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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hello everyone,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Question:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>A potter friend suggests that I mix Sodium
Sillicate (not sure this is the correct English word) in my earth
plaster, or mud floor, as he claims it will allow us to have a more 'fluid' mix
while using less water. This should make the plaster easier to mix and apply,
give less risk of craking and possibly make the plaster more water
resistant.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>He suggested to mix 3% Sodium Sillicate to the
water.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Any ideas on this?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>- chemical reactions?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>- breathabilty?<BR>- an ecological
sollution?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>- ?????</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>And a little update.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>French SB Association <BR>(Association pour la
Construction en Fibres Végétales)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Due to a lack of active participants it has been
decided that this non for profit should be terminated.<BR>Although the demand
for SB is constantly rising it seems difficult to get a good network going in
France.<BR></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>reasons I see are: </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>- France is a large country (relatively
speaking of course) and anual gatherings are therefore difficult/expensive.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>- Internet use is just starting
here.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>- The lack of building codes pushes SB construction
towards owner builders. Who only need one house and quit the movement after
finishing it.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>French SB Book.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The project I was working on has transformed into
cooperation with Terre Vivante who are translating Astrid and Herbert Grubers'
SB book 'Bauen mit Stroh'. If all goes as planned they will use our images
for a collor section.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>As this book is a introduction to SB rather than a
detailed 'how to' I'm trying to stimulate Terre Vivante to translate a
second book as soon as possible. (I realized I would not be able to write a SB
book of the level of some of those out there whithout spending 10 years on
it)<BR>I hope the arrival of a French general SB book will activate a new
network. Our french mailing list is waiting for them. (and this goes for
for other french speaking parts of the world as well).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>CD rom</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'm still trying to find the time to finalize this
one before the onset of summer mud frenzie.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Our SB home/center</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The geese are flying to the noth again, sign that
the big cold (-14 Celcius is cold for our région) is
over.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The hopelessly under sized masonry stove that
we borrowed to keep our newborn from freezing defended itself well. The house
is not finished (for the moment no windows on the south side, only a
temporary unplastered SB wall, and cracks in the other walls everywhere)
but we did manage to 'finish' our bedroom before Coralie gave birth.
</FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>The last two weeks we cleaned up our garden
and planted fruit trees.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>This year year we will try to finish the extérieur
walls and the roof insulation. That way we will have more comfort and I can
spend less time cutting wood. The south shoud receive the second
hand windows that I've been collecting; giving us more light and heat
next winter.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Bale on,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>André de Bouter</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>La Maison en Paille<BR><A
href="mailto:m.ep@laposte...">m.ep@laposte...</A><BR><A
href="http://www.la-maison-en-paille.com">www.la-maison-en-paille.com</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
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