Thanks folks,
The interesting thing, and I agree with Patriarch about not messing with
proven methods, is what I'm doing is no different than what they've been
doing for hundreds of years. Yes, there are arches out of nothing but adobe
but most structures all contain wood and as far as I can tell talking with
the adoberos around here, they just set the adobes directly on the wood with
morter (and everything's tied together with morter as well I might add, ie.
no floating blocks). I'm gonna go ahead and add a membrane as Tom
mentioned as I don't see how it could hurt.
Cheers,
cc

"Patriarch" wrote in message
. 97.136...
"James \"Cubby\" Culbertson" wrote in
:

Hiya Folks,
Working now on a project that isn't quite "Fine Woodworking".
Building an adobe (heavy bricks made from mud) wall. Over the gate
portion, I intend to set two or three 6"x10"x6 ft. ponderosa pine
beams horizontally. On top of these, I'll put additional adobes.
Ultimately, the entire structure excluding the wood will be stucco'ed.

When working in a traditional material and style, there is generally a
reason that those methods developed as they did. An arch was put in
because it worked, not because it met some designer's need to differ.

Wood and mud and straw and stucco are going to change with moisture.
Frankly, so do bricks and mortar, or steel, concrete and glass.

When we mess with the wisdom of our fathers and grandfathers, we risk
learning lessons they already paid for, sometimes dearly.

I didn't mean for that to sound as though I was preaching, but I don't
know
quite how to edit it differently.

Patriarch