House materials/Micheal (was New Member Intro)

Posted September 14, 2002 · September 14, 2002

Haven't heard of cob houses. I'd be very cautious about that. If you know

about a successful example on the Web, please pass it on. Now, straw bale

construction has been known to work well. In fact, a neighbor way up on the

edge of the wilderness in Wyoming, near my cabin, built one a couple of

years ago. It has worked out very well -- quite warm even when the most

vicious winds are roaring.

Traditional building materials are pretty good. Brick and wood work out

very well. Stone is good in some places, but not all. Just make sure the

wood isn't treated with chemicals -- in fact arsenic has now been phased out

for use as a wood treatment in America, so that's a step forward.

What we need to avoid are the more modern innovations. This starts with

cinder blocks. Any kind of cement product was recognized as early as 1899

as having a bad effect on the respiratory system. Vinyl, pressboard, and

some resin products have been known to stimulate allergic reactions or

worse. Also, carpet glue is a big problem, even though the industry is sure

it's safe.

The " worse " that i refer to here is the FM/CFS/ME/MCS complex. How many

people do you know who got horribly sick after moving into a brand-new home?

It happens more often than we'd like to think.

At 06:29 AM 9/12/02 -0700, you wrote:

>

>Hi Micheal,

> In the next few years I am going to build my own home. May I ask what

building materials you prefer. At this point I am leaning towards a cob house.

>Doodles

-- Michael Riversong **

Professional Harpist, Educator, and Writer **

RivEdu ** Phone: (307)635-0900 FAX (413)691-0399

Recommended Posts