[Strawbale] Born-again CementHeads (was re: Anti Cement Folks)

[Rob Tom]

Stone Tool wrote:

> There is such a strong thread of anti-cement sentiment running through 
> this group that I have reached the point where I question virtually all 
> the shared "wisdom" about cement versus lime based stucco and plaster.

> I had hoped at one time to get accurate and realistic information here 
> and as things have developed I find that I must resort to other less  
> biasedsources for this kind of information.

Regardless of perceived running sentiments (as distinct from stationary or  
walking ones ?),
I'd venture that it's a Good Idea to question all shared wisdom found in  
the Virtual World, whether it be WRT cement, lime or DIY brain surgery.

But to hope to get "accurate & realistic information" presumably about the  
use of Portland cement mixes (judging by the "*.*crete" threads), in a  
forum whose raison d'etre is building in a more sustainable manner with  
straw (ie CREST, our host = Centre for Renewable Energy & Sustainable  
Technology) probably isn't the best idea to have rattling around in one's  
noggin.

The proper use of Portland cement mixes is no trivial matter and achieving  
good results is highly dependent upon process & competent theory as well  
as technique that can be developed only through hands-on experience, the  
aquisition of which is not something likely to come from a few emails  
to/from a listserver.

There are organisations like the Portland Cement Assocation (PCA) and the  
Canadian PCA who have extensive (and very expensive to compile) libraries  
that provide authoratitive/accurate/realistic information on the use of  
Portland cement mixes. I would think that if one was seeking hard-nosed  
info on PC mixes without having to deal with anti-cement sentiments...  
well, you know.

That being said, it probably bears mentioning that a few short years ago,  
pretty much everyone on Earth that was building with straw bales was using  
Portland cement plasters on their bales, and more than a few were using  
Portland cement even more intensively (ie casting 3" thick concrete  
sidewalks between each course of bales and bale-width concrete columns  
between the butt joints ... or 3" thick reinforced concrete slab skins  
with two-way steel rebar grids @ 8" o/c).

One notes that many of those former CementHeads are today, some of the  
very same people who are advocating alternatives to Portland cement mixes.

So why is that ? Is it possible that they learned something in the time  
that has elapsed ?

Or, is it a matter of their having succumbed to some sort of brainwashing  
by  "Lefties" and "Eco-freaks" ?

I would suggest that it is in fact, the former and I would even go so far  
as to suggest that to dismiss/disregard that evolution by those who have  
"been there and done that" as being about on par with attempts to  
re-invent the wheel.

-- 
=== * ===
Rob Tom
Kanata, Ontario, Canada
< A r c h i L o g i c  at   C h a f f Y a h o o  dot  C a  >
(winnow the chaff from my edress in your reply)