In oil painting it is a general rule to dilute less with terp as you build up additional layers, not the other way around; I believe this caused your cracks on the wall.
I buy linseed oil from the lumber yard and apply it, sun warmed, onto my cob house and goat shed annually. I don't mix it with anything else. It works well and this year only took 7 litres to do the two buildings. Gives the 4 year old cob a new fresh look and makes both buildings ready for the winter rains& gales. Interesting to see a different method, thanks for sharing😊
Anyone else here on a mission to find the ultimate way, using only natural materials, to build a pool without a liner that does not leak and gives off no toxins so the fish can also swim in it? If so and you have ideas, please let me know.
I even just watched an entire documentary about Roman bathhouses in the hope their secret would be revealed and I learned a lot from it, but nothing conclusive.
Interesting! I'm interested in 3D printing houses using natural occurring elements, mud, clay and sand mixture with fibers is a very easily available material. Basically linseed or tung oil is a natural resin that forms polymers. Similar to polyester or epoxy resin. But this whole building material science is tricky. Most likely a thin coat of resin won't really be waterproof but only water retardant. And heat expansion or changes in humidity can easily lead to cracks. You could also add something like flax fibers or linen and glue that together with resin, making a kind of natural fiberglass resin sandwich.
Thanks for your idea! I will look into it! With your response, and that of others, I may find the perfect solution for a natural waterproof cob wall. Cheers!
Btw did you check out the wikipedia article? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linseed_oil It says it's hydrophobic, but on wood "Liquid water penetrates a linseed oil finish in mere minutes, and water vapour bypasses it almost completely." So it probably gives you a little bit of protection but you probably don't have to worry about the wall "not breathing" or not drying when wet.
Hey Dejay, I checked out the article. The water only penetrates the oil finish when used on wood and more layers need to be applied. So this could mean that a single coat of linseed oil on the cob is water retardant / repellent and more coats may make it water-resistant. That would mean that a single coat still allows the cob to breathe. I'm going to ask around on TH-cam, I am sure there are people out there that have an idea. Your approach to the issue nice, you know your materials. I'll keep you posted!
Haha no I'm just starting to learn more about DIY, just favouring the theoretical approach from behind my desk ;) And yeah cob might have a more dense and closed surface than wood, compared to porous wood. But it's possible the cracking is going to happen over and over again because cob and resin just have a different coefficient of thermal expansion and the resin is too inelastic. Or that you just need reinforcing fibers (ha flax is actually the same plant as linseed! :) If so, maybe there are formulations like additives that make it more elastic. Some experimentation might be required. But I really have no solid knowledge, just speculating here. There is also tung oil: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tung_oil "During the Song Dynasty, tung oil was used for waterproofing ships. " "Tung oil resists liquid water better than any other pure oil finish and does not darken noticeably with age and is claimed to be less susceptible to mould than linseed oil."
Hey DJ Rez (sorry, couldn't resist) - I read up on oils, and several oils can be mixed in with the final mix for a cob / clay plaster. Tung oil, walnut oil (very expensive), palm oil (not so great because of burnt down jungle for palm plantations) and of course linseed oil. It can also be painted on after the final plaster is applied. Tung oil is indeed an oil with a long history. I found it online, raw and boiled. When it is raw, it is very thick and hard to apply. It can be dilluted with terpentine oil. I also found the boiled version, it is thinner and easier to apply and of better quality. It is quite expensive though, I would have to pay 13 euros for half a liter. For boiled linseed oil I paid 35 for 5 liters. Thanks for your input, I am interested in all the options there are out there and I am glad you're doing a search as well!
Boiled Linseed oil is full of additives and chemicals that cause it to cure faster, which is why it's a skin irritant. Food grade flax oil is the raw ingredient in it and can be found at just about any grocery or health food store for a comparable price.
Hey Luke, thanks for your comment. You are partly right. High grade boiled linseed oil has no additives or chemicals. Cheap versions have not been boiled, so the chemicals are needed to make it appear like boiled linseed oil. You can consider these brands as fake. The Linseed oil that is found in health food stores or groceries is not boiled, but raw. This will not waterproof cob or earthen materials. It is made for consumption. Take care man!
Good question! I'm afraid you'll have to break everything away, including all cob layers and install a new window or glass panel. I did break a window while chopping wood last year, the block of wood flung straight through the glass of one of the front doors of the cave. I just hamered a complete window up against the inside of the door to repair it. (Very.. sustainable solution haha), but anyway, if you want to repair a broken window that has been sunk away in layers of cob, it will take quite some effort and time. Fortunately you can re-use the cob that you break away.
Hi, We just finished a cob bench covered by a roof. We put 4 layers of linseed oil on the bench and it looks good. Do you know if we'll need to add a layer of linseed oil every year or every few years? How can I tell if the bench needs it? thanks for your thoughts.
Hey, I was checking my messages and saw that I completely missed your post.. sorry about that! It’s been a year, so I am curious of how it looks. Do you think it needs a new coat or is it still fine?
Hey Anna, thanks for your question! It doesn't make it vulnerable to fire. The oil cools down immediately once you apply it, and you only use a bit of turpentine (although now I no longer recommend diluting the oil with turpentine, pure linseed oil works better). The linseed oil is flammable, but the greatest risk is caused by soaked rags that are left folded up after use. They can spontaneously catch fire. Furthermore, the wall soaks up the oil quickly and the earthen materials will slow down any fire (I have not tried to light up the wall yet, but it would be interesting to try it 😉)
Hello! I have applied first coat of linseed oil on my clay/sand floor. It is been 3 weeks now and the floor still doesn't look like it is completely dry. Some parts are lighter than others. How would I know that it is time for the next layer? When I touch it it is dry and not sticky. Is it enough or should I wait when it becomes entirely lighter color? Please give me an advise. Thanks a lot!!!
Hey man sorry, I was on holiday 🌴 I hope I am stil on time. When it is no longer sticky, you can apply the next coat. The floor will keep that look of not being dry, so that is perfectly normal. Go ahead and apply the next coat 👍🏻 Keep me posted!
Hey Manasi! Thank you! I have not seen any places that were nibbled on by rodents. There are some large rats in the canal next to my mancave, but they are not interested in the walls. Mice have not shown any interes either. Bugs do nibble from the walls, probably wasps or other bugs that need material for their nests, but these are tiny holes I don't even bother filling. So, so far no trouble with that!
@@Le0nski on this I was reading in many of the cob building books and what they do in England is use lime in the final layer of earth plaster, deters mud burrowing insects (including termites) and rodents because it burns and irritates organic matter other than the cob it is attached to, so don't go licking walls
Why did you heat up your boiled linseed oil? Also, was there a reason to go with boiled instead of raw linseed oil? The boiled dries faster but I've heard raw is more durable and protects better once dried. Also, boiled typically has solvents added to it as dryers, then you even added more....all of the additives may be what caused cracking. I was wondering if you ever tried just using plain raw linseed oil. Also, certain pigments added will give it characteristics...for instance zinc oxide pigment added makes it into a excellent white paint with very very good UV protection.
Hey Stephen, when cold, the oil is quite thick and has a low viscosity. After being heated up, it is absorbed much better into the wall. Boiled linseed oil has been treated with heat for a certain amount of time, resulting in an oil that is much different from raw oil. If you think raw oil is better, just us that, I am a fan of experimenting with these things, so try and find out. When you get boiled linseed oil at a trusted source and you know it is genuine, it contains no additives. When bought cheap, it will contain plenty of additives to hide the fact that it was not heat treated as it should. I should not have added turpentine, it was cheap and probably caused the cracks, so you are right. Better to use it plain. Nice to hear that you can add pigments, I am definitely going to try that in the future, so thanks! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Hi Leon, het ziet er super mooi uit! Ik heb een vraagje. Ik zou een zitkuil willen maken buiten in de tuin (zonder overkapping) met COB, alleen vraag ik me af dat kan? Ivm regen enzo. En een andere vraag. Ik heb leemstuc binnen in huis, wat heel veel stof afgeeft. Ik wil dat impregneren op een natuurlijke manier, weet jij of ik daarvoor ook lijnzaad kan gebruiken? Alvast bedankt!
