# Cob



## FatTire (Mar 20, 2012)

Anyone have any experience with cob or straw bale construction?


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## FatTire (Mar 20, 2012)

Sorry, typing on my iPhone, 'muons' should be 'anyone' lol


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## HillbillyPrep (Mar 24, 2012)

I've seen some videos on youtube about straw bale homes. Depending on the size of the structure it could get pricey. Around here straw is five bucks a bale. I'm considering a small building for my aquaponics and straw bale is my first choice.


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## hd5man (Apr 29, 2012)

As a guide to price, I did one of Andrew Morrison's strawbale workshops a couple of years ago (about $800) as I intend my build my home this way, and if I remember rightly he indicated that strawbale is about 30% more expensive than regular/conventional construction, but you get what you pay for.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

hd5man said:


> As a guide to price, I did one of Andrew Morrison's strawbale workshops a couple of years ago (about $800) as I intend my build my home this way, and if I remember rightly he indicated that strawbale is about 30% more expensive than regular/conventional construction, but you get what you pay for.


30% MORE expensive, I would never have guessed that! I have been planning to build a "Man Cave or Fortress of Solitude(too much estrogen in the house)" using straw. I started a thread in "General Homesteading & Building - Zero Energy Building" to discuss the idea but their was not very much interest in it.


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## FatTire (Mar 20, 2012)

Well I'm definitely interested in alternative building materials and methods. Also looking at 'earthships', but yeah so far they seem more expensive, and I also need to go very cheap.


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## boomer (Jul 13, 2011)

Straw bale construction does well with extreme cold and does not stand up well to strong wind.


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## efbjr (Oct 20, 2008)

boomer said:


> Straw bale construction does well with extreme cold and does not stand up well to strong wind.


huffin' & puffin' !


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

take a look on this site ; http://www.permies.com/forums/f-5/green-building


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## oldvet (Jun 29, 2010)

Davarm said:


> 30% MORE expensive, I would never have guessed that! I have been planning to build a "Man Cave or Fortress of Solitude(too much estrogen in the house)" using straw. I started a thread in "General Homesteading & Building - Zero Energy Building" to discuss the idea but their was not very much interest in it.


Dav, I have seen a couple of the how to shows that were using hay bales for insulation with adobe on the outside. From what I could gather the insulation value is off the chart and it looked fairly simple to do (even for my Dumb A$$). Really my only question or concern is wouldn't it eventually rot down to mush or am I way off in thinking that?

There is another style of natural insulation that I also saw and that was rammed earth, it is also supposed to have a great R-value.


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## HillbillyPrep (Mar 24, 2012)

Another option is cordwood or stackwall construction. It's where solid walls are built from logs cut in six to eight inch lengths and set into concrete with the cut ends exposed. If you have access to lots of trees this may be a good way to go.


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