One Earth, Many Mixtures
Learn how to use your own soil to create cob, adobe bricks, mortars, daubs, earthen floor mixes and Light Clay Straw insulation.
Using Mud for Construction
Building with the earth beneath your feet is one of the most empowering, satisfying, and affordable ways to build. So why don't more people do it?
Because most people never learn how earth building materials actually work.
Cob, adobe bricks, mud mortars, daubs, earthen floors, and light clay straw are all made from the same basic ingredients: clay, sand, and fibre. The way to use them isn't by memorising a recipe; it's understanding how those ingredients work together, and how changing their proportions creates materials suited to different jobs.
Because most people never learn how earth building materials actually work.
Cob, adobe bricks, mud mortars, daubs, earthen floors, and light clay straw are all made from the same basic ingredients: clay, sand, and fibre. The way to use them isn't by memorising a recipe; it's understanding how those ingredients work together, and how changing their proportions creates materials suited to different jobs.
You can find plenty of natural building courses that show you how to make cob or adobe. But if you've ever wondered why one mixture works for a load-bearing cob wall while another is needed for a mortar or a floor, you're in the right place.
Who is this course for?
Who is this course for?
- Future owner-builders: People who want to build their own home, workshop, studio, garden room, or outbuilding using natural materials but don't know where to start. This is for you!
- Natural Builders: If you're already in the game but wanting to completely understand mud mixtures.
- People restoring old buildings: Whether you have a cob cottage, an adobe farmhouse, or a timber-framed building with daub infill, this course will be very useful.
- Homesteaders and self-reliance enthusiasts: People interested in resilience, low-impact living, and reducing dependence on industrial materials will love what they learn here.
- Permaculture and sustainable living enthusiasts: If you are fascinated by natural materials and want to experiment with ovens, benches, walls, sheds, or hen coops, this course will totally meet your needs.
- Students of traditional building and heritage building: This includes architects, designers, conservation volunteers, and craftspeople who enjoy learning about vernacular construction.
All my online courses are FULLY DOWNLOADABLE, and include videos, slideshow lectures and PDFs that you can take away.
This course is about understanding earth as a building material.
You'll learn what makes clay such a remarkable binder, how to identify and test your own soil, and how to adjust the proportions to create mixtures that are suited to different jobs. Rather than relying on a single recipe (which doesn't work), you'll understand the principles behind every mix, giving you the confidence to work with the soil beneath your feet wherever where you live.
Along the way you'll learn how to make and test structural cob, produce durable adobe bricks, mix and apply mud mortar, create effective repair mortars, make daub that stays firmly attached to a wattle frame, prepare the correct mixture for earthen floors, and understand the basics of light clay straw.
Whether you're planning to build an entire home or simply want to understand how traditional earth building materials really work, this course will give you the knowledge to turn the soil beneath your feet into strong, durable building materials.
You'll learn what makes clay such a remarkable binder, how to identify and test your own soil, and how to adjust the proportions to create mixtures that are suited to different jobs. Rather than relying on a single recipe (which doesn't work), you'll understand the principles behind every mix, giving you the confidence to work with the soil beneath your feet wherever where you live.
Along the way you'll learn how to make and test structural cob, produce durable adobe bricks, mix and apply mud mortar, create effective repair mortars, make daub that stays firmly attached to a wattle frame, prepare the correct mixture for earthen floors, and understand the basics of light clay straw.
Whether you're planning to build an entire home or simply want to understand how traditional earth building materials really work, this course will give you the knowledge to turn the soil beneath your feet into strong, durable building materials.