Wat betreft de stof van de leemstuc, dit gebeurt als de laatste stap van het 'sponsen ' van de muur niet uitgevoerd is. Als je sponst na de leemstuc, komt er geen leem meer af. Liefs
Hey Tuffy, a washout is when the rain washes away parts of your wall. A monsoon or torrential rain may cause this. If you live in the desert, you might never have to deal with this, I suppose. Is that would you mean?
Hi Anabell, thanks for your comment. I have not tried it myself, but some people have. I have not heard of any problems if you do. This is what I answered Christian Young (see below): "Don't forget to ventilate the oven after baking your pizza, because all the moisture will be trapped inside the cob. Someone on YT suggested not to treat a pizza oven with linseed oil, in order to let all the moisture escape through the cob layer during the baking process. I don't really think that's a necessary, if your oven is thick enough, the cob will take up all moisture and release it again once you leave the oven open after baking." You might check with him to see how it turned out. A roof over your oven will protect it as well. Keep me posted!
Hats off to you for your informative video. Would you please share your experiences about use of linseed oil over lime plaster in kitchen, bathroom or other water expose area , to make Water proof wall? Waiting for your reply !!👍🙏🙏🙏
As far as I can tell, it's perfect for any place that is exposed to water. I have no experience with lime plaster, so you might have to ask around a little more. Just keep in mind that the walls no longer breathe. Besides that, it's great. I used it on the wall around my sink, and the water just runs straight of. Hope this helps!
For lime, you can seal it with the traditional Morrocan method using olive oil soap. The soap and lime react to make a hydrophobic surface. Look up “tadelakt”.
Hi, very good question. I have looked it up, and I think that it's best to apply it specifically to the walls that are exposed to rain, because the boiled linnseed oil will create a moisture barrier (so moisture from the inside will be trapped) and therefore the wall will no longer breathe. The other walls that are not treated with boiled linnseed oil will take over the breathing job. I will mention this in my info section, your question made me realise how important that is! Thanks a lot!
The only remaining thing that the inside layer will do, is absorb moisture when it is humid inside, and give off moisture when it is too dry inside. What do you mean with ' cant seal both side' ?
Yes, you are absolutely right. The only thing that remains is a great looking wall of lifeless building material. Therefore I would not recommend this on all of your walls. You could also use the oil for waterproofing outdoor cob ovens, cob stoves, cob benches or chairs, and so on. If you build a bathroom out of cob, this will work. I also intend to use it around the sink in my mancave 'kitchen'. You can even build a bath tub out of cob and waterproof it. The options are endless.
@@Le0nski thank you that i found your channel. I was about thinking how to waterproof a fencewall made of rammed earth without using cement so it can still breath.
The water can't get through, it is completely sealed. This is why I don't recommend doing this to all your walls, as they will also stop breathing. Lime wash is a good choice, but probably not on a wall that is exposed to a lot of rain. This was my main concern for waterproofing this wall.
Hi Leon, I have made a cob pizza oven and would like to waterproof the outside of the structure. I have read that boiled linseed oil can catch fire randomly if it gets too hot. Is this still the case when it has soaked into the cob and completely dried? could the dried linseed oil still be a fire hazard when the pizza oven gets hot?
Hi Christian, it won't be a fire hazard once it is dry. When it is used in a regular way to treat wood, people often use a rag to apply it. If you leave this rag folded up afterwards, it can spontaneously catch fire from brewing. Your oven will be fine. Don't forget to ventilate the oven after baking your pizza, because all the moisture will be trapped inside the cob. Someone on YT suggested not to treat a pizza oven with linseed oil, in order to let all the moisture escape through the cob layer during the baking process. I don't really think that's a necessary, if your oven is thick enough, the cob will take up all moisture and release it again once you leave the oven open after baking. Enjoy the pizza!
@@Le0nski Thank you so much, you make a good point about ventilation! - I see how someone would think that the moisture would be trapped and that could cause problems for pizza baking.... my wall is about 10inchs (25cm) thick (4inch cob, 5inch cob and straw, then 1inch cob decorative layer) in total so I think that it could absorb enough to not effect the baking
Hey Robert, that's the million dollar question! There are ways to make it water repellant, cowdung in your mix works very well. There are vage records of people using animal blood, termite mount, banana leaves, carob and other natural ingredients, I have tested banana leaves and carob (test not completed to my satisfaction yet), but it is no match compared to boiled linseed oil. You can use lime plaster, but I have no experience with this. Linseed oil prevents your earthen wall from breathing, so don't use it on all your walls. It is somewhat expensive, but it works, and you can order it online (make sure it is genuine, there are fake oils out there). Hope this answers your question!
Are you able to add insulation to live in in winter? What size were you wall was it waddle and tube? Or cob or made brick form like Adobe, we plan to build a shed soon and I am currently making a small kiln with added fire clay. We hope it works well for my jewelry peices
I am not allowed to live in my mancave in winter, because of the regulations (it's an area where you rent a garden), so I am not going to insulate it. The walls are very thin: 2 inches at the most, I invented my own technique (watch mancave 2.0 if you can stand the sound effects ;-) I used waddle & daub as well, that is such a perfect technique. If you want to read up on the topic, try the book 'cob builders manual'. It's freely available on the web. Good luck!
Hey Domingo, I honestly don't know... It is traditionally used in cob floors. So I just used it on my walls (it was a wild guess, but it turned out quite well) The wall you see in the video is still in perfect shape, but it has a huge overhang to keep it dry. The walls that are exposed to rain (see cob covered door video) have a very small overhang, so they get a bit of rain on them. My toilet wall gets most rain, but I live in Holland, and we don't get tropical storms, just severe rain showers, and this cob is still good too. So, keep in mind that this is an experimental technique I'm using. If you want to spent less money, use cowdung in your plaster, you'll need to reapply some of it after 7 years or so, depending on how good your plaster mix turns out. You could go for lime plaster, termite mount, or tadelakt if you want to go for traditional. Good luck, keep me posted!
Just an addition to my previous answer: you could go for a silicate paint. It is widely used in Germany. read this: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicate_mineral_paint Besides that, create plenty of overhang. Make sure the lower part of the wall is protected from direct rain (use brick in the lower part of your walls). If you have plenty of overhang, you do not need to waterproof a cob wall at all. More info can be found here: www.greenhomebuilding.com/QandA/cob/plastering.htm Good luck!
+Leon de Haan hoi. sorry spell check with Dutch. I'm buying a small holding in West of ireland. Can't wait. only a couple of weeks to go. I wonder if you added linseed oil to the wet mix and skimmed the outside at the same time as building; the oil would be incorporated in wet cob and not as an additive post build. excellent work mate. heel bedankt
Hey iersejounge, that is just great, buying a place in Ireland! That must be fantastic to look forward to! About the linseed oil: I didn't add the oil to the mix, this was a simple plaster of 50% cowdung, 35% sand and around 15% clay. Afterwards I painted the oil on there. But adding it to your plaster is possible as well. I'll have to look up the recipe for it! I'll keep you posted!
Absolutely. You do need a good overhang to protect it from the rain. Cob might be harder to find in the ground, but like me, you can mix any clay and sharp sand to create your own.
Hey Lydia, I don't think so. Boiled linseed oil is treated in a special way, it is boiled for a specific time on a specific temperature. That's why you can't compare it to any raw or untreated oils. Then again, you can always try it on a small area. You never know!
Hey, thanks for asking. Raw linseed oil will stay fluid, and the boiled version wil harden after it is absorbed by the wall or the floor. You can’t boil it yourself, it’s a specific proces (unless you know how, of course, but it’s more practical to buy it). It’s expensive, but goes Al long way. I introduced this oil in my videos after seeing a video where it was used on a clay floor. I just took that idea and waterproofed my earthen walls with it, it turned out surprisingly well. Your floors will become dust- free, waterproof and hard as a rock!
Well, at the time I applied the oil, I read that after a few years you need to apply it again. A few years ago I sold my mancave, because we sold our house, so I haven't recently seen what it looks like, and I don't know if the current owners have reapplied the oil. In 2018, the wall was still in perfect shape, no new cracks had appeared. I intend to visit my mancave somewhere soon, so I will let you know what it looks like after 5 years.
