhh...

[sh00tingstar2009]

gorgeous. We want to build a cob house, perhaps even a partially underground one, here in New Zealand. The area you shot this seems to be quite cool and damp- does this affect the cob? we live on the east coast of the south island in NZ and get cold bitterly winters (not too damp though but ots of frosts) but hot dry summers, would cob work for us do you think?

keep up the lovely videos!

[iwantit162]

if your building into a hillside then i think its about 8ft in the ground has a steady temp all year round.

the damp can affect cob but if you keep it pretty airy then it shouldnt be a problem.if your biulding cob inside the mountain then id say leave a slight gap around the outer side of the wall and fill with stones to absord the damp and water and so its easier for the air to circulate.have slightly raised flooring so you wont get flooded and have a trench on the outside to run the water away

[Leadwint]

very nice

[obbzerver]

And point of fact - no matter what people do regarding the planet, it's doomed. The sun is going to go red-giant and fry the solar system. The rain forests and snowy egrets & hybrid cars will be ashes. Earth will become uninhabitable long before that event reaches its completion. If mankind is going to survive they're going to have to have the technology to find someplace else to live and the means to get there and survive there.

Ponder that one.

[Lundadeuna]

What a thought. It's like something out of a Vonnegut novel.

[obbzerver]

Ah, we call it a "cob house" and charge someone to rent it.

Anywhere else, this is called "a condemned dwelling".

I see places like this all the time....on the nightly news...mostly with crime scene tape around it and a bunch of people in cuffs sitting on the curb.

This is what eco-hippies envision for our future?

[dontyouwannabecool]

machines computers and flying cars that all require energy, and thus the systematic comsumption of the planet is the better future yes yes yes...

[obbzerver]

dontyouwannabecool"and thus the systematic comsumption of the planet"

Better quit logging on to Youtube, driving or availing yourself of any of the benefits of modern technology lest someone think you're a hypocrite.

You've apparently been smoking some bad mushrooms.

[dontyouwannabecool]

not if im working to NOT depend on the things that i was PROGRAMMED since birth to depend on. i understand that i am contributing to some things more than others. but its not black and white.

i am making the effort to change my own life based on my rationale of how the planet should be treated.

i dont have a switch i can turn to make me be able to survive automaically off-the-grid after being conditioned for all 19 yrs of my life... nor do i have an off-the-grid place to go to. babystepsbaby

[dontyouwannabecool]

people are allowed to THINK whatever they want. but as long as i'm not lacking a mind of my own, i'll never be a hypocrite.

there are ways in which i intend to take advtng of civ as well. the net allows me to network with other thinkers, and access information i couldnt attain on my own, this doesnt mean i should condone systematic destruction.

there are ways of reaching a middle ground. and this i tell everyone. civ isnt all bad, but the direction we're headed is. we need to sustain n

[dontyouwannabecool]

there are ways of reaching a middle ground. and this i tell everyone. civ isnt all bad, but the direction we're headed is. we need to think more sustainably. of course no mass population like ours can reach a point of perfect sustainability. but who ever said we had to all coexist as gigantic systematic, structured, globalized communities? why must we all live the same way, and in the same place? humans are communal, but that doesnt mean we MUST LIVE LIKE THIS.

[dontyouwannabecool]

i think of different ways to live everyday, new and old ideas. why must i be confined to one idea of "life?" why must i be a pawn like everyone else. well the answer is i dont. and im not going to. so my friend, im not a hypocrite because i use useful things to achieve goals towards gaining knowledge, understanding, and experience to move civilization more towards sustainability. id be a hypocrite only if i didnt care.

[obbzerver]

dontyouwannabecool - Sustainability seems like one of these terms that doesn't hold up under examination. Earth existed for billions of years before man arrived - ecosystems came and went, species flourished and became extinct, all without big, evil mankind around.

[obbzerver]

All this "living off the grid" business, well, okay. And how did Decky get to this house? In a car. She tapes her thoughts and escapades with a camcorder. Toothpaste, clothes made in a modern factory, the database to store your medical records, online library catalogs, all require a huge infrastructure to exist. That computer you're on is using electricity that I guarantee isn't created by a bunch of Amish farmers turning a hand-crank.

