Playa Adobe

Fire_Moose · Post by **Fire_Moose** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 7:15 am

So last year at the burn i was thinking "that'd be really cool to make some playa adobe bricks and build a shelter out of them"

now last year woulda been great because of all the loose playa but oh well. Has anyone done anything close to this? think they would let me make a mud pit to build my bricks....with a large enough mud pit and enough people working could prolly have it up by Wednesday heh...

Post by **AntiM** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 7:49 am

No.

Seen little art structures, but big enough to live in? You'd spend more time setting up and breaking down than it would be worth. And mud pits are right out these days.

Fire_Moose · Post by **Fire_Moose** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 8:34 am

well i figure break down would consist of a sledge and a truck. And like i said, with enough people helping out....the big problem i see is the mud pit...and hole that would be created.

it would prolly stay pretty cool throughout the day...and if _I_ saw one out there, i'd check it out

Post by **AntiM** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 8:38 am

But have you ever worked adobe? The bricks need a day or more to dry, preferably much, much more, or when you stack them, they are too heavy and turn into slumps.

Fire_Moose · Post by **Fire_Moose** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 8:41 am

I did it once in elementary school....i think hay was involved too...and ya the drying......make em all up one day...let em sit out (and maybe by a fire at night) for a couple days.

I dunno just a thought i had out there last year....

Post by **AntiM** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 2:49 pm

LOL, hang in there, you'll have another thought soon.

klondike_bar · Post by **klondike_bar** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 3:55 pm

AntiM wrote:LOL, hang in there, you'll have another thought soon.

*smirks*

the only way to avoid leaving a hole in the playa, and a good way to make a bigger structure, would be to build the house over the pit you dig, effectively adding a foot or more to the inside height.

but yeah, i dont think its very practical for the playa unfortunately

Playa Tom · Post by **Playa Tom** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 5:50 pm

Just as concrete is more than cement adobe is more than just mud. To construct a structure on the playa with adobe would be a lot of work. It would be a lot of work to deconstruct the structure to a "Leave No Trace" standard. It was a nice idea.

oneeyeddick · Post by **oneeyeddick** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 6:08 pm

you aren't allowed to dig 'pits' anywhere on the playa.

Oldguy · Post by **Oldguy** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 3:58 am

If you want solid walls you could truck out some loads of cinderblocks and dry fit them together. Instead of pouring concrete in the brick holes just stick some poles in 'em. When it gets toasty in that blockhouse, then just call it a spiritual sweat lodge. Or not. I read somewhere that the stick built tarpaper barracks at Manzinar were toasty also. What were we talking about? Nevermind...