We bought our house covered in shingles and we live in North Ga. So we have red clay instead of soil. I plan to get sand and cob over the shingles. Did a test of just the dirt and it stuck great but did crack after it dried. Once I get the final cob up would it be better to use linseed oil then paint over it or just use a very think exterior paint. I ask b/c I know my girlfriend does not want the natural cob color and wants a white house.
Hey man, sounds like you have big plans. Are you going to cover the roof shingles with cob and then seal them, or are there shingles on the walls? If your girlfriend prefers white, you could go for a lime wash. This will allow the cob to breathe, but I heard it is hard to get good results and you may need a pro to do it for you. If you use linseed oil, you'll seal the cob. It will be waterproof, but you might run the risk of moisture buildup if you use it on a roof or on all the walls. So, tell me more, I might be able to help you.
@@Le0nski The shingles we want to cover are on the exterior walls of the house. The roof has shingles but we plan to eventually do tin over the roof. I did a test with just clay against the shingles on the walls about a 4'x4' section and it sticks very well but it needs sand to bind it to avoid cracking. The house is about 1100 sq ft so relatively small.
Sounds good! If you want to cover the shingles, you'll need a barrier between the wood and cob. You can use primer or burlap. This allows the wood to transport moisture into the cob layer if necessary. Cob stick really well to burlap. Use a staple gun (and a lot of staples) to attach it to the wood. Cob does not stick well to primer, so you could use chicken fence or wire mesh to hold the cob in place. I would not use linseed oil, because the wood might get damp and you might get mold, but I am not sure. The thing is that you seal it off on the outside, so if you do use linseed oil, just cover the walls that are exposed to rain. Or, use cowl dung in the final layer of cob, this makes it water repellent, which is quite nice as well. Lime wash is the way it is done for centuries, so you might consider that too. Anyway, your house will turn out great! Keep me posted man!
Well.. that means trouble, you’ll have to open the whole thing up, repair the window and cover it all back up.. quite some work.. I almost destroyed one window of my door while chopping wood. A piece launched itself straight through the window.. but I covered it up behind a layer of cob 🙈😅
I think you are right. It's probably best not to add turpentine, although I will have tot test that, to be sure. The technique of sealing walls with boiled linseed oil is initially used for cob floors. I just used it on the walls. A floor needs to be soaked as much as possible. A wall just needs a 'crust' to protect is. Not using turpentine would probably work 👍🏻
Hello David, thanks for your question! Boiled linseed oil is processed in a specific way. It is expensive, but you can't use any other oils to waterproof earthen floors, walls or sculptures.. It hardens when it dries and this is not the case with other oils. Sorry!
Hoi! Bedankt voor je leuke video! Erg nuttig. Ik ben van plan om over ongeveer 4 a 5 jaar een familie huis te bouwen van leem. Ik zit nu nog in een sociale huurwoning en ben aan het sparen voor grond en materiaal. Ik ga wel deze zomer mijn gewolmaniseerde schutting vervangen voor een cob wall. Als ik de muur seal met deze olie. Is en blijft die ook waterdicht? (Zonder dak). Of kan ik beter een houten afdakje eroverheen timmeren? Bedankt voor de info!!
Hee David, wat gaaf dat je zelf een huis van leem gaat bouwen! Ik heb gemerkt dat het heel arbeidsintensief is, maar het is geweldig bouwmateriaal. Voor je cob wall hoef je gaan afdakje te maken als je de bovenzijde een aantal coats geeft. Drie is ruim voldoende, en de zijkanten kun je dan 1 of 2 coats geven. Er kunnen wel kleine scheurtjes ontstaan, zoals bij mij ook gebeurde, maar als je de bovenkant schuin laat aflopen, blijft er geen water in staan en kan het niet in de scheurtjes zakken. Dan heb je een perfecte cob wall die een orkaan kan doorstaan ;-) Veel plezier en succes!
roller does it fast, but the brush is usually best option for the fast coat to allow thorough brushing into the porous surface. Rolled on coat will sit onthe surface and will be easily lifted off the surface.
I have a one question, in our village there is a mud house but at the junction of wall and floor catches the moisture and dampness started. what should I do?
Hey there Varad, I have a few questions: 1 does it rain a lot? 2 Does the mud house have a roof with overhang? 3 Is the wall in direct contact with the ground or is there a barrier of rocks underneath it, a stone foundation that supports the wall? 4 Is the wall new?
Mr. Leon. Even we are facing same problem. For your questions answer is yes. Only thing is the home is built in year 1955. Stone underneath not sure. Since last 5 years we are facing problem of wet floors in rain. Now its summer here. Inside its nice. In rain certain room gets Damp or completely wet. Thanks for your valuable time.
Hello Samantha, after the oil has dried, it is fire resistant. I made a fireplace out of cob and it melted my raingutter away, but the oil in the cob remained fine. It's flamable before application, and drenched rags can catch fire if left unattended. It works perfect against rain and humidity. Still, it stops the wall from breathing, so don't apply it to all your walls. If you make an earthen bench, oven, statue or anything that is exposed to rain, the oil turns the plaster into a water resistant layer. What do you intend to use it for?
I was planning on adding fire clay to my Adobe mix in was think about wood ash or lime, both seem this video, seems like a good option. Breathing walls, if it breathes it allows air inn and out correct sealing it keep out moisture as well as inside right. Just wondering how it affects the cob outer and inner layer from cracking, we could always control moisture inside more then out so we would get cold it's a weird thing cob but I heard some say their house stays cold maybe because it wasn't insulated enough, with straw?
sir , i want to know about relative humidity and temparature percentage of cob building at summer and winter, and specially cob wall breathing system. please.....i need ur help
There is an old book that you can read - it's online and it's free to download- I read the whole thing and this got me started. weblife.org/cob/pdf/cob_builders_handbook.pdf 👍🏻👍🏻 You don't need much else, just start small and gain experience with the materials. Don't start on a huge project untill you have some experience 🏰, you may become dissapointed if you start big.
Hey, thanks for asking. Unfortunately not, it doesn't harden when exposed to air. Boiled linseed oil hardens and stays there for several years. Make sure you get one from a reliable paint supplyer, because the cheap stuff is fake.
No, luckily it's not 😊 When you use a piece of cloth or a rag to apply it, just don't leave it fumbled up and lying around somewhere, after you finish. After a while it may spontaneously catch fire. If you hang it out to dry, this won't happen. When applied to earthen materials, the oil hardens and becomes harmless 😅
We don't have termites in Holland, so I have no idea.. Maybe by covering the door with cob and then linseed oil might keep them out, but I am not sure. Wasps stil eat tiny pieces and create little holes in the cob with linseed oil, so I think termites will too. Sorry bro, can't help you with this one..
shohel sagar YES!! you can! I made a statue out of cob and used the oil. It is in the middle of my garden and the rain is no problem. You can watch the end of the video if you like th-cam.com/video/BCqf0qldcfQ/w-d-xo.html
Hey, good question 👍🏻 Sunflower oil stays liquid whereas boiled linseed oil becomes solid in the wall. Then again, maybe no one has ever tried it before.. so try it out on a piece of dry cob and see what happens. I make testcilinders by filling an empty toilet roll with cob. When dry, I apply whatever I want to test. I then place it in a little bit of water and compare it with a test cilinder of cob with no additive. Check out my banana leave video for a demonstration - good luck, let me know what happens 😁👍🏻
Dit is in Nederland (Holland), in de buurt van Rotterdam. En ja, het regent hier vaak. De regenzijde heb ik daarom ingesmeerd met gekookte lijnzaadolie, en een overkapping ertegenaan gezet. Zou je er ook een willen bouwen? Waar woon je zelf?
@@Le0nski Ik woon nu in Colorado, maar als werkt lijnzaadolie in Nederland, geloof ik die het ook goed voor hier is. Ik bouw een klein adobe schuur hier.
@@rddavidesq Geweldig! Let er op dat je niet alle muren insmeert met gekookte lijnzaadolie, de muren ademen dan namelijk niet meer. Kies de muur die de meeste last heeft van regen en smeer alleen die in. Verder zou ik nu geen terpentine meer gebruiken, gewoon goed verwarmen en twee keer insmeren. Je kunt het na drie jaar weer insmeren, dan kan heel licht, dus kost dan minder olie. Succes!