[obbzerver]

And if you or Alyssa-Decky got severely sick, I bet you'd get back "on the grid" mighty quick. And if that grid didn't exist,  you're screwed. Back when people lived "in tune with nature" life expectancy was pretty short.

[dontyouwannabecool]

humans existed long before civilization. civilization produced evils, not mankind. human foragers were not the evil, ignorant polluters we are today. foraging societies WERE sustainable, in fact the most sustainable human existence. know your history.

[dontyouwannabecool]

sustainability simply means a way to live that doesnt make mankind the sole culprit of the destruction of the planet. species have been born and have died throughout the ages, but humans have been the only species to consciously destroy the planet.

in nature everything is balanced, good and evil come in waves. civilized humanity has come up with a way to be a constant source of evil, thats not balance, thats not sustainable.

[obbzerver]

Humans were for the most part ignorant, superstitious savages for much of mankind's history. In many places this hasn't changed much.

Check out what the typical life expectancy was with your "foraging societies". Be curious to see how you'd fare living as people once did. Let's see how you get along the first time you have an untreated infected tooth.

[dontyouwannabecool]

lol what do you think we are today? taking medicines that make us more sick, depending on limited resources to the point where we cannot, and WILL not live without them.

im not interested in "who lives longer." quality of life was generally better in food foraging societies. they spent 1/4 the time we do working, and spend the rest of the day playin and making up myths. they were happy. the most used phrase today is "life sucks." no one is happy. everyone is overworked and miserable.

[dontyouwannabecool]

one question, how often do you think you get an infected tooth when you're not eating candy and junk food? cite me an example of an indigenous group of people who suffer horribly from tooth decay.

and i'll cite you one the better: kayapo people of brazil, introduced to popsicles and other sweet treats, are now experiencing a rise in tooth decay, diabetes, and obesity (as are other groups of indigenous peoples) as a result of changes in consumption patters (barbara miller 2008)

[dontyouwannabecool]

civilized humans are afraid of death, thats why we're over populated, and have religions that glorify the afterlife. death and sustainability go hand in hand. either that or limited offspring. we reproduce and consume without limit. that's not sustainable. living off the land and going with the flow generally allows for the land to keep providing for future generations until some type of natural disaster happens.

if you seriously want to debate me further, make a video. im done.

[obbzerver]

dontyouwannabecool - Jeezus you toss out a bunch of unsubstantiated nonsense.

Who 'reproduces without limit'? That's pure b.s. People in more modern societies typically have smaller families. It's the denizens of the third-world shitholes who are notorious for breeding kids doomed to starve as the Christian Childrens fund is constantly reminding us.

Quality of life for ancient societies, reasons for overpopulation, why there's religion - your crapmongering is endless.

[anastasios3]

very nice house i am searching the way to build with the same method

the place that you live it is friendly ,you are one with the Nature.

who build this ??? many kisses from Greece take care

[ripple1983]

Wow, my comment got deleted and it wasn't even an insult...

Kooky describes this lifestyle well, it's not an insult unless you make it one.

[Freeurmindom]

In all honesty, I found it to be a little depressing. I haven't been on here in awhile but I ran across an older video when you were in your room. It was so bright and colorful.

But also, I'm an artist and suffer from depression. So I don't think I could survive in this kind of environment.

I/m not sure what you could do to brighten the place up.

But good luck!

[eightwillwontcannot]

anywhere is depressing the day you move out.

think the same house covered in snow. or in the summer. or sitting around a table with your mates enjoying a meal. it's a sweet hobbit home.

i just got back from Seoul, South Korea. 20 million people in the same place, huge skyscraper apartment blocks, traffic everywhere. Lots of neon lights and pretty colours but it is still the most depressing place i have ever been to by far.

[jannevellamo]

@Freeurmindom You know, the only depressing thing about this is the bluish light of a damp day and the lack of sufficient lighting for the camera. I can imagine this place on a clear May morning, when the mist is just beginning to fade, the birds are singing like crazy, the sun is blazing in through the northeast windows, the flowers are blooming and this girl has saved enough money for proper lighting equipment. Still depressing?

