You don't have to be a construction connoisseur to understand what's beneficial for your build and which material you should be making the most out of. This month, we're going to help you get to grips with the pros of working with cob and lime; and believe it or not- it isn't as complicated as you may assume.

• What is 'Cob' & 'Lime?'

Although they sound like terms you'd expect to find in a cookery book, cob and lime are versatile materials that are well known in the construction industry. Here's a simple brief of the two:

Cob: Cob is a mixture of sub-soil, clay and straw. It is mixed by crushing the particles together by either walking/ stomping on it or using the head of a digger. To keep cob stronger, it's important that the sandy sub-soil within it is sharp and ideally contain stones and gravel. Cob has been used for decades in Britain to create natural, eco-friendly homes and buildings.


Lime: Lime has been used in building construction for thousands of years to create durable mould and plaster. It is a versatile material and can be used in the construction of masonry systems or as a component of mortar. Lime is created by adding "quicklime" to water, this is known as "slaking".

• #1 COB - It's Affordable

Providing you have access to land that you can build on, cobs walls cost as close to nothing. The biggest advantage of working with cob is that all it really needs is time and manual labour; the result is a beautiful looking build costing a small fraction of the cost of a "conventional" construction project.

• #1 LIME - Allows buildings to breathe

One of the reasons why lime binders are promoted by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings for repairs is because they are "vapour permeable"; meaning that they allow buildings to breath. This reduces the risk of trapped moisture, which can lead to damaging a building's interior and aesthetics.

Find out more here - www.heritagecobandlime.com/category/Cob-Blocks-&-Wet-Mass-Cob