cob cottage kitchen refurb

[dino89]

hi
got an old cob construction cottage the kitchen at the moment is completely tiled i want to strip and refit a new kitchen with just splash back level tileing
i want new flat walls ,so need to remove the old tiles,can i dot and dab a plasterboard on cob and then a 3mm skim ,or would i have to batten then pasterboard
whats the best way to acheive a new flat surface on cob thanks

 

[dino89]

anyone got any ideas or point me to the information i need, tried google
but cob doesnt seem to figure much

 

[northernwarrior]

I personally have never worked on cob, but ask here you may find what you need
http://www.plasterersforum.com/

 

[dino89]

thanks northern warrior will have a go there

 

[thatbloke]

I have , and you should never seal a cob wall like that , if it isnt allowed to breath and gets damp it will disintegrate.

My kitchen is clay lump , very similar to cob. Before I bought the cottage someone had 'sealed' in the clay lump with cement plaster. The clay lump was not breathing as a result and slowly disintegrated.

It was a struggle rebuilding the walls and almost a total loss , and this took only three years.

I would post up what you need or intend to do here http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/forum/index.php , lots of people post on there who work with cob , clay lump , daub etc etc.

But most of all I would be looking at plastering in lime. Lime will allow your wall to breath where as cement will only trap moisture within the cob.
How old is your cottage?

 

[dino89]

thanks thatbloke will check it out
i beleive its about 3 - 4 hundred years old but not listed there right opposite the river exe in starcross devon

 

[thatbloke]

I take it it has no damp proof course then , this is even more reason not to seal the walls up.
Your walls are basically made out of rammed earth, when this is dry it is en excellent building material however when it gets damp it can fall apart, if it gets damp and then freezes the water expands in the earth causing it to crumble.
To keep the wall dry it must be able to evaporate water into the room.

What is on the outside? cement or lime? or do you know?

Again I would plaster with haired lime straight onto the cob and paint with a breathable paint, a good lime plasterer will be able to straighten out the walls to a decent flat finish but be aware that a 3-4 hundred year old cottage , although straight and level when first built will have bent and warped throughout the years, this is part of the character and charm of these old buildings to be enjoyed for what they are.

Are there any signs of a previous plaster? Can you load up any pics?