Yes you can! But try it first on a part of the wall, to see if you like the result, and to be sure. Keep in mind that your wall will loose its ability to 'breathe'. Good luck!
I abolutely think so, yes! If you keep the cob layer thin (like I did on my doors), it won't get too heavy. Also, make sure the water can run of. I am planning to use it on the roof of a new project as well and the nice thing about it is that you can create organic forms in your roof. My idea for this is as follows: Make a sturdy wooden structure to support your roof, and then place wire mesh on it. Cover this with a layer of burlap and then a thin layer of cob / earthen plaster and then boiled linseed oil. After tree years, repair any cracks and repaint it, and you'll be fine. You might add a waterresistant tarp underneath the wire mesh, just to be sure. This will make an ugly ceiling, so you'll have to mask that with fabric or a wooden ceiling. I have not tried this yet, but I am confident it will work. I hope this helps, keep me posted of your ideas, good luck!
@@Kusunoky I have sold my mancave in the summer of 2019, and at that time it still looked perfect! There is a large roof adjacent to the wall, so this probably helps. Other walls that I treated were still in perfect shape as well. I read somewhere that re-application is preferred after about three years. But as far as I can tell, it is not necessary yet. I'll have to ask the new owner. I'll get back to you soon!
@@Le0nski Wow that's really nice tbh. Seems to be that it can hold for ever and also may be if you out lime plaster could hold even more with out treatment may be. Thanks for the reply. I really appreciated. 🙏
I see.. I do know that there is an oil wich is extracted from pine trees that carries the same name. If you are right, I have been using the wrong product.. what do you think?
@@yaiscontent haha, I think Ted Rebel has left the building... Anyway, I know now that there are two types of turpentine. The one you can get in any grocery store (According to Wikipedia it is called White spirit (UK)or mineral spirits (US, Canada), also known as mineral turpentine (AU/NZ), turpentine substitute, and petroleum spirits, is a petroleum-derived clear liquid used as a common organic solvent in painting), is the one I have used to dilute the boiled linseed oil. The other type is turpentine (which according to Wikipedia is also called spirit of turpentine, oil of turpentine, wood turpentine, terebenthene, terebinthine and (colloquially), turps], which is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin harvested from living trees, mainly pines. It is mainly used as a solvent. The latter is the best choice, but to be honest, the first one served me fine. I sold my mancave last year, so I haven't done anything with cob lately , but for future projects I'll buy turpentine to dilute the linseed oil with. I don't think it destroys clay bonds... I hope this helps!
Yes you can! You need a good waterproofing agent like waterglass or you can use the tadelakt technique. Boiled linseed oil will work as well. You should definitely go for it! Make sure there is plenty of ventilation.
There are no tutorials on TH-cam, but there are a few websites where it is described. I found this one: www.handprintpress.com/authors/kiko/waterglass/ It is also called: sodium silicate. You can buy it online or make it yourself. There are tutorials on youtube on making your own waterglass. Let me know how it works out! Good luck!
Hello ! Have you tried to waterproof with recycled restaurant oil? I'm looking for a cheaper way, i wonder if doing so, and juste finishing with a linseed oil layer would "coat" the restaurant smell.... ? Thanks !
Hey, sorry I missed your post, just read it today. I would not recommend any other oils, because boiled linseed oil has the perfect properties to do the job. Still, you might try it and see what happens, maybe you’re on to something 😉
Beste Kevan, gekookte lijnzaadolie droogt op / hardt uit wanneer het in aanraking komt met zuurstof. De leem wordt ook echt keihard. Gewone olie blijft vloeibaar en zal waarschijnlijk ook afgeven al je het aanraakt. Misschien verzwakt je muur er zelfs van omdat de leem zacht wordt. Ik ga het wel eens uitproberen! Aan wat voor olie zat je te denken?
Je kunt per emmer leempleister een eetlepel olie toevoegen. Op die manier krijg je een waterafstotende laag, en de muur kan dan nog wel ademen. Ik heb het opgezocht :-)
Yes and no.. The edible seeds are called linseed in Europe, and flaxseed in Norh America. When pressed for the oil, it is called linseed oil in both N.A. and Europe. When the plant is used for its fibres to make linnen, it is referred to as flax. So.. 'flax seed oil' is officially not in use, but oh well.. Thanks for your comment!
Ok ... seriously? I am going to paint a house with a 2 inch brush? This might work but this is NOT a production quality idea. Get out a paint sprayer and get the job done... good night... by the time this guy got done building your house it would cost four times as much as a stick built house (because of the labor cost) and it would be made out of shit.
hey buddy, this is a HOBBY - I don't build homes for others, this is MY MANCAVE - and I build according to my OWN TIMETABLE and following MY OWN RULES - so think again before you critisize something you known nothing of. I have already suggested using a paint sprayer. Look before you leap man.
In oil painting it is a general rule to dilute less with terp as you build up additional layers, not the other way around; I believe this caused your cracks on the wall.
Great! Thanks! I'm sure this post will help other people as well (and me :-)
I buy linseed oil from the lumber yard and apply it, sun warmed, onto my cob house and goat shed annually. I don't mix it with anything else. It works well and this year only took 7 litres to do the two buildings. Gives the 4 year old cob a new fresh look and makes both buildings ready for the winter rains& gales. Interesting to see a different method, thanks for sharing😊
Anyone else here on a mission to find the ultimate way, using only natural materials, to build a pool without a liner that does not leak and gives off no toxins so the fish can also swim in it? If so and you have ideas, please let me know.
I even just watched an entire documentary about Roman bathhouses in the hope their secret would be revealed and I learned a lot from it, but nothing conclusive.
Tadelakt
@@chile4thekids will check it out ty
clay
Fantastic work 👍
Thanks!!
Interesting! I'm interested in 3D printing houses using natural occurring elements, mud, clay and sand mixture with fibers is a very easily available material.
Basically linseed or tung oil is a natural resin that forms polymers. Similar to polyester or epoxy resin.
But this whole building material science is tricky. Most likely a thin coat of resin won't really be waterproof but only water retardant. And heat expansion or changes in humidity can easily lead to cracks.
You could also add something like flax fibers or linen and glue that together with resin, making a kind of natural fiberglass resin sandwich.
Thanks for your idea! I will look into it! With your response, and that of others, I may find the perfect solution for a natural waterproof cob wall. Cheers!
Btw did you check out the wikipedia article? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linseed_oil
It says it's hydrophobic, but on wood "Liquid water penetrates a linseed oil finish in mere minutes, and water vapour bypasses it almost completely." So it probably gives you a little bit of protection but you probably don't have to worry about the wall "not breathing" or not drying when wet.
Hey Dejay, I checked out the article. The water only penetrates the oil finish when used on wood and more layers need to be applied. So this could mean that a single coat of linseed oil on the cob is water retardant / repellent and more coats may make it water-resistant. That would mean that a single coat still allows the cob to breathe. I'm going to ask around on TH-cam, I am sure there are people out there that have an idea. Your approach to the issue nice, you know your materials. I'll keep you posted!
Haha no I'm just starting to learn more about DIY, just favouring the theoretical approach from behind my desk ;) And yeah cob might have a more dense and closed surface than wood, compared to porous wood.
But it's possible the cracking is going to happen over and over again because cob and resin just have a different coefficient of thermal expansion and the resin is too inelastic. Or that you just need reinforcing fibers (ha flax is actually the same plant as linseed! :)
If so, maybe there are formulations like additives that make it more elastic. Some experimentation might be required. But I really have no solid knowledge, just speculating here.
There is also tung oil: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tung_oil
"During the Song Dynasty, tung oil was used for waterproofing ships. "
"Tung oil resists liquid water better than any other pure oil finish and does not darken noticeably with age and is claimed to be less susceptible to mould than linseed oil."
Hey DJ Rez (sorry, couldn't resist) - I read up on oils, and several oils can be mixed in with the final mix for a cob / clay plaster. Tung oil, walnut oil (very expensive), palm oil (not so great because of burnt down jungle for palm plantations) and of course linseed oil. It can also be painted on after the final plaster is applied. Tung oil is indeed an oil with a long history. I found it online, raw and boiled. When it is raw, it is very thick and hard to apply. It can be dilluted with terpentine oil. I also found the boiled version, it is thinner and easier to apply and of better quality. It is quite expensive though, I would have to pay 13 euros for half a liter. For boiled linseed oil I paid 35 for 5 liters. Thanks for your input, I am interested in all the options there are out there and I am glad you're doing a search as well!
