Cob House Washington County MO

Please check out my page www.ibuildwithmud.wordpress.com. I am in need of advice and cob companionship as everyone I know is skeptical and not much help. My first BIG obstacle is the round sheet metal roof with rough lumber rafters and a raw cedar in center, how the heck to I get this thing up in the air considering the center hieght needs to be 16' to 18' for sleeping loft? Its just me 40 yrs old and 115bls and no large equipment. I thought about just building the walls first but Missouri weather is impossible!

If a cedar is going to support the center what is going to support the perimeter of the roof?

Rough lumber in a spiral pattern will extend 3' to 4' past the walls. I'm guessing I'll have to attach 2 x 6's at the ends of the rough lumber to create what they call Facing? (I think) then attach the edge of the sheet metal to the facing. I still can't figure out how to get it in the air.

Greetings, Just read your lead post. Your 1st job is to build the walls as high as you need and as far out from the tree as you want. Sounds as if you plan to build around a living tree? And attach the beams to the tree?
If you are in an area with snow, lots of it, the more snow your area gets the greater the roof pitch. We have one house in the mountains with a 12''X12'' Pitch, and one in the desert with a 7"X12" pitch. With a 12"X12" for each 12" or 1foot the rafter moves out from the highest point of the roof there is a 12" 1foot drop or pitch in the height of the roof. This allows the snow to shed. The metal roof is a good idea as snow will shead as gravity overcomes friction.
The longer the beams the larger the beams will need to be. The greater the pitch and the metal roof will allow use of smaller diameter beams as the snow will shead sooner.

Getting the beams in place will require scafolding you can make, buy, rent or borrow. You can also make a windlass, a beam extending out from the tree with a supporting chain, cable or rope from it's end up to the tree at a 45degree angle and tied, from this you can attach a Come-Along or chainhoist to lift the beam. If you use lighter beams 2" material you can walk them up with scafolding. [You might choose to hire or charm someone to put up the beams.

Maybe you can tell us more about: The land, the area, and if you are already on the land: do you have water and such.

www.ibuildwithmud.wordpress.com

So glad you asked about the water it is my current project. I have 5.5 acres of forest in a square shape with the foundation about 70 feet from the road. The land slopes north toward a spring that is probable about 300 ft down in the ravine. There are 2 spots where fresh water pours out of carbon rock about 2ft up from the creek bed. There is very little of the world supply of water that is fresh water so I feel very lucky. How do I get this water 250ft up hill to the house with out disturbing the land too much? I don't want to have to dig a typical well because I want to go more natural. My daughter also says that something about the age of the earth that when you dig too deep there is a possibility of releasing radon into your water. I have not studied this because I didn't want a well anyway. I have looked into aquifiers, cisterns, and ect. The earth is already cleansing and holding the water I would like to find a way to just access it. I will be using a compost toilet so I won't be creating sewage.

The info about the roof is exactly what I needed. I believe it would be easiest to build the walls first but that is not how they suggest to do it. It is suggested to build up to the roof but I am not sure why except to keep the rain off the cob while building. I am going to have electric but I am going to supplement with a starter package probably from Missouri wind and solar. For about $600 you get the battery and inverter and a panel and turbine last time I looked. I plan on adding panels as I can afford (always start small).

Wow, where is Washington county? I am also building a cob house (well, part cob part earthship) and am in Wayne county (SE MO). Maybe we can help eachother with cobbing or something!
My blog, just got it up a couple of days ago, so not much there. www.bricolagefarm.wordpress.com

Good luck. When I built my strawbale house I used a timber frame with hybrid truss/joist system, so I could build it myself with just a ladder. The most I needed to pick up was a 2"X6"X16'. I had one 2X6 spanning the walls I could clamp a vertical 2X4 to. These were just temporary, but I could then clamp two joists into position. One opposite the other. I'd then add a 2X6 to make an A shaped truss. I cut wood plates to reinforce the joints.

Greetings, Re: Gettings the water up some 250 plus feet, that call for a pump. The use of a spring calls for a cistern or storage tank. You can use a photovoltaic arrangement to a raised water up to a storage tank for gravity feed to your service. Gray water from the sink can be used on the land. We have wells at both ranches. We dug the first and hunted for a property large enough with a well for the second.
Like to know what you've done so far.

Theresa, Re: what comes first the walls or roof. If you build Tutor fashion, the roof can be built first. This is done with post and beam. The area between the posts and beams and diagonals can then filled with cob. This was done in England but with thatch and clay between the supports.

How far below the home location is the spring? It sounds like an ideal situation for a ram pump and storage tank.

richard valley wrote:Theresa, Re: what comes first the walls or roof. If you build Tutor fashion, the roof can be built first. This is done with post and beam. The area between the posts and beams and diagonals can then filled with cob. This was done in England but with thatch and clay between the supports.

