i would like to build a beautiful soulful 'shed', but my garden is too narrow for a cob or straw bale structure. one option is light straw clay, and i would love to hear about anyone teaching/doing this technique in the uk. another idea i had was just making a strong wood skeleton and then attaching metal lathe or something like chicken wire either side of the uprights, filling the centre of the 'sandwich' with insulation material such as expanded clay balls and rendering both the interior and exterior with lime. obviously i will experiment, but i wondered if anyone else had already tried this?
(GBP) Keith
posted on 06-06-06
Locate architects up in scotland specialise on light clay/straw:
A traditional form of building from Lincolnshire way suit you. Weave hurdles out of willow or hazed and fix in a timber frame. Then 'plaster' it both sides with mud and straw. For a more durable finish give it a skim of sand/mud/lime straw mix. Such 'mud and stud' cootages have been around for centuries round my way. The walls can be much thinner than the 'cob' houses in the south west and elsewhere as the huirdle gives a lot of strength. It's easy and fun to do.
sapphire
posted on 06-06-06
thanks guys
straw clay: great website - there’s lots of info about it . but ii'd like to find someone running course because i like to learn experientially. i can contact the architects involved though and see if i can find someone to teach me.
wattle and daub: ditto in terms of courses - i found one in essex but it was over-subscribed, another at the permaculture place in hampshire, but it was cancelled because i wass the only person to sign up... i’m trying to book in to do one in ireland in july, but that’s getting a bit late really. but i like the idea of wattle and daub because it’s so earthy!
neither of you commented on my brilliant idea of metal lath/mesh and lime render. not so brilliant perhaps! i’m going to experiment anyway because i’m learning to do rendering with lime at the moment.
all the best
sapphire
Tony
posted on 06-06-06
Yes do experiment. I have seen wire / lime and straw type walls plastered betweem wood frames by standing a sheet of ply behind the wire netting and plastered: then remove the ply and render the other side about 30 mm thick over all!! Go on have a go the ancients and peasant farm workers didn,t need to go on courses.
Biff
posted on 07-06-06
A disadvantage with wire is that it is horrid stuff to take apart if ever someone wanted to rebuild and recycle in the distant future. Furthermore, a willow coppice looks a lot prettier than an iron ore mine, coal mine and steel works.