Thanks for the great vid Leon. Very informative
You're welcome, glad you like it! Appreciate your comment!
Boiled Linseed oil is full of additives and chemicals that cause it to cure faster, which is why it's a skin irritant. Food grade flax oil is the raw ingredient in it and can be found at just about any grocery or health food store for a comparable price.
Hey Luke, thanks for your comment. You are partly right. High grade boiled linseed oil has no additives or chemicals. Cheap versions have not been boiled, so the chemicals are needed to make it appear like boiled linseed oil. You can consider these brands as fake. The Linseed oil that is found in health food stores or groceries is not boiled, but raw. This will not waterproof cob or earthen materials. It is made for consumption. Take care man!
Polyurithane may also possible and water repellant for cement mab be useful as well.
Thanks! Is that natural or synthetic?
just curious what is the protocol if you break a window
Good question! I'm afraid you'll have to break everything away, including all cob layers and install a new window or glass panel. I did break a window while chopping wood last year, the block of wood flung straight through the glass of one of the front doors of the cave. I just hamered a complete window up against the inside of the door to repair it. (Very.. sustainable solution haha), but anyway, if you want to repair a broken window that has been sunk away in layers of cob, it will take quite some effort and time. Fortunately you can re-use the cob that you break away.
Thank you for the response these cob house videos have really made me want to build one
wow thanks man!
I;m halfway through building but it's cracking a lot.Thank you Leon
I love tis, thank u
Hi, We just finished a cob bench covered by a roof. We put 4 layers of linseed oil on the bench and it looks good. Do you know if we'll need to add a layer of linseed oil every year or every few years? How can I tell if the bench needs it? thanks for your thoughts.
Hey, I was checking my messages and saw that I completely missed your post.. sorry about that! It’s been a year, so I am curious of how it looks. Do you think it needs a new coat or is it still fine?
Does this process make the wall vulnerable to fire? Linseed oil and turpentine are highly flammable.
Hey Anna, thanks for your question! It doesn't make it vulnerable to fire. The oil cools down immediately once you apply it, and you only use a bit of turpentine (although now I no longer recommend diluting the oil with turpentine, pure linseed oil works better). The linseed oil is flammable, but the greatest risk is caused by soaked rags that are left folded up after use. They can spontaneously catch fire. Furthermore, the wall soaks up the oil quickly and the earthen materials will slow down any fire (I have not tried to light up the wall yet, but it would be interesting to try it 😉)
Hello! I have applied first coat of linseed oil on my clay/sand floor. It is been 3 weeks now and the floor still doesn't look like it is completely dry. Some parts are lighter than others. How would I know that it is time for the next layer? When I touch it it is dry and not sticky. Is it enough or should I wait when it becomes entirely lighter color? Please give me an advise. Thanks a lot!!!
Hey man sorry, I was on holiday 🌴 I hope I am stil on time. When it is no longer sticky, you can apply the next coat. The floor will keep that look of not being dry, so that is perfectly normal. Go ahead and apply the next coat
👍🏻 Keep me posted!
Great! Thank you,Leon!
Why not use lime plaster instead? Allows breathing and waterproofing at the same time.
Hey Christine, I didn't use it because it seems more difficult to mix and use when you have no experience with it.
Beautiful! Have you had any issues with rodents trying to munch on your walls because of the oil?
Hey Manasi! Thank you! I have not seen any places that were nibbled on by rodents. There are some large rats in the canal next to my mancave, but they are not interested in the walls. Mice have not shown any interes either. Bugs do nibble from the walls, probably wasps or other bugs that need material for their nests, but these are tiny holes I don't even bother filling. So, so far no trouble with that!
@@Le0nski on this I was reading in many of the cob building books and what they do in England is use lime in the final layer of earth plaster, deters mud burrowing insects (including termites) and rodents because it burns and irritates organic matter other than the cob it is attached to, so don't go licking walls
@@garrettdaily8601 😂 Thanks for the warning 😂
Why did you heat up your boiled linseed oil? Also, was there a reason to go with boiled instead of raw linseed oil? The boiled dries faster but I've heard raw is more durable and protects better once dried. Also, boiled typically has solvents added to it as dryers, then you even added more....all of the additives may be what caused cracking. I was wondering if you ever tried just using plain raw linseed oil. Also, certain pigments added will give it characteristics...for instance zinc oxide pigment added makes it into a excellent white paint with very very good UV protection.
Hey Stephen, when cold, the oil is quite thick and has a low viscosity. After being heated up, it is absorbed much better into the wall. Boiled linseed oil has been treated with heat for a certain amount of time, resulting in an oil that is much different from raw oil. If you think raw oil is better, just us that, I am a fan of experimenting with these things, so try and find out. When you get boiled linseed oil at a trusted source and you know it is genuine, it contains no additives. When bought cheap, it will contain plenty of additives to hide the fact that it was not heat treated as it should. I should not have added turpentine, it was cheap and probably caused the cracks, so you are right. Better to use it plain. Nice to hear that you can add pigments, I am definitely going to try that in the future, so thanks! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Excelente...me encantan tus videos y lo que enseñas.
muchas gracias!
Hi Leon, het ziet er super mooi uit! Ik heb een vraagje. Ik zou een zitkuil willen maken buiten in de tuin (zonder overkapping) met COB, alleen vraag ik me af dat kan? Ivm regen enzo. En een andere vraag. Ik heb leemstuc binnen in huis, wat heel veel stof afgeeft. Ik wil dat impregneren op een natuurlijke manier, weet jij of ik daarvoor ook lijnzaad kan gebruiken? Alvast bedankt!
Wat betreft de stof van de leemstuc, dit gebeurt als de laatste stap van het 'sponsen ' van de muur niet uitgevoerd is. Als je sponst na de leemstuc, komt er geen leem meer af. Liefs
Definitely labor intensive!
True, but worth it.. 🥳
Fantastic...
Thank you
You're welcome, glad you like it!
What is wash out and do you have to do this? I live in the desert
Hey Tuffy, a washout is when the rain washes away parts of your wall. A monsoon or torrential rain may cause this. If you live in the desert, you might never have to deal with this, I suppose. Is that would you mean?
Thank you for the nice video! I would like to know if I can apply the linseed oil as well on a Pizza Cob Oven as the waterproofing last layer?
Hi Anabell, thanks for your comment. I have not tried it myself, but some people have. I have not heard of any problems if you do. This is what I answered Christian Young (see below): "Don't forget to ventilate the oven after baking your pizza, because all the moisture will be trapped inside the cob. Someone on YT suggested not to treat a pizza oven with linseed oil, in order to let all the moisture escape through the cob layer during the baking process. I don't really think that's a necessary, if your oven is thick enough, the cob will take up all moisture and release it again once you leave the oven open after baking."
You might check with him to see how it turned out. A roof over your oven will protect it as well. Keep me posted!
Hats off to you for your informative video. Would you please share your experiences about use of linseed oil over lime plaster in kitchen, bathroom or other water expose area , to make Water proof wall? Waiting for your reply !!👍🙏🙏🙏
As far as I can tell, it's perfect for any place that is exposed to water. I have no experience with lime plaster, so you might have to ask around a little more. Just keep in mind that the walls no longer breathe. Besides that, it's great. I used it on the wall around my sink, and the water just runs straight of. Hope this helps!
@@Le0nski ❤️❤️
For lime, you can seal it with the traditional Morrocan method using olive oil soap. The soap and lime react to make a hydrophobic surface. Look up “tadelakt”.
@@lenavoyles526 ❤️❤️
Hi, will the linseed oil allow the cob walls to breath?
Hi, very good question. I have looked it up, and I think that it's best to apply it specifically to the walls that are exposed to rain, because the boiled linnseed oil will create a moisture barrier (so moisture from the inside will be trapped) and therefore the wall will no longer breathe. The other walls that are not treated with boiled linnseed oil will take over the breathing job. I will mention this in my info section, your question made me realise how important that is! Thanks a lot!
