I'm sitting thinking about how it's the end of spring break and I'm not sure I used my time as best I could. My arms are sore, though. I moved a lot of things and took a lot of inventory and talked a lot.
I didn't sketch at all, but I thought a lot.
My parents might have found someone to finish off the porch and possibly someone to put the washer and dryer on the first level (things from the addition that didn't get finished.) Good news, and mom also talked about getting someone here to remove dirt from around the foundation. I took that as 'I need to get the stuff out of the shed asap' and found out all of the stuff that's in the shed. I found that we have a lot of tools, tarps, and scrap construction material that will benefit the new shed. It will also be a lot easier to remove the stuff now that needs to go, when we demolish/break down the shed. Then the dirt from around the yard can be moved and I can start growing clover and making cob.
The hardest thing to wrap my mind around is the roof. I spent some time talking to a builder the other day who entertained my project and we came to some conclusions. I probably should have the roof hold it's own weight, and I shouldn't give up my dream of a green roof. I know then what I want it to look like but I have NO idea how to design it to the loads, or calculate that, etc. I'd have to do that with someone, and I guess soon, as the roof and foundaton would be built first.
I also am reconsidering doing concrete for the foundation. It might be best to lay stones, although I'm not too excited about it. Mostly I hate the fact that I have to go down 5 feet to hit the frost line. I don't want to build the foundation :) Our yard is so rocky that it's going to be hard to dig that far. I'll get an answer to what I should do about the foundation/floor later, especially the floor, as that'll be one of the last things I do.
So my update really is just about some thoughts, and I don't have anything to show yet. I did go to the http://www.nesea.org/ Nesea trade show on thursday which tired me out but I got to see and speak to a lot of people about green ideas, including cob construction. I also bought some books and got to have coffee in the north end.
Hopefully the next time I update, the old shed will be GONE.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
About Cob
When I first started thinking about how I could sustainably apply what I'm learning to landscaping my parent's back yard, I threw out to a friend the idea of natural building. I looked up straw-bale, cob, and a few other things but cob looked the most appealing. It would be more structurally sound and require less carpentry (so it seems) to build a shed with cob than straw-bale. It also looks as though my soil is perfect for it without doing much testing. Two soils tests have conclusively stated that the soil lacks nutrients and has a lot of sand/clay. It appears that after about 30" or so, depending on whether or not you come across a sink hole, there's gravel/rock/etc. I have to test my site still. But it was because I can't build with wood (and I probably can't really design with it yet anyway!) that I felt more comfortable looking at natural building. Cob, like clay sculpting, is something anyone can do if they pay attention to a few key things: joining it properly, keeping it moist when working it, and keep everything around the same thickness so it dries together. I feel more comfortable throwing mud around than losing my finger on a table saw, really.
It's also dirt cheap, and after another contractor walking off the job, that's a serious concern (I see why people hate contractors now.) Below are some links that give good info about cob stuff. I'm currently reading the Hand Sculpted House, and it's easily my favorite resource right now. I hope that in choosing this building material, I'll get friends and family involved in something that we should all be thinking about - getting back to basics.
http://www.cobcottage.com/
http://www.networkearth.org/naturalbuilding/history.html
http://weblife.org/cob/
http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/natural_building.htm
http://earthedworld.co.uk/index.php?module=photoshare&func=viewallfolders
It's also dirt cheap, and after another contractor walking off the job, that's a serious concern (I see why people hate contractors now.) Below are some links that give good info about cob stuff. I'm currently reading the Hand Sculpted House, and it's easily my favorite resource right now. I hope that in choosing this building material, I'll get friends and family involved in something that we should all be thinking about - getting back to basics.