[eightwillwontcannot]

ps that dawg is the best

[eightwillwontcannot]

I want to raise my kids in a place like that, when the time comes.

[HunkyPaul]

Wow, Fantastic, I volunteer for an eco center, and found this 'cob house' fantastic. Are you an eco family??? We are always looking for ideas for development of the site and i think a few cob buildings will be fantastic. X

[btbking]

Wow, I wish I could live that way.

[Decky11]

You can

[vention4wh]

Ya, I figured you'd have to move out of that little trailer once the Canadian winter hit. I assume you and your brother rented rooms in this lady's house? Still, that house looks like it would be very cold in the winter. Your brother probably froze his buns off in that room. I assume you had the good room in the loft. With a fire going in the stove, I imagine the loft could get almost warm since the stove heat would collect in the second level.

[Decky11]

It was a very warm house with the wood stove. The cob stores heat. If we didn't have the stove going we used a bit of electrical heat (two baseboard heaters in the kitchen) and wore sweaters. It isn't cold and scary like people think. It's warm, comfy and welcoming. It made me feel more human....more at home.

[80spopQueen]

@vention4wh you know very little about cob insulation lol :)

[vention4wh]

@80spopQueen

That was two years ago. This was the video where I first discovered what a cob house was. I've learned a lot more about them since then. The potential is huge. Building codes can really make such a house expensive though (at least in my area). Any energy savings would be dramatically offset by the fact that I'd have to have it professionally designed and built. I'll have to settle for a more conventional home when I get my place.

[80spopQueen]

@vention4wh It's so weird. Inexpensive raw meterrails like dirt is illegal and it's cheap and is impossible not to find yet it's ok for lumber companies to cut down trees ruin other life form homes , our only air suply and destroy a material that will eventually go out. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE SYSTEM?!?!?

[vention4wh]

@80spopQueen

The system is setup so that practically everything you do is taxed by some level of government and profited from by large or mega corporations. If you build a house yourself, all the labor you'd otherwise have to finance would be free so the system doesn't get to tax their wages and their purchases. Plus electricity is taxed when it's made, when it's transmitted and when it's used. If you find a way to use less energy they'll try to make it illegal. That's the system as it is today

[vention4wh]

@80spopQueen

2. I gotta say I'm sick of the system. That's why I'm working hard to at least partly escape it. First I paid off all my debt (including my condo) and then started saving heavily. My plan is to get a place on an acre or so with a few extra room that I can rent to people who are also into Permaculture, organic gardening and creating a sort of suburban homestead. My savings just hit 40 thousand but I'm still waiting. I think we'll see another dip in house prices in 2012 or 2013.

[vention4wh]

@80spopQueen

3. Then when I buy my place, I'll sell this condo and payoff the mortgage. Having zero debt is a great way to at least partly escape the system. I'll charge a modest rent for the rooms but they'll be able to knock off a lot of it by selecting a few chores now and then (when the show up on the schedule). I'll be in on that too because when I do a chore, my roomates won't be doing it so their rent discount will be smaller. I talk about in one of my recent videos. watch?v=BJcLq80grBE

[smadalesna1]

Well, I guess you'll be going to the Toronto financial district now for a high power executive position (crush some little people under your boot heel) now that you've sowed your wild oats. HAHA!! nice shot of the outhouse!!

[KillingNostalgia44]

great video

[feartheturnip]

that looks like a COLD toilet, there will be little reading material there im sure :-) cool rickety old house, very rustic.

[crnogoracz]

what is a cob house? what is cob?

[ambervisions]

Hey my beautiful little sister! I love this! Reminds me of where my sister in law lives. An alternative community in New mexico. Check out her channel...electricpine.

Part of the place she is building is papercrete.

I LOOOOVE Cob housing! YOu can be so creative and fluid in the design. Everything can remain organic in feel! Love it girl! Much love to yoU!

Di:)

[SharkLover000]

It's gorgeous.

[truthseeker12358]

Hi Decky. I actually want to reply to your video dealing with the movie ZEITGEIST. I find it fascinating and astonishing what I heard there. Maybe you know people like you who are interested in finding the truth und share some thoughts together.

