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Old 05-26-2015, 08:46 AM   #41
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the only materials I am aware that have been "untouched" by man and sin is fresh-cut wood, stone, and cob or adobe.

I may be missing something, but even "natural" materials outgas something or another? Cob has moisture, therefore mold, and a diverse microbiome.

So I think the bottom line is, you have to pick your poisons - so to speak

Cob does make a lovely home however, dontcha think?


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Old 05-26-2015, 08:57 AM   #42
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And they named a salad after that stuff! I'll take a bottle house:


Quote:
Originally Posted by dredman View Post
Cob has moisture, therefore mold, and a diverse microbiome.

So I think the bottom line is, you have to pick your poisons - so to speak

Cob does make a lovely home however, dontcha think?

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Old 05-26-2015, 12:05 PM   #43
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Living in a place like that could be Hobbit forming.
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Old 05-27-2015, 12:05 AM   #44
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Living in a place like that could be Hobbit forming.


Very clever.
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Old 05-27-2015, 08:40 PM   #45
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dredman View Post
the only materials I am aware that have been "untouched" by man and sin is fresh-cut wood, stone, and cob or adobe.

I may be missing something, but even "natural" materials outgas something or another? Cob has moisture, therefore mold, and a diverse microbiome.

So I think the bottom line is, you have to pick your poisons - so to speak

Cob does make a lovely home however, dontcha think?
people may laugh and scoff, because Cob huts are "unconventional"....

But, unconventional to who?!?! modern society that dictates how we should live???
modern society that is profiting from that dictation?

This lady has a pretty good plan...
First portion of her video is refurbished Street Cars
Second portion of her video is cob housing.


Let's just say, I grew up in less... and I'm still here
some may say I'm not "all here"... but, that's only their opinion!
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Old 08-07-2015, 12:32 AM   #46
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This may be naive, because my bus is still hypothetical, but what's wrong with a wood floor? I'm personally torn between a rustic look and more of an industrial vibe, but I also may combine these. I plan on using reclaimed wood and materials whenever possible. Wouldn't old fashioned wood work?
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Old 08-07-2015, 01:46 AM   #47
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Originally Posted by Invisicat View Post
This may be naive, because my bus is still hypothetical, but what's wrong with a wood floor? I'm personally torn between a rustic look and more of an industrial vibe, but I also may combine these. I plan on using reclaimed wood and materials whenever possible. Wouldn't old fashioned wood work?
Bus floors are exposed to water.

Leaks from outside, boots, and mopping.

When wood gets wet it rots, molds, and rusts out metal that may be touching it.

Wood is the last thing you should have on a floor.

When you get a bus and demo the inside, you will understand.

Nat
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Old 08-07-2015, 01:56 AM   #48
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Thanks, Nat. I appreciate your straight talk without talking down to me. I stand corrected and informed.
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Old 08-07-2015, 03:06 AM   #49
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Thanks, Nat. I appreciate your straight talk without talking down to me. I stand corrected and informed.
If you like the wood look, vinyl plank, porcelain tile, ect are all available in many wood patterns.

Snap lock Vinyl Plank glued directly to a 14 ga galvanized subfloor is my pick.

It has a life time residential warranty.

Nat
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Old 12-14-2020, 07:04 AM   #50
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Quote:
Originally Posted by milkmania View Post
people may laugh and scoff, because Cob huts are "unconventional"....

But, unconventional to who?!?! modern society that dictates how we should live???
modern society that is profiting from that dictation?

This lady has a pretty good plan...
First portion of her video is refurbished Street Cars
Second portion of her video is cob housing.


Let's just say, I grew up in less... and I'm still here
some may say I'm not "all here"... but, that's only their opinion!
I LOVE this! And as she says, “no rules”! One of the reasons why we are excited about building a skoolie - can make our bathroom as narrow as we want, walls as low as we want, hallway narrow as we want, as few outlets as we want, and arent forced to install or spray disease causing agents.

