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Tagalternative-building
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Tammie
2018-08-25 17:53

Cob House Tour - Sustainable Green Building

When I was growing up I watched documentary on building with bricks made with mud and grass. So, unknown to my Father, I started making my own bricks and building a room. I was building the room to be about 8 by 10 feet with one door. I built it up to about 2 or 2 1/2 feet high before I lost interest and started on another project. My Father didn't come across it on his property until I was grown and gone. I remember getting the phone call from him asking me if I knew anything about this strange mud like brick thing. I explained that I made it and I apologized for not telling him. He wanted to know how I made it because he couldn't tear it down. It was too strong. He eventually had to rent a bull dozer to tear it up. I explained that used old pans in which I mixed mud and grass to form a brick. I would let it dry a bit and turn it out of the pan to let them bake in the sun. Then I would build the walls with my bricks using more mud mixed with grass to hold the bricks together. 

This Cobb house is along the same lines but different. They used mud, sand and grass. But I don't think they made bricks with it.

Happy creating!

Tammie

Host of Paints and Crafts

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Niklas
2018-08-26 20:43
#1

Haha, that is a cool story! I'm surprised you managed to make it as high as two feet or more. Are there any photos of the structure?


Best regards, Niklas 🎈

Tammie
2018-08-27 00:19
#2

No pictures, that was back in the day. I didn't even own a polaroid yet! I wish I had pictures though.  My Dad was amazed too. He was really surprised at how strong the walls were.

Another time I tried building a boat by tying reeds together. I had seen how it was made by some tribe that National Geographic had a documentary on. So, I started building my own raft. My Dad found it and decided that I needed my own raft. 

My Dad owned an Automobile Wrecking Yard. He donated junk cars every now and then to the firefighters and paramedics to use in training. One time they were learning how to evacuate a person (a dummy) from a burning, locked, wrecked vehicle. They were learning to use the "Jaws of Life" a new heavy duty wrench that was like bolt cutters on steroids and also torches to cut through metal. In that training session they cut the top of the vehicle entirely off of the car. My Dad gave that car top to me to use as a raft. Turned over it floated because it was curved. It could hold me and my dog. I would get around in our pond by pushing the ground with a long pole.

Happy creating!

Tammie

Host of Paints and Crafts

Niklas
2018-08-27 15:21
#3

😂


Best regards, Niklas 🎈

Evelina
2018-08-27 18:54
#4

Those are really nice stories Tammie! 🙂

Leia
2018-08-27 21:24
#5

Your creativity has been with you since being very young it seems! This is a lovely story, made me smile.

All the best, Leia

Host of  Gluten-Free Living | News  | English Language Heart

Tammie
2018-08-28 22:27
#6

Thank you. I think it would be really fun to build a little Cob cottage somewhere.

Happy creating!

Tammie

Host of Paints and Crafts

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