Monday, February 12, 2007

Building with Cob 2: The Reply, and the Next Step

As mentioned in my last reply, I was awaiting a reply from the permit division of the West Valley City council. I have been waiting for the reply with quite a bit of apprehension, as it includes a couple of requirements that I need to address, as opposed to just building with cob. Well, I got a reply, of sorts, directly relating to building with cob.

The reply was fairly simple, indicating that a Utah licensed engineer would need to write up an engineering report regarding the properties of cob, as it is not a recognized construction method by the State of Utah's Building Codes. This means, of course, that I would need to find an engineer that has access to those properties. Where would I find that information?

Well, when you don't know what else to do, check with the professionals! There is an environmentally friendly architecture firm in Salt Lake. AMD Architecture is dedicated to using environmentally friendly building techniques, which have a lot of materials that are not officially adopted by the state building commission. I found them because of their materials links, particularly because it is linked to the Cob Cottage Company. This shows at least a knowledge of the building method, and that's something.

In the mean time, the cost of the permit is being evaluated into the cost of the enclosure, and I'm still waiting to hear from the city building code division regarding the other issue that my home would have in enclosing the porch in cob.

I'll have more information regarding the correspondence that I will be receiving when I do, but at least the door hasn't been closed completely. Stay tuned!

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