I've got a 6ft drop over 14ft that is the longest because the roof is actually a little oval. Do you think this will keep the snow off? think of a cone that you slightly pinch the sides, the longer side of the roof will have more incline, won't the snow and rain run off the two sides with more pitch? I ask because if you look at my sight the only cedar I found so far maybe 15ft and I need 7ft on the first floor, 7ft in the middle of the loft thats 14ft then 3ft from ceiling to roof is 17ft and 3ft in the ground for frost line the center tree needs to be 20ft and that is a big cedar. WOW I'm not sure if I can find one I'm almost thinking of using one of my oaks (plenty of those) but I am disappointed that I wont get the neat little nubs on a raw cedar.

richard valley wrote:Greetings, Re: Gettings the water up some 250 plus feet, that call for a pump. The use of a spring calls for a cistern or storage tank. You can use a photovoltaic arrangement to a raised water up to a storage tank for gravity feed to your service. Gray water from the sink can be used on the land. We have wells at both ranches. We dug the first and hunted for a property large enough with a well for the second.
Like to know what you've done so far.

First let me tell you I was watching Bear Grilles and these people live in the desert off wells that they have taught the younger generations where they are. I'm thinking WOW now thats much harder than what I got.

The spring collects on the bottom corner of my property and what I need is a water source about 50ft up the creek bed. I am going to install a cistern and pay for water (is very cheap, right now at least). Meanwhile I'm going to drain my waste water and rain water or just run off to 50ft up the creek bed and install a ram pump to at least water my food (plants).

That's exciting, to have a live sping on your property.

Let me relate an experience that might be fun. Years ago, before building the house and dirilling the well on the mountain ranch. I found a spring some 1300ft up the mountain on government land. I made a cistern, using a barrel, and fed it into black plastic rolls of 3/4"plastic pipe and unrolled the pipe as it filled. On the steeper part as I entered my land I sat inside a 100' long roll as it filled with water, it began to unroll going faster and faster, with my dog running along side. The pipe filled with water was very heavy there was no way to stop, with my heels in the earth to help brake and dodge trees we moved down the mountain at high speed. Well, the pipe kinked, broke, I was thrown out and the roll continued down without us.

Guess you had to have been there. This calls for a cup of coffee or.. a large brandy.

Best of luck with your adventure! Please keep me/us up on all you do.

Richard

richard valley wrote:That's exciting, to have a live sping on your property.

Let me relate an experience that might be fun. Years ago, before building the house and dirilling the well on the mountain ranch. I found a spring some 1300ft up the mountain on government land. I made a cistern, using a barrel, and fed it into black plastic rolls of 3/4"plastic pipe and unrolled the pipe as it filled. On the steeper part as I entered my land I sat inside a 100' long roll as it filled with water, it began to unroll going faster and faster, with my dog running along side. The pipe filled with water was very heavy there was no way to stop, with my heels in the earth to help brake and dodge trees we moved down the mountain at high speed. Well, the pipe kinked, broke, I was thrown out and the roll continued down without us.

Guess you had to have been there. This calls for a cup of coffee or.. a large brandy.

Best of luck with your adventure! Please keep me/us up on all you do.

Richard

It does seem like some days I injure myself more than I get anything done..ha. I didn't see your reply about my 6ft drop over 14ft on the roof pitch and I was looking for the equation to find the pitch. Your first post about the roof pitch I have been working on for awhile and was really curious what you think.

Drew Sparrow wrote:How far below the home location is the spring? It sounds like an ideal situation for a ram pump and storage tank.

Funny thing I called a big local well Co. about installing a cistern. He gave me grief and said a $7,500 well would be cost the same as a concrete 10x10 cistern...HUH. Anyway he didn't know what a ram pump was, treated me like a dumb women and eventually hung up on me. How is that for a boost in my confidence! ha..oh well, been there and done that.

Barn Kat wrote:Wow, where is Washington county? I am also building a cob house (well, part cob part earthship) and am in Wayne county (SE MO). Maybe we can help eachother with cobbing or something!
My blog, just got it up a couple of days ago, so not much there. www.bricolagefarm.wordpress.com

I am close to Potosi and you are about a couple hours a way, my kin on my birth fathers (deceased) side is from Ironton and we did some camping in Annapolis. Its really beautiful where you are I love the Black River. I am gearing up for the cob house and looking at buying used equipment or renting I thought it would be nice to see if anyone is interested in sharing equipment. I definitely would come build for a day and would be nice to see the area again.

Barn Kat wrote:
Wow, where is Washington county? I am also building a cob house (well, part cob part earthship) and am in Wayne county (SE MO). Maybe we can help eachother with cobbing or something!
My blog, just got it up a couple of days ago, so not much there. www.bricolagefarm.wordpress.com

Theresa Whited:
I am close to Potosi and you are about a couple hours a way, my kin on my birth fathers (deceased) side is from Ironton and we did some camping in Annapolis. Its really beautiful where you are I love the Black River. I am gearing up for the cob house and looking at buying used equipment or renting I thought it would be nice to see if anyone is interested in sharing equipment. I definitely would come build for a day and would be nice to see the area again.

Hi Theresa and Barn Kat.

I know this thread is a few years old, but I was wondering if your houses are done.

My family and I just returned from Albuquerque, NM and I'm now in love with cob/adobe houses. We're in Reynolds County, MO so were neighbors to both of you.

Let me know if we could visit your homes and see what you've done.

Do you know of any other houses (cob/adobe) in this area?

Thanks,
Sandy