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Now this is a little exploratory, does anyone have any information on using papier mache as a replacement for bricks or other building materials. obviously there would to be some sort of additives added to the pulp to make it waterproof and maybe a bit stronger.
Background
I have been making firebricks to power my BBQ and it struck me how incredibly strong and light they were. I have a little bit of an interest in low impact building and have toyed around with the idea of building with straw ect.
I was thinking of making a mold hexagon in shape wider at the top then the bottom like.
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I would imagine making the bricks about 6inches in depth and about 12 inches across.
using this shape to build a dome. Once the dome was completed covering in a weatherproof plaster inside and out. As I say these are just ideas bouncing around in my head at the moment and would likely try a scaled down version first (probably a kennel for the dog)
part of the reason of looking at papier mache is its insulation properties
Mix
I was thinking that to make the mixture stronger you would need to add some sort of stone dust as well as some sort of glue to get the fibers to bind.
The idea could be totally impractical but I thought this was the place where people would know.
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there is record somewhere of a papier mache village in japan, although i am not sure how much that was genuine PM or lacquer. Not sure where I read it but suspect it was in Art & Craft of Papier Mache by Juliet Bawden.
Realistically I would suggest that it is a bad idea, as soon as humidity or rain or interior condensation occurred the paper content would absorb the moisture and cause problems.
If you think about it, wooden boats are corked regularly to stop water damage rotting the timber, you would have to do the same (more frequently) with PM bricks.
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I think this does need some experimenting with. what about if you made the mix with some sort of lime plaster render the paper fiber would add to the strength and insulating properties of the mix.
If you covered (once dry) the inner and outer surface with a waterproof render wouldn't that sort the problem
Last edited by Webmojo (2009-06-12 11:58:58)
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The problem being that even the best render can be prone to cracking and water seepage, throughly insulating your mache bricks would be as difficult as doing the same with traditional building materials except where traditional building materials can take some rather severe neglect I imagine that even mild neglect of the finished structure could cause severe damage to the integrity of the building/structure.
Lime render, as I understand it is a breathable render allowing moisture to evaporate out of the brick/stone work during dry periods but in damp/wet conditions the inverse is true. It's preferable in a number of situations to concrete render that tends to trap moisture inside the structure causing severe damage ... but I'm no expert!!
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Adobe bricks used for building in the American Southwest (and probably many other places) are damaged by moisture, but there are two other facts involved in their use:
1) They are used in a part of the world that is mostly dry;
2) The buildings have wide roof overhangs to prevent rain from washing down the walls, and to keep moisture away from the foundation.
I made some papercrete once, and was not impressed. But living in an area that gets about 45" of rain per year probably wouldn't make it anyone's first choice for a homebuilding material.
Sue
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These Southwest American buildings are damaged by simple moisture on them, they are not so useful bricks. It is a paper material so, it may be damaged due to small heat or water. I work in a housing company who does the best work in our town. If you want remodeling
of your house, please do contact us. Moreover, nice information shared.
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Add to this the fire risk. I know that tightly scrunched paper doesn't catch on fire that easily, (don't know about pulped paper though), but once it does it really takes off and burns for hours.
Lesley.
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For contemporary paper brick construction -and a great introduction to papercrete- check out:
http://livinginpaper.com/index.htm
The primary areas of moisture concern is ground contact- additional cement is used in the mix for those courses. Fire is less of a factor than with a stick house. Of particular interest are the plans for tow-behind-an-automobile paper pulpers.
Sue, when you say you "made some papercrete once", what does that amount to? A single brick? Several material variations which you then tested at length? What did you construct? What does "not impressed" reflect on, exactly?
Last edited by mavigogun (2011-01-18 19:51:56)
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I was making some decorative garden globes (hollow) with concrete and had some left over, and I also had some shredded paper and thought I would see how it worked.
Granted, the proportions may have been wrong, or I did it too thin, but I made a couple of stepping stone-type squares. They hardened quickly enough (next day), but they took forever to dry, so I just left them sitting on a few branches so they could dry from both sides at once.
A couple of months later (no rain), they looked quite good. So I set it on the ground and stepped on it. It cracked into about five pieces instantly. I kind of kicked the pieces aside and left them there. Then the rains came...
Does the paper in them absorb water after the concrete cures? YES. Do they get even weaker than they were when I stepped on them? YES. Did they break up even more when damp? YES.
I doubt that I could dredge up enough interest to even try it again. There are so many other materials that would be more suited to the kinds of things I want to do that I just don't care.
My only advice, based on this single, haphazard experiment is: EXPERIMENT with small units first, and find out what works and what doesn't, and if what you plan to do with it is even possible.
If you wanted to make adobe-style bricks to build a small shed for growing mushrooms, it might just be perfect!
Sue
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