Do Cob Houses Require a Lot of Maintenance?

No.078 — Read old posts on Tinyfarmlab.com
Reading Time 4 minutes

Nature designs everything to degrade over time.
If neglected, even the strongest buildings deteriorate.

At the end of the day, it’s not about the material,
it’s about good design.

A poorly designed concrete house will have cracks, leaks, and maintenance issues.
A poorly designed cob house will also have problems, just different ones.

But a well-designed home, whether built from cob, concrete, or any other material, will stand strong, stay comfortable, and need minimal maintenance.

So, what does good design look like for cob?

• A strong foundation – Raising walls above ground level to keep them dry.

• Big roof overhangs – Protecting earthen walls from excessive rain.

• Good airflow – Preventing moisture buildup inside.

• Right plasters & finishes – Using natural coatings suited for your climate.

There’s an old English saying:
“Give a cob house a good hat and good boots,
and she’ll last for hundreds of years.”

A well-designed cob house must have a strong foundation (good boots) and a large enough overhanging roof (a good hat) to stay protected and durable.

The belief that cob houses require constant maintenance is a misconception.

Many people assume that because indigenous homes in India are plastered every year with a mix of mud and cow dung, known as lipai, it means earthen houses need frequent upkeep.

But that’s not the full story.

We haven’t replastered our cob house in three years.

Our plaster mix includes finely sieved clay soil, sand, horse dung, and lime.

We mix it into a batter-like consistency, apply it in thin layers, and burnish it when it is semi-dry. Burnishing helps close the pores, making the surface smoother, more water-resistant, and giving it a beautiful texture and color.

Lime enhances water resistance while still allowing the walls to breathe.

After sampling, we used the following ratios for the final plaster: 2 Clay, 2 Lime, 1 Horse Dung *, 1.5 Sand

We used horse shit because there are no cows in the village.
Cow dung is more water resistant, but horse sht has finer fiber.

Water is the main concern for earthen walls,
but with proper foundations, plasters, and roof overhangs, cob stays protected.

If a wall erodes over time,
you just reapply a thin layer of mud plaster.
It’s simple and natural.

So, does a cob house need maintenance?
Yes, but no more than a concrete house.

And the best part?
You can do it yourself, using local materials,
instead of relying on expensive contractors and synthetic fixes.

Cob homes are living, breathing structures,
and with a little care, they can last centuries.

Love,
Raghav and Ansh

PS: Check out our latest post on LinkedIn where we share about why India doesn’t need to become sustainable!

What you can watch -

What you can listen to - Clay plastering in Japan Pt1 - Emily Reynolds - BS027

What You Can Read - The Natural Plaster Book

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