The only remaining thing that the inside layer will do, is absorb moisture when it is humid inside, and give off moisture when it is too dry inside. What do you mean with ' cant seal both side' ?
Yes, you are absolutely right. The only thing that remains is a great looking wall of lifeless building material. Therefore I would not recommend this on all of your walls. You could also use the oil for waterproofing outdoor cob ovens, cob stoves, cob benches or chairs, and so on. If you build a bathroom out of cob, this will work. I also intend to use it around the sink in my mancave 'kitchen'. You can even build a bath tub out of cob and waterproof it. The options are endless.
@@Le0nski thank you that i found your channel. I was about thinking how to waterproof a fencewall made of rammed earth without using cement so it can still breath.
The oil is hydrophobic, helping to repel water that hits the wall.
Does it remain moisture permeable? I’m not sure Wouldn’t it be better to use line wash instead ?
The water can't get through, it is completely sealed. This is why I don't recommend doing this to all your walls, as they will also stop breathing. Lime wash is a good choice, but probably not on a wall that is exposed to a lot of rain. This was my main concern for waterproofing this wall.
Hi Leon, I have made a cob pizza oven and would like to waterproof the outside of the structure. I have read that boiled linseed oil can catch fire randomly if it gets too hot. Is this still the case when it has soaked into the cob and completely dried? could the dried linseed oil still be a fire hazard when the pizza oven gets hot?
Hi Christian, it won't be a fire hazard once it is dry. When it is used in a regular way to treat wood, people often use a rag to apply it. If you leave this rag folded up afterwards, it can spontaneously catch fire from brewing. Your oven will be fine. Don't forget to ventilate the oven after baking your pizza, because all the moisture will be trapped inside the cob. Someone on YT suggested not to treat a pizza oven with linseed oil, in order to let all the moisture escape through the cob layer during the baking process. I don't really think that's a necessary, if your oven is thick enough, the cob will take up all moisture and release it again once you leave the oven open after baking. Enjoy the pizza!
@@Le0nski Thank you so much, you make a good point about ventilation! - I see how someone would think that the moisture would be trapped and that could cause problems for pizza baking.... my wall is about 10inchs (25cm) thick (4inch cob, 5inch cob and straw, then 1inch cob decorative layer) in total so I think that it could absorb enough to not effect the baking
@@christianyoung2184 how did the oil on the oven go? I just made an oven myself and I’m wondering if I should seal it with linseed oil
Well done. Thank you.
If you don't have linseed oil. What other alternative may one use?
Hey Robert, that's the million dollar question! There are ways to make it water repellant, cowdung in your mix works very well. There are vage records of people using animal blood, termite mount, banana leaves, carob and other natural ingredients, I have tested banana leaves and carob (test not completed to my satisfaction yet), but it is no match compared to boiled linseed oil. You can use lime plaster, but I have no experience with this. Linseed oil prevents your earthen wall from breathing, so don't use it on all your walls. It is somewhat expensive, but it works, and you can order it online (make sure it is genuine, there are fake oils out there). Hope this answers your question!
@@Le0nski thank you
Dear sir giving linseed oil it will make it susseptable fir fire and it can catch fire
That’s true, so be very careful 🙈
Hi Leon, nice video... Just wondering what do you think about using a paint sprayer. Take care.
Yes, you can use a paint sprayer for sure, I checked with a supplier, and it is a lot faster!
Are you able to add insulation to live in in winter? What size were you wall was it waddle and tube? Or cob or made brick form like Adobe, we plan to build a shed soon and I am currently making a small kiln with added fire clay. We hope it works well for my jewelry peices
I am not allowed to live in my mancave in winter, because of the regulations (it's an area where you rent a garden), so I am not going to insulate it. The walls are very thin: 2 inches at the most, I invented my own technique (watch mancave 2.0 if you can stand the sound effects ;-) I used waddle & daub as well, that is such a perfect technique. If you want to read up on the topic, try the book 'cob builders manual'. It's freely available on the web. Good luck!
@@Le0nski were making a fence soon with waddle and daube so we can have parts of the wood exposed in some places, I'll look that book up and thanks
Would that type work for a shed?
@@samanthanicholson9015 waddle & daub is perfect for a shed!!
For how long is going to be waterproof? Linseed oil is expensive and turpentine too.
Hey Domingo, I honestly don't know... It is traditionally used in cob floors. So I just used it on my walls (it was a wild guess, but it turned out quite well) The wall you see in the video is still in perfect shape, but it has a huge overhang to keep it dry. The walls that are exposed to rain (see cob covered door video) have a very small overhang, so they get a bit of rain on them. My toilet wall gets most rain, but I live in Holland, and we don't get tropical storms, just severe rain showers, and this cob is still good too. So, keep in mind that this is an experimental technique I'm using. If you want to spent less money, use cowdung in your plaster, you'll need to reapply some of it after 7 years or so, depending on how good your plaster mix turns out. You could go for lime plaster, termite mount, or tadelakt if you want to go for traditional. Good luck, keep me posted!
Just an addition to my previous answer: you could go for a silicate paint. It is widely used in Germany. read this: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicate_mineral_paint Besides that, create plenty of overhang. Make sure the lower part of the wall is protected from direct rain (use brick in the lower part of your walls). If you have plenty of overhang, you do not need to waterproof a cob wall at all. More info can be found here: www.greenhomebuilding.com/QandA/cob/plastering.htm Good luck!
bedankt mender. gezellige Huish. I'm going to built one very soon. thanks for posting video
Graag gedaan - you're welcome! Where are you going to build, in the Netherlands or somewhere else?
+Leon de Haan hoi. sorry spell check with Dutch. I'm buying a small holding in West of ireland. Can't wait. only a couple of weeks to go. I wonder if you added linseed oil to the wet mix and skimmed the outside at the same time as building; the oil would be incorporated in wet cob and not as an additive post build. excellent work mate. heel bedankt
Hey iersejounge, that is just great, buying a place in Ireland! That must be fantastic to look forward to! About the linseed oil: I didn't add the oil to the mix, this was a simple plaster of 50% cowdung, 35% sand and around 15% clay. Afterwards I painted the oil on there.
But adding it to your plaster is possible as well. I'll have to look up the recipe for it! I'll keep you posted!
+Leon de Haan cheers for your feedback matje . waiting for it to happen is the hard part haha if you ever come to ireland, get in contact
Thanks man!! Will do that!
Yahoooo... great video brother
thanks man!!
Great resource..i will use this technique ..:)👍
Thanks for letting me know! Good luck!
Is it okay to use cob in tropical countries?
Absolutely. You do need a good overhang to protect it from the rain. Cob might be harder to find in the ground, but like me, you can mix any clay and sharp sand to create your own.
I wonder: can one use peanut oil? Linseed oil is rather expensive here...
Hey Lydia, I don't think so. Boiled linseed oil is treated in a special way, it is boiled for a specific time on a specific temperature. That's why you can't compare it to any raw or untreated oils. Then again, you can always try it on a small area. You never know!
Will raw linseed oil work? What about for sealing a clay floor, will raw linseed oil work? Thank you.
Hey, thanks for asking. Raw linseed oil will stay fluid, and the boiled version wil harden after it is absorbed by the wall or the floor. You can’t boil it yourself, it’s a specific proces (unless you know how, of course, but it’s more practical to buy it). It’s expensive, but goes Al long way. I introduced this oil in my videos after seeing a video where it was used on a clay floor. I just took that idea and waterproofed my earthen walls with it, it turned out surprisingly well. Your floors will become dust- free, waterproof and hard as a rock!
leonski the cob master
Wouldnt the high contraction/dilatation of oil cause even more cracks in time?
Well, at the time I applied the oil, I read that after a few years you need to apply it again. A few years ago I sold my mancave, because we sold our house, so I haven't recently seen what it looks like, and I don't know if the current owners have reapplied the oil. In 2018, the wall was still in perfect shape, no new cracks had appeared. I intend to visit my mancave somewhere soon, so I will let you know what it looks like after 5 years.
@@Le0nski Probably after the oil polemerize with the surface, its properties are somehow changed. However i decided to apply a liquid rubber to mine.
@@danielmogos8990 That's interesting, is it natural rubber that you applied?
