The cob shed roof supports

I have decided to get the roof supports in place before starting on the foundation wall.  Cob is freakishly strong considering its ingredients, and the cob walls will bear the entire load of the roof.  Provided it has opoortunities to dry out (IE is not in standing water) a finished cob building has an amazing ability to absorb a lot of water and still maintain its structural integrity.  However the more exposed to the elements the more rapid the erosion... it is just dirt after all, so a good roof is critical to the structure's longevity. 

 

When to build the roof on a cob building

There are two options:

1. Build the cob walls first, installing the roof support beams as you get towards the top

2. Build the roof structure first, on temporary posts that will be removed later

It certainly seems easier to build the cob up to the roof supports, knowing exactly where that is already, versus guessing at it and trying to get the roof to match the walls.  Additionally the idea is to “sew” the cob together as you build the walls, so it needs to be moist in order to get added layers sewn together.  If the cob drys out to much it becomes more difficult to keep it a monolithic structure, if it gets to wet the wall lacks enough strength to support the wall being added above and begins to mushroom out.  So I thought if I build a roof support I can cover the area making it easier to maintain better conditions.

Procuring the roofing timber

My next door neighbor had some old lumber lying around outside and was willing to let me take what I needed.  As an interesting side note, as i was scrounging for timber I discovered a Killdeer nest nearby:  read about it here: The amazing birds nest on the stones

Several hikes up and down the hill with lumber over my shoulder and I was ready to proceed to building the roof structure. 

Creating the roof support structure 

Once again, my original design concept turned out to be rubbish.  I had envisioned a shed style roof sloping from the deck down towards the driveway.  Once I had the beam on the East side kinda up in place, I realized my cob wall was going to have be about 10 feet tall to support it!  A bit more then I bargained for.  Then I realized if I harmonized with the lay of the land, the slope of the roof would be just about right and the water would be more likely to run away from the walls anyway.  (Moot point really, as I plan to put in a rain barrel, but until that happens it is a comforting thought).  Another comforting thought is that by “recycling” the deck by making it part of the project (albeit temporarily), I am saving on wood!

Now you might ask who helped me put this up?  Well it was just me, myself, and my friend “intuition”.  Plus I’ve learned a few things from Chuck who has managed some amazing projects by himself.  I did discover a clever tip any competent builder probably could have told me….  When building the helper supports on the temporary posts, by putting one nail in each piece, you can swivel the “feet into just the right position to get some bite and hold the post in place.  Trying to figure it out ahead of time and putting in two nails for support was certainly a ridiculous thing to watch me do from a distance. 

Once I had the long south support beam in place the natural lay of the land under the posts created a perfect slope with out having to make any adjustments.  Then it was just a matter of leveling the cross beams and, using some of my rope skills, lashing them to the deck.  Now I will probably put the remaining plastic left over from my under deck wood nook creation, to good use as a temporary roof until I actually figure out what to use for the permanent roof!

NOTE:  the three vertical posts will be removed at the end with the cob walls bearing the load of the roof.  Aren’t convinced?check this out:  Just one example of cobs ability to support weight.... just cob supporting the roof beams, the roof, and all the people!

Ticker
Money spent so far: $56
Time spent so far: 18 hours