by Alex | Apr 7, 2016 | Cob, General
There are many ways to mix cob. One of the most common and regularly-practiced techniques in North America is called the “tarp method” of cob mixing. Learn step-by-step how to make cob....
by Alex | Mar 29, 2016 | Cob, Cob Ovens, Foundations
Start small and progress to larger projects as you learn. I always recommend for students to begin with building a cob oven. You know, those great little ovens for baking bread and pizzas in! This is a simple project that will teach you the fundamentals of cob...
by Alex | Feb 4, 2016 | Cob, General, Natural Finishing, Walls
I keep getting a lot of questions about humidity issues with cob buildings. So I want to speak a bit more on this topic with you today. Keeping a balanced level of indoor humidity is important to maintaining a healthy living environment and preventing mold and fungus...
by Alex | Jan 14, 2016 | Cob, Walls
Every time I hold a cob building workshop I have at least one student ask me if you can build cob walls by placing wet cob into formwork. They ask this question because they have an interest in keeping the walls straight and well formed. This technique is called...
by Alex | Jun 23, 2015 | Cob, General
Building a home is a major undertaking that will cost you a lot of money and time. It can be like putting together a large three dimensional puzzle that must also be able to interact with the environment and the conditions around it. Building a home is also a lot of...
by Alex | May 30, 2015 | Cob, Foundations, General, Materials
This morning, I received an email newsletter from a prominent Natural Builder explaining why they had chosen to build a stemwall foundation using earthbags. I was really surprised when I read this email! Especially when I saw that they were actually filling the...