Part 4 (2/2)

The old practice was for beams, wall plates, joists, etc, to be just bedded on the cob, and for the cob to be filled in between the joists

In neork, particularly when the use of imperfectly seasoned timber is unavoidable, it would be wise to take the usual precautions as to the proper ventilation of all ”built in” ork--especially the ends of joists and so forth Roofs must of course be tied and exercise no thrust on walls The roof plates are soalvanised iron wire

[Illustration: LINTEL-BEARING CROSS-PIECE]

Door and -frames are also fixed to wood blocks built into the jambs and to the wood lintels above The frames are sometimes near the outer face of wall, sometimes near the inner-face Where the door-frames are on the interior face of a 2 ft thick wall, a convenient porch results

[Illustration: +A Devonshi+re Farm, Local Material (Cob)+]

[Illustration: +Devon Country House, built of Devon Cob+]

Other joinery is fixed to wood pins driven into the cob where required

Corners are usually of cob, though stone quoins are occasionally met with

Lintels are usually of ell tailed into the wall and resting on a wood pad placed crosswise

[Headnote: Protection]

_Protection_--Old buildings that have been neglected are often found to be soh the action of rain and frost

Protection is less here than higher up under the projecting eaves, and the Achilles' heel of the cob wall is undoubtedly its base

This vulnerable part, exposed as it is to driven rain, back-splash, and the casual kicks, should be given special protection

Where the base is of cob and not of ood deep skirting of pitch or tar, or athat should completely cover the exterior of all cob work

This rendering is usually coh Portland cement has come into use to some extent recently

Cement, however, is apt to be rather too ”short” and brittle, and it does not always hold to the cob walling very securely

A rendering consisting of an equal mixture of cement and lime with three parts of sand adheres well to cob, however, and is probably the best coating that can be given to it

This coating can be colour-washed or lih rendering or of ”slap-dash” on the slightly wavy surface of cob walling perhaps gives to ash its very highest opportunity and chares of Devon with the pearly glea bulk of thatch and their triracious and as pleasant to the eye as any in all the length and breadth of England

Within, liht on to the cob

_Chimneys_--Nowadays, chiood examples survive of flues and stacks constructed in cob The insides of these are pargeted with li only introduced immediately around the fireplaces

_Rats_--Where the surface rendering of cob-walls has been o rat will so

A little powdered glass e any such burrowing, but the best preservative for any cob building is a thoroughly good skin of rendering, especially if this be reinforced by fine-th_--The strength of cob walls is surprisingly great so long as they are vertical, and are not subjected to undue lateral thrust or tension

Beae as 12 in by 12 inlikely to be asked of the th to which it cannot easily respond

_Design_--Cob, like every other n of any building in which its use is intended