The British show “Grand Designs” has a pretty epic episode on cob, a bit of gluttony, but the mechanics of it, and the labor it takes are incredible and respect worthy.

As a Chinese Medicine practitioner, I am so dismayed by how so many ancient practices that worked not only perfectly fine, but exceedingly well, were replaced by crap. My partner is in medical school, and I have immense respect for modern medicine, just as I do for modern engineering, but …why we needn’t disregard and disrespect the practices that came before!
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Old 12-14-2020, 07:38 AM   #51
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SassyLass View Post
As the sayings go..
"You have to choose your battles"
"Pick your poison"
"No two skoolie conversions are alike; build it to the specifications that are important to you."

Personally for me, I am leaning towards more natural materials, most likely a lot of natural kiln-dried wood with (as yet an undecided) finish, with some sort of humidity control incorporated in the bus itself. I want a finish which will not trap moisture against the steel in a vapor wrapped sandwich- a prime environment for rust, and mold and mildew growth. A perfect example is the OEM floors in most Skoolies- steel floor/ply or OSB/rubber mats/runners-with unsealed seams of course...now hose that bus out several times and trap all that moisture (and salt from snow boots) under those mats for a decade or two... it's no wonder so many have issues with their floors. Every Skoolie who has stripped out a floor from a district that uses hoses or has regular snow/rain has seen this. The build threads are loaded with pics too. Same with the steel sandwich sides and ceilings. Vehicles without these steel sandwiches don't have near the mold buildup. Anywho, I digress...

Now I have no intention of hosing out my bus after I do the initial gut and rust check, and I am realistic enough to know that there will be spills, leaks, rain and wet feet. God willin' and the crick don't rise, there won't be any regular gushers. So with this in mind, I choose a material that will breathe and allow that minimal moisture to evaporate to the (dehumidified) interior. Is it perfect? No. Will it fit the bill of what is most important to me? I think so.

And before anyone brings it up...
I do know that integral to make this work is enough insulation and thermal breaks so that the exterior is sufficient isolated from interior temperature extremes, both hot and cold, as well as excess humidity. I am still in the research mode on this end of my decisions. The main concern for me here is all the endocrine disrupters, toxic off-gassing, toxic smoke and likelihood of flashover in a fire that is prevalent in the most efficient foams/foam boards Will I choose efficiency over toxicity? Not likely, because I have options that work for me. Likely I will choose a lower R-rating and less (or non) toxic product. this would work for me because I can just move where the weather suits my home and interior environment.

After all, it's my Skoolie, I can do what I want to! Now if anyone has any info to add that hasn't already been I would certainly consider it and add that info to my research. However! If it is not green and/or environmentally friendly, it will only be considered by me if there are no better options- for my purposes.

We don't have to agree, and we don't have to have the same opinions or visions. My opinion of what is important will, no doubt, NOT be the same as everyone else. And that is OK. No one has to do things my way unless they want to, the same way I do not have to do anything that is only right for someone else's priorities. Take away what you will and make it your own.

(And for details on the scientific studies re: double moisture/vapor barrier sandwiches, which was posted in another thread, shoot me a pm)
Hello Pamela!

Bringing back a very old post, but I really appreciated it, found it very respectful and thoughtful. And while we dont have to agree, I DO agree!

So wanted to check in- how did your flooring go? What did you decide on?

The process I am considering (after stripping, cleaning, and painting w a rust protector) is 1" XPS foam board as bottom layer (2021 rules will lead to further reductions in toxicity), then a floating subfloor of 1/2" cork panels that are 2x3, and I can make those T&G, which seems to be what people advise for the plywood subfloor, and then a solid 5/16" hardwood T&G floor finished with a non toxic sealant.

I'm just not sure the 3 layer combo is firm enough.

Walls and ceiling will then be sheeps wool (not mineral wool or rockwool). As you said, I care more about a clean healthy house then I do about insulation. Im not going to leave it UNinsulated, but am not going be careful about what I use.


Thanks!
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