@@Le0nski yes
We bought our house covered in shingles and we live in North Ga. So we have red clay instead of soil. I plan to get sand and cob over the shingles. Did a test of just the dirt and it stuck great but did crack after it dried. Once I get the final cob up would it be better to use linseed oil then paint over it or just use a very think exterior paint. I ask b/c I know my girlfriend does not want the natural cob color and wants a white house.
Hey man, sounds like you have big plans. Are you going to cover the roof shingles with cob and then seal them, or are there shingles on the walls? If your girlfriend prefers white, you could go for a lime wash. This will allow the cob to breathe, but I heard it is hard to get good results and you may need a pro to do it for you. If you use linseed oil, you'll seal the cob. It will be waterproof, but you might run the risk of moisture buildup if you use it on a roof or on all the walls. So, tell me more, I might be able to help you.
@@Le0nski The shingles we want to cover are on the exterior walls of the house. The roof has shingles but we plan to eventually do tin over the roof. I did a test with just clay against the shingles on the walls about a 4'x4' section and it sticks very well but it needs sand to bind it to avoid cracking. The house is about 1100 sq ft so relatively small.
Sounds good! If you want to cover the shingles, you'll need a barrier between the wood and cob. You can use primer or burlap. This allows the wood to transport moisture into the cob layer if necessary. Cob stick really well to burlap. Use a staple gun (and a lot of staples) to attach it to the wood. Cob does not stick well to primer, so you could use chicken fence or wire mesh to hold the cob in place. I would not use linseed oil, because the wood might get damp and you might get mold, but I am not sure. The thing is that you seal it off on the outside, so if you do use linseed oil, just cover the walls that are exposed to rain. Or, use cowl dung in the final layer of cob, this makes it water repellent, which is quite nice as well. Lime wash is the way it is done for centuries, so you might consider that too. Anyway, your house will turn out great! Keep me posted man!
Can be use without any chamical only eco friendly products natural way?
Yes there are options, in what country do you live?
What if the glass window breaks.
Well.. that means trouble, you’ll have to open the whole thing up, repair the window and cover it all back up.. quite some work.. I almost destroyed one window of my door while chopping wood. A piece launched itself straight through the window.. but I covered it up behind a layer of cob 🙈😅
I have had oil paint crack when I added too much turpentine. May be better to do without.
I think you are right. It's probably best not to add turpentine, although I will have tot test that, to be sure. The technique of sealing walls with boiled linseed oil is initially used for cob floors. I just used it on the walls. A floor needs to be soaked as much as possible. A wall just needs a 'crust' to protect is. Not using turpentine would probably work 👍🏻
Can I use palm oil instead since it’s cheaper?
Hello David, thanks for your question! Boiled linseed oil is processed in a specific way. It is expensive, but you can't use any other oils to waterproof earthen floors, walls or sculptures.. It hardens when it dries and this is not the case with other oils. Sorry!
@@Le0nski thanks for the answer
Hoi! Bedankt voor je leuke video! Erg nuttig. Ik ben van plan om over ongeveer 4 a 5 jaar een familie huis te bouwen van leem. Ik zit nu nog in een sociale huurwoning en ben aan het sparen voor grond en materiaal. Ik ga wel deze zomer mijn gewolmaniseerde schutting vervangen voor een cob wall. Als ik de muur seal met deze olie. Is en blijft die ook waterdicht? (Zonder dak). Of kan ik beter een houten afdakje eroverheen timmeren? Bedankt voor de info!!
Hee David, wat gaaf dat je zelf een huis van leem gaat bouwen! Ik heb gemerkt dat het heel arbeidsintensief is, maar het is geweldig bouwmateriaal. Voor je cob wall hoef je gaan afdakje te maken als je de bovenzijde een aantal coats geeft. Drie is ruim voldoende, en de zijkanten kun je dan 1 of 2 coats geven. Er kunnen wel kleine scheurtjes ontstaan, zoals bij mij ook gebeurde, maar als je de bovenkant schuin laat aflopen, blijft er geen water in staan en kan het niet in de scheurtjes zakken. Dan heb je een perfecte cob wall die een orkaan kan doorstaan ;-) Veel plezier en succes!
Hi, will raw linseed oil work? And for a clay floor, will raw linseed oil work? Thank you.
Hi, it has different properties and may not dry, so I would not recommend it. Sorry I overlooked your post 🙈
Thanks for the information but use a roller man.
Yep, that's an option. Use a brush in the corners. Thanks man.
Try an air less spray gun
roller does it fast, but the brush is usually best option for the fast coat to allow thorough brushing into the porous surface. Rolled on coat will sit onthe surface and will be easily lifted off the surface.
@@jessesifuma7900 Except a roller would soak up all of the oil
I have a one question, in our village there is a mud house but at the junction of wall and floor catches the moisture and dampness started. what should I do?
Hey there Varad, I have a few questions: 1 does it rain a lot? 2 Does the mud house have a roof with overhang? 3 Is the wall in direct contact with the ground or is there a barrier of rocks underneath it, a stone foundation that supports the wall? 4 Is the wall new?
Mr. Leon.
Even we are facing same problem. For your questions answer is yes. Only thing is the home is built in year 1955. Stone underneath not sure.
Since last 5 years we are facing problem of wet floors in rain. Now its summer here. Inside its nice.
In rain certain room gets Damp or completely wet.
Thanks for your valuable time.
Main wall thickness is about 2' approximately 15' Hight.
Is it fire resistant, Even if linseed oil or wax is applied? I thought it's flammable, how did it help for rain and humitity?
Hello Samantha, after the oil has dried, it is fire resistant. I made a fireplace out of cob and it melted my raingutter away, but the oil in the cob remained fine. It's flamable before application, and drenched rags can catch fire if left unattended. It works perfect against rain and humidity. Still, it stops the wall from breathing, so don't apply it to all your walls. If you make an earthen bench, oven, statue or anything that is exposed to rain, the oil turns the plaster into a water resistant layer. What do you intend to use it for?
@@Le0nski a Adobe oven and kiln or combo unit
I was planning on adding fire clay to my Adobe mix in was think about wood ash or lime, both seem this video, seems like a good option. Breathing walls, if it breathes it allows air inn and out correct sealing it keep out moisture as well as inside right. Just wondering how it affects the cob outer and inner layer from cracking, we could always control moisture inside more then out so we would get cold it's a weird thing cob but I heard some say their house stays cold maybe because it wasn't insulated enough, with straw?
How do you repair a rammed earth wall or coat it with what before reinforcing with concrete, thanks
Hey Jane, sorry, I overlooked your question. Can you be more specific?
Why don’t you use a roller?
Good question! I guess I used the brush to stir the liquid while it heated up, but a roller would do the job as well 👍🏻
Did you use wire in the build?
Hey Samantha, I completely overlooked your question... I did use wire mesh, to hold the wall in place while it dries.
@@Le0nski that's cool work. 🙂
sir , i want to know about relative humidity and temparature percentage of cob building at summer and winter,
and specially cob wall breathing system. please.....i need ur help
There is an old book that you can read - it's online and it's free to download- I read the whole thing and this got me started. weblife.org/cob/pdf/cob_builders_handbook.pdf 👍🏻👍🏻 You don't need much else, just start small and gain experience with the materials. Don't start on a huge project untill you have some experience 🏰, you may become dissapointed if you start big.
@@Le0nski Thank you for this additional link!!!
Would olive oil work ?
Hey, thanks for asking. Unfortunately not, it doesn't harden when exposed to air. Boiled linseed oil hardens and stays there for several years. Make sure you get one from a reliable paint supplyer, because the cheap stuff is fake.
is linseed oil flammable after it dries
No, luckily it's not 😊 When you use a piece of cloth or a rag to apply it, just don't leave it fumbled up and lying around somewhere, after you finish. After a while it may spontaneously catch fire. If you hang it out to dry, this won't happen. When applied to earthen materials, the oil hardens and becomes harmless 😅
@@meesterleon3361 That is great news...thanks for the reply
can you use lard instead?
hi Ana, I have not heard of it in earthen plasters, but you could ask the guys at www.greenhomebuilding.com - Good luck!
How come termites are not an issue with the wooden door n window frames ? How does one manage that ?