[gedgetips]

Good to see you are back to making videos

[novanine]

What an amazing house. Love it!

I'd never heard of cob before so I looked it up on Wikipedia. One learns something new every day!

[Estamio]

Luxury !

[Baratgab]

Thanks for the guide. :o) The camera work was like in 28 Days Later; just without zombies. Though, I was not really sure about that hooded man at first...

[BloodonaBible]

Is it possible to be echo friendly AND clean at the same time?!?!....I know I sound like a prick,but please.

Don't get me wrong,I love your videos and agree with you 70% of the time.

...I just hope you don't expect everyone to go for this....but whatever works for you....

[SharkLover000]

well a lot of people are germophobes these days, dirt won't kill you. :)

[BloodonaBible]

Well I'm not Germaphobe,but this is where I draw the line. lol....but to each their own.=]

[obbzerver]

BloodonaBible - I thought you were referring to how there's junk strewn everywhere on the property.

Does the cob flake off like dirt when you come in contact with it?

[BloodonaBible]

I don't know if cob flakes off. I would think not or else it wouldn't make good house-building material at all.

After seeing this video I did more research on cob houses and it really doesn't sound that bad.

However,the junk you see everywhere in this video really wasn't necessary. That was what I was referring to.

[obbzerver]

I could be wrong but I'd guess there are only certain places you could build one given building codes in a lot of places.

Seems it might be problematic putting on additions, etc. and one had better do a lot of research to make sure it's structurally sound.

[pyrogamer]

no. you plaster it over. it doesn't flake.

[justwatching1980]

thanks for sharing

[mans0nh]

Thats really neet. Is that one of those houses made from rammed earth?

My sister built a few of those.

I am planning on buying a winter hut. they are small but cosey, and movable.

[trollmonkey55]

what a dump

[inmendham]

well at least you're still living... barely.... I know you don't like me saying it but it seems an unacceptable rudeness to beauty for you to be living in dirt city.

[emailseth]

glad 2 c ur doing ok.... can't wait 4 part 2? :)

[Writious]

verrry interrresting

[thehours89]

That house is like what the Weasley's house (from Harry Potter) might look like if it were real.

[thehours89]

That really is such a beautiful place.

[myloflex]

That's so cool...except for the washroom..but hey, if it works it works. Great to see you again Al...I've missed you so

[thinkofwhy]

An idylic setting. Glad to see you back on YouTube AL. Looks like a great place to make videos of exploration and contemplation. And more dog videos too. :)

[zebidee55]

Wow. Just wow. What a cool and amazing place!

[mhatsko]

'c' is for cob house? a continuation of your alphabet series perhaps? Well I learned something today I didn't know about cob houses before, looks pretty neat, I wouldn't mind living there at all maybe cept for the 'outhouse' factor, but would be a nice change of pace coming from suburban urbia of New Jersey...

[coolstream1]

looks like a pretty spiffy set up, its cirtianly not suburbia :3

always nice to see a decky vid!

[aLPOkl]

I found you a couple of days ago through your video response to one of Pat Condell's videos. Your honesty and way of thinking captured me. These shallow and superficial societies drain my energy. I don't watch TV, don't listen to radio and avoid other drumbeats of consumerism as well. The only reason I haven't gone mad yet is the Internet. There are other people like me! That is such a great relief to know I'm not the only sane person left on this planet. Thank you for your videos!

[jergsden]

Decky you're such a low-maintenance gal. ;) It's good to see you happy.

[AgustinSouth]

Thats freedom

[AgustinSouth]

wich format vidoe do you use?

[AgustinSouth]

what happens if rains?

[eightwillwontcannot]

wow what an amazing little house.

it'd be cool to hear what your plans are next.

[pf1065]

Are you part Native North American? I saw several pieces in your home with that theme.

[Dadalama]

looks rather nice.

[AdamHintz]

It's so energizing to see other people living in more sustainable ways! Cob is a great way to build. Are you working at all or just living off of the land?

[simeoneous]

Decky, you're alive!

Cool set-up you had there.

[RandomCastaa]

Wow! Where you there by choice or necessity?