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McCormack Construction
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Sons Development & Green Building Supplies
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Cob Construction
Cob construction uses sand, clay and straw. Mixed well this special mud is applied to the foundation in continuing layers. Each layer must dry so that it can support the next, and the wall is tapered in as you build up. When it is dry, the walls are very hard and load bearing. The roof is built directly on to the walls, as the walls themselves are the support structure.
This technique requires almost no money or skill , and involves very little environmental destruction while at the same time allowing for creative and organic designs which blend into the surroundings.
Cob allows itself to be shaped and moulded while you build, allowing bas-relief, shelves, alcoves and even furniture to be built right into the walls. Cob being earth, is totally fireproof, so even a fireplace can be built into the design.
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Cob Building Tutorial
Earth is probably still the world's most common building material. Cob building is the art of building homes using earth materials. Usually when I tell someone about cob for the first time, they think 'corn cobs.' That's not what it's really about. The word 'cob' comes from an old English word that means 'a rounded lump or mass.' We get our modern word 'gob' from the same root word. Cob is basically a mixture of straw, sand and clay. Once the walls are built (by stacking the cob balls or lumps to build walls) they are covered with plaster to seal them. There are no forms, brick shapes or frames. Since cob is basically the same consistency as modeling clay, it lends itself to organic shapes that are more curved and natural. Cob can also be used to build sculpture, garden walls and outdoor ovens.
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Cob Construction Basics
Cob is a building technique utilizing a mixture of straw and clay. It is typically wet enough to be able to form different shapes, but dry enough to build upon. Due to it's fluid consistency, cob is often used to build unique structures such as curved walls, niches, and arches. Many newcomers to the craft learn to build cob dwellings through workshops or by books describing the techniques. A list of our favorite books can be found at the links to the left.
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Irish Association of Self Builders (IAOSB)
Cob construction uses sand, clay and straw. Mixed well this special mud is applied to the foundation in continuing layers. Each layer must dry so that it can support the next, and the wall is tapered in as you build up. When it is dry, the walls are very hard and load bearing. The roof is built directly on to the walls, as the walls themselves are the support structure.
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What is Cob?
Cob is a very old building method that is now enjoying a renaissance. There are homes still standing today in Wales that are at least 500 years old. Chances are these homes were built out of earth out of necessity rather than choice. They were probably built by rural families that were extremely poor at the time.
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