We don't have termites in Holland, so I have no idea.. Maybe by covering the door with cob and then linseed oil might keep them out, but I am not sure. Wasps stil eat tiny pieces and create little holes in the cob with linseed oil, so I think termites will too. Sorry bro, can't help you with this one..
@@Le0nski sounds odd but maybe onion or garlic oil/juice will keep them away
@@nannimanfrin8420 hmm yes, that might work!
I can use it at open place like cob sitting at my garden
shohel sagar YES!! you can! I made a statue out of cob and used the oil. It is in the middle of my garden and the rain is no problem. You can watch the end of the video if you like th-cam.com/video/BCqf0qldcfQ/w-d-xo.html
Could you use sunflower oil?
Hey, good question 👍🏻 Sunflower oil stays liquid whereas boiled linseed oil becomes solid in the wall. Then again, maybe no one has ever tried it before.. so try it out on a piece of dry cob and see what happens. I make testcilinders by filling an empty toilet roll with cob. When dry, I apply whatever I want to test. I then place it in a little bit of water and compare it with a test cilinder of cob with no additive. Check out my banana leave video for a demonstration - good luck, let me know what happens 😁👍🏻
What about tree sap?
i'm not so concerned about breathability as i am with durability , i can solve the breathability problem with earth tubes and proper ventilation,
Nice!
Mmmm boiling turpentine with open flame burner
well, a man has to take some risk some time 😉
Waar is dit gebouw? Regent 't daar vaak?
Dit is in Nederland (Holland), in de buurt van Rotterdam. En ja, het regent hier vaak. De regenzijde heb ik daarom ingesmeerd met gekookte lijnzaadolie, en een overkapping ertegenaan gezet. Zou je er ook een willen bouwen? Waar woon je zelf?
@@Le0nski Ik woon nu in Colorado, maar als werkt lijnzaadolie in Nederland, geloof ik die het ook goed voor hier is. Ik bouw een klein adobe schuur hier.
@@rddavidesq Geweldig! Let er op dat je niet alle muren insmeert met gekookte lijnzaadolie, de muren ademen dan namelijk niet meer. Kies de muur die de meeste last heeft van regen en smeer alleen die in. Verder zou ik nu geen terpentine meer gebruiken, gewoon goed verwarmen en twee keer insmeren. Je kunt het na drie jaar weer insmeren, dan kan heel licht, dus kost dan minder olie. Succes!
@@Le0nski Goed! Ik zal zo doen, dank je wel!
Why do you need to dilute it? And can you use citrus solvent as a stand-in for turpentine?
It helps the first layers penetrate farther - and yes, citrus solvent is preferable, but it's quite expensive from what I hear.
Can do the same thing to adobe walls?
Yes you can! But try it first on a part of the wall, to see if you like the result, and to be sure. Keep in mind that your wall will loose its ability to 'breathe'. Good luck!
Can i make a roof like this?
I abolutely think so, yes! If you keep the cob layer thin (like I did on my doors), it won't get too heavy. Also, make sure the water can run of. I am planning to use it on the roof of a new project as well and the nice thing about it is that you can create organic forms in your roof. My idea for this is as follows: Make a sturdy wooden structure to support your roof, and then place wire mesh on it. Cover this with a layer of burlap and then a thin layer of cob / earthen plaster and then boiled linseed oil. After tree years, repair any cracks and repaint it, and you'll be fine. You might add a waterresistant tarp underneath the wire mesh, just to be sure. This will make an ugly ceiling, so you'll have to mask that with fabric or a wooden ceiling. I have not tried this yet, but I am confident it will work.
I hope this helps, keep me posted of your ideas, good luck!
how much lasting this types of coating?
I have tried this for the first time in march of 2016, it still looks perfect. So I really don't know..
@@Le0nski still looks good? Or did you apply it again
@@Kusunoky I have sold my mancave in the summer of 2019, and at that time it still looked perfect! There is a large roof adjacent to the wall, so this probably helps. Other walls that I treated were still in perfect shape as well. I read somewhere that re-application is preferred after about three years. But as far as I can tell, it is not necessary yet. I'll have to ask the new owner. I'll get back to you soon!
@@Le0nski Wow that's really nice tbh. Seems to be that it can hold for ever and also may be if you out lime plaster could hold even more with out treatment may be. Thanks for the reply. I really appreciated. 🙏
turpintine destroys clay bonds.
I see.. I do know that there is an oil wich is extracted from pine trees that carries the same name. If you are right, I have been using the wrong product.. what do you think?
Ted, are you going to reply to my question any time soon? It's been 10 months...
@@Le0nski man its been 10years, ive been waiting too
@@yaiscontent haha, I think Ted Rebel has left the building...
Anyway, I know now that there are two types of turpentine.
The one you can get in any grocery store (According to Wikipedia it is called White spirit (UK)or mineral spirits (US, Canada), also known as mineral turpentine (AU/NZ), turpentine substitute, and petroleum spirits, is a petroleum-derived clear liquid used as a common organic solvent in painting), is the one I have used to dilute the boiled linseed oil.
The other type is turpentine (which according to Wikipedia is also called spirit of turpentine, oil of turpentine, wood turpentine, terebenthene, terebinthine and (colloquially), turps], which is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin harvested from living trees, mainly pines. It is mainly used as a solvent.
The latter is the best choice, but to be honest, the first one served me fine. I sold my mancave last year, so I haven't done anything with cob lately , but for future projects I'll buy turpentine to dilute the linseed oil with. I don't think it destroys clay bonds...
I hope this helps!
@@meesterleon3361 thanks !!
sir, i can use it cob bath room?
Yes you can! You need a good waterproofing agent like waterglass or you can use the tadelakt technique. Boiled linseed oil will work as well. You should definitely go for it! Make sure there is plenty of ventilation.
sir, u have any tutorial about water glass install at cob wall.
There are no tutorials on TH-cam, but there are a few websites where it is described. I found this one: www.handprintpress.com/authors/kiko/waterglass/ It is also called: sodium silicate. You can buy it online or make it yourself. There are tutorials on youtube on making your own waterglass. Let me know how it works out! Good luck!
Hello !
Have you tried to waterproof with recycled restaurant oil? I'm looking for a cheaper way, i wonder if doing so, and juste finishing with a linseed oil layer would "coat" the restaurant smell.... ? Thanks !
Hey, sorry I missed your post, just read it today. I would not recommend any other oils, because boiled linseed oil has the perfect properties to do the job. Still, you might try it and see what happens, maybe you’re on to something 😉
Mag ik gewone olie gebruiken ?
Beste Kevan, gekookte lijnzaadolie droogt op / hardt uit wanneer het in aanraking komt met zuurstof. De leem wordt ook echt keihard. Gewone olie blijft vloeibaar en zal waarschijnlijk ook afgeven al je het aanraakt. Misschien verzwakt je muur er zelfs van omdat de leem zacht wordt. Ik ga het wel eens uitproberen! Aan wat voor olie zat je te denken?
Mmmmm oké. ik dacht aan Olijfolie
Ik ga het 's testen
Je kunt per emmer leempleister een eetlepel olie toevoegen. Op die manier krijg je een waterafstotende laag, en de muur kan dan nog wel ademen. Ik heb het opgezocht :-)
He Kevan, heb je het al uit kunnen proberen? En.. werkt het?
Its just flax seed oil
Yes and no.. The edible seeds are called linseed in Europe, and flaxseed in Norh America. When pressed for the oil, it is called linseed oil in both N.A. and Europe. When the plant is used for its fibres to make linnen, it is referred to as flax. So.. 'flax seed oil' is officially not in use, but oh well.. Thanks for your comment!
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Eww cow dung
i know....😷 ;-)
Ok ... seriously? I am going to paint a house with a 2 inch brush? This might work but this is NOT a production quality idea. Get out a paint sprayer and get the job done... good night... by the time this guy got done building your house it would cost four times as much as a stick built house (because of the labor cost) and it would be made out of shit.
hey buddy, this is a HOBBY - I don't build homes for others, this is MY MANCAVE - and I build according to my OWN TIMETABLE and following MY OWN RULES - so think again before you critisize something you known nothing of. I have already suggested using a paint sprayer. Look before you leap man.