Considering traditional building... Cob and/or Straw Bale

[MattBaggins]

Have any of you had experience with tradional bulding materials. I would love to get my hands dirty with a nice Tudor style Cob house, but I live in Upstate NY on on Lake Ontario, and we get snow storms that dump up to 5 feet of snow as well as 50mph winds all winter. Would appreciate advice from NE-DUers with ex[erience.

[Bossy Monkey]

1. Wanted to say rammed earth

but couldn't help but notice that it only seems to be done in relatively warm areas, and this http://www.hahaha.com.au/rammed.earth/refaq.htm
indicates that its insulation qualities are crap. Might be better than straw bales, though.

[Pegleg Thd]

2. Build underground

One of my cousins did this in the 1960's in Wyoming. Really cut his heating and cooling bills. If I was going to build here in Oklahoma I would do the same. :+

[MattBaggins]

4. Way too wet in my area to build underground.. NT

[pw]

3. Cob and Bale

are dicey in areas that get really damp. It can be fine if you do it just right, or it can be a disaster.

[MattBaggins]

5. Isn't Cob common in England and northern Europe?

England is pretty rainy and they have cob houses that are hundreds of years old.

[MattBaggins]

6. Might have to investigate the idea of cord-wood masony.

I would like to do a log house but that's pretty damn labor intensive