http://www.cobcottage.com/
http://www.networkearth.org/naturalbuilding/history.html
http://weblife.org/cob/
http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/natural_building.htm
http://earthedworld.co.uk/index.php?module=photoshare&func=viewallfolders
Site Pictures and Sketch
Rather than just jumping into what I'm thinking about doing, I thought I should start by uploading the pictures I have of the site, and the plan sketch that I made. Figuring out what I need to do and what I want to do has been difficult. I know next to nothing about landscaping, and even building I know little. But I do know how to take pictures and make dumb panoramas in photoshop. Taking measurements of an existing space is still something I don't enjoy when I only have a 25' measuring tape but the sketch uploaded shows generally some measurements of the house, additions, driveways, and fence line. I intend over the course of 3 years to address the entire yard, but it looks like for now I have to refine my summer plans to building the shed and making the soil fertile again.
Without further ado:
Included is a picture of the dog, Princess, looking awkward on site. Also is a googleimages find that Spruce street is inaccurately located. I contacted them about it but for now it's still incorrect that I know of. You can also see the shed that currently is in place (it sucks) next to some silly phone pole. Dorothy's garden is a raised bed she takes great care of. The fence is falling apart in many places (rot), and there is a fire pit of concrete blocks. We have a LOT of rocks that have surfaced over the years - I wish they were large enough for a good foundation. Anyone who's curious - we have a septic tank and field, which I have a drawing of.
One question that I thought about is that I plan on and am designing a pretty exotic shed in comparison to how.. 70's the house is (check out the render I have of the house design, ugh). I can't do too much to change the exterior of the house, but I hope with the planting and small renovations I'm concocting this will all become seamless.
At the moment I am still researching Cob construction for the shed and am hesitant to show my sketchwork because I don't feel final about any of it. Maybe in the next post.
Spring break arrives in a week and I plan to use this time to find and visit a cob house/structure in massachusetts (If you know anyone...). I also will conduct a soil test and will have a picture of that to show what levels of clay/sand/silt/rock are in my soil. I have a feeling based on my memory of mud pies that there is enough clay and sand that I won't have to order too much of either, just more dirt in general.
I also will figure out what needs to be done landscaping-wise. Realistically I want the entire yard to be fertile for gardening for food and flowers, but because construction is going to keep occuring, I think I have to put it to the side and only grow something that will bring nutrients back into the soil. I've been recommended clover to do the job. Any commentors should add their two cents on this especially!
There you have it, Mom, what I've been doing the past few weeks.
Without further ado:
Included is a picture of the dog, Princess, looking awkward on site. Also is a googleimages find that Spruce street is inaccurately located. I contacted them about it but for now it's still incorrect that I know of. You can also see the shed that currently is in place (it sucks) next to some silly phone pole. Dorothy's garden is a raised bed she takes great care of. The fence is falling apart in many places (rot), and there is a fire pit of concrete blocks. We have a LOT of rocks that have surfaced over the years - I wish they were large enough for a good foundation. Anyone who's curious - we have a septic tank and field, which I have a drawing of.
One question that I thought about is that I plan on and am designing a pretty exotic shed in comparison to how.. 70's the house is (check out the render I have of the house design, ugh). I can't do too much to change the exterior of the house, but I hope with the planting and small renovations I'm concocting this will all become seamless.
At the moment I am still researching Cob construction for the shed and am hesitant to show my sketchwork because I don't feel final about any of it. Maybe in the next post.
Spring break arrives in a week and I plan to use this time to find and visit a cob house/structure in massachusetts (If you know anyone...). I also will conduct a soil test and will have a picture of that to show what levels of clay/sand/silt/rock are in my soil. I have a feeling based on my memory of mud pies that there is enough clay and sand that I won't have to order too much of either, just more dirt in general.
I also will figure out what needs to be done landscaping-wise. Realistically I want the entire yard to be fertile for gardening for food and flowers, but because construction is going to keep occuring, I think I have to put it to the side and only grow something that will bring nutrients back into the soil. I've been recommended clover to do the job. Any commentors should add their two cents on this especially!
There you have it, Mom, what I've been doing the past few weeks.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)