THE FOUNDATION

YOUR HOME IS ONLY AS STURDY AS YOUR FOUNDATION

Keep the purposes of the foundation in mind as you plan and build. The foundation goes under the walls:

to support the weight of the walls and roof (cob is very heavy)
to create a stable base for your structure and to minimize the ground movement under your structure
to keep cob walls away from ground moisture.

Once the foundation is made it will establish your options for all aspects of the building. Read this book carefully before you start on your foundation. Libraries and other organizations in the natural building network have lots of information on how to build various types of foundations. Before deciding what kind of foundation to make, assess your options, materials, resources, and the time that you have available.

Give yourself lots of time for the foundation work!

You'll end up with a stronger foundation, and have much more fun making it, if you feel you have plenty of time to work on it.