May - early June 2020
Next phase is a cob bench into which I embedded old digital hardware. The oak seating tiles (scrap from someone's flooring project) were to prevent an ice cold bench being freezing on your bum in the winter. (Again, the whole inspiration for all of this was a winter sun porch.)
The tiles also have nails on the underside to hang onto the cob. However, even though I painted the bottom of tiles with my painter's acrylic varnish, there was considerable warping on the inner tiles from wet cob but almost none on the edges. Lesson: only do a few tiles a day so that they dry quickly & do not warp.
BELOW: Left/ I added soil to the footprint with similar concept as oven. During this we had a 3+" downpour event & this area remained above water.
Middle/ Foundation of urbanite & any old rock or brick I could find with lots of air gaps under.
Right/ Not-very-wet cob as first layer sitting on top of stones (not pushed down to ground level) creating gaps at ground level on the outside chance water ever got under it & froze, it has space to expand (highly unlikely).
The tiles also have nails on the underside to hang onto the cob. However, even though I painted the bottom of tiles with my painter's acrylic varnish, there was considerable warping on the inner tiles from wet cob but almost none on the edges. Lesson: only do a few tiles a day so that they dry quickly & do not warp.
BELOW: Left/ I added soil to the footprint with similar concept as oven. During this we had a 3+" downpour event & this area remained above water.
Middle/ Foundation of urbanite & any old rock or brick I could find with lots of air gaps under.
Right/ Not-very-wet cob as first layer sitting on top of stones (not pushed down to ground level) creating gaps at ground level on the outside chance water ever got under it & froze, it has space to expand (highly unlikely).
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Below: I had a nice curved piece of Juniper Jen D. suggested be used for the front lip. You can see my old laser printer going into the bench here.
BELOW: Left/First part of porch is built. Middle: Timbers harvested in fire mitigation for roof. Right/More roof
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Left: That's a cob chicken coop in the background. |
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January 2021
While building has stopped for the season, a lot of progress was made: see Phase 5.
But for now, I finished some cushions for the bench & got stones on the little table in front of it. For the cushions I used the tarp I'd made from two widths of outdoor fabric–as is my preference now for tarps–to protect everything while building was in progress. Foam was from scraps a friend gave me a couple of years ago.
But for now, I finished some cushions for the bench & got stones on the little table in front of it. For the cushions I used the tarp I'd made from two widths of outdoor fabric–as is my preference now for tarps–to protect everything while building was in progress. Foam was from scraps a friend gave me a couple of years ago.
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In the midst of winter it is my custom on sunny days to spend an hour or so reading on the bench. Even when it's in the 40's out I usually find myself in my tank top.
An herb drying line between roof poles provides shade over just my face–perfect for one who spent too many years in the sun with resultant issues. |
