Comments for Ecosenseliving's Blog

Comment on PEAK MOMENT Episode #230 by Jodie Anne Gastel

Jodie Anne Gastel — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 05:56:40 +0000

Oh my – this would be wonderful! Wish I could find a way

Comment on Eco-Sense: Looking for Neighbours by PEAK MOMENT Episode #230 | Ecosenseliving's Blog

PEAK MOMENT Episode #230 | Ecosenseliving's Blog — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 15:33:18 +0000

[...] ← Eco-Sense: Looking for Neighbours [...]

Comment on Research by Eco-Sense

Eco-Sense — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 02:08:17 +0000

It reduces the solar battery effect…especially if it was done on the south wall…which we would never do. However, it wouldn’t reduce the solar battery effect (which is the ability of the outer surface of the wall to heat up and retain the heat over a period of time), by too much for the sun that does hit the eastern/western walls. With at least 2 inches of earth plaster there is still a significant heat storage capacity which would certainly impact the deltaT (temp differential) in the mass wall assembly.
The moisture does not need a significant deltaT due to the clay in order to move through the mass wall. Clay has a surface charge and attracts the water (a polar molecule) and has the ability to wick and equalize moisture in the wall without temp as a mechanism.

Comment on Research by Oisin

Oisin — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 01:19:56 +0000

Hi Ann, thanks for you reply. Does this method not prevent the cob from having direct solar gains because of the external wrap? How can the moisture in the wall evaporate to the external surface if there is not a significant difference in temperature?
Oisin

Comment on Research by Eco-Sense

Eco-Sense — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 16:19:50 +0000

Hi Oisin, actually we did not use any vapour barrier in our cob walls. To achieve passive house standards one could use load bearing cob along with appropriate site, orientation, and other passive solar design features. It would be essential to install a thermal wrap the load bearing cob with a thermal layer on the North, east, and west exposures. On our home, we have installed this wrap so far on the north wall. We studded it out with 2×4′s to create a 8-12″ cavity…put burlap over the studs…then stucco wire…then used blown in cellulose to fill the cavity. Then it was plastered with a very thick high straw plaster, then a finish plaster (lime or earth…as this wall is very protected). We are just getting ready to do a similar process on the east wall but will use a PE house wrap that breathes instead of the burlap as this wall is exposed to driving rain and wind. Important to note that the home achieved a functional r-22 as measured by energy inputs before any additional insulation. We think that a properly designed and insulated load bearing cob structure could theoretically achieve passive house standards…certainly easy to achieve air leakage standards…our home is extremely tight.
Ann

Comment on Research by Oisin

Oisin — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 13:17:27 +0000

Question:
These results of cob under a vapor barrier system are very interesting, do you think a passive house (passivhaus) could be built using cob as its substructure? Would you think that the risk of interstitial condensation would be the only barrier in achieving this goal?

Thank You,

Oisin

Comment on Media List by “The Greenest Modern Home in the World” « nQuire Services Inc.

“The Greenest Modern Home in the World” « nQuire Services Inc. — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 04:34:43 +0000

[...] have lived in the house year-round since 2008. They host about 40 visitors a month, and have been featured extensively in the media–a Hollywood starlet would kill to have that level of [...]

Comment on Ann & Gord by “The Greenest Modern Home in the World” « nQuire Services Inc.

“The Greenest Modern Home in the World” « nQuire Services Inc. — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 04:34:40 +0000

[...] the Bairds explain on their weblog, “Our objective is to live a reasonable life where our home is an extension of nature; where [...]

Comment on Summer 2012 Update by Valerie Elliott

Valerie Elliott — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 01:06:36 +0000

Lovely to get an update from you guys (we are less responsible)! We too have been getting into the cheese making as we are buying raw milk from a Metchosin farmer. Isn’t food more delicious when it comes from your own garden and kitchen? And what is the round stuff on your pizza. Are you making your own sausage now too? Stephan is planning that for his next food adventure but needs to figure out the logistics in the cold storage first… he wants to make those cured meats with fresh organic meat from our farmer. Food, glorious food! We’ve been doing work for a new farmer who is renting land in exchange to farming on it. its fun and rewarding to work for food. Keep up the inspiration you two. Off to pick peas which have been non stop (and 8 ft tall) due to the weather… XX from us.

Comment on What’s it Worth…Calculating the Carbon Footprint of Environmental Destruction by Summer 2012 Update | Ecosenseliving's Blog

Summer 2012 Update | Ecosenseliving's Blog — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 17:18:10 +0000

[...] we wrote a blog post about the damage occurring to the ecosystem on the land next to our home. What’s it worth…Calculating the Carbon footprint of Environmental Destruction. Well, the plot thickens as the land is further degraded. But just in summary, Ann has been [...]