Modern Monticello — Ogopogo
Wall & Roof Systems
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Sign In — FreeStanding Rule — Capping & Skinning
Every build gets a cap, stucco, or skin — no exceptions, no bare finish left exposed. This is structural insurance, not just cosmetic. MM builds intentionally over-engineer, on principle.
“If it ever breaks, I'll have sworn it shouldn't have.” — Zach's dad, Lambert family staple
- Rammed earth tire — moisture barrier always, stucco/plaster cap on any exterior face
- Wood posts (ferrocement, cordwood framing) — MM wood sealant + standoff bracket, never bare in the wall assembly
- Straw bale — clay interior / lime exterior plaster (moisture rule doubles as capping rule)
- Papercrete, hempcrete, cob — finish coat expected as standard practice, not an upgrade option
Wall Systems
Ferrocement Panel
Beats the Cheap Version — Beats vinyl privacy fence, thin garden walls
Best shape: Curved / freeform · Tier: Any / entry
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Sign In →Cordwood (structural)
Peer Replacement — Timber-frame wall replacement
Best shape: Straight, cabin-scale · Tier: Any
Two mortar bands + insulated cavity, 16 inch min. roof overhang, debarked matched-species logs
Verify: WV-specific snow/wind load spec
Cordwood (hempcrete mortar variant)
Peer Replacement
Best shape: Straight, cabin-scale · Tier: Any
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Sign In →Cob
Peer Replacement
Best shape: Curved / sculptural / hobbit-style · Tier: Any
Good boots (raised foundation) + good hat (wide overhang), breathable lime/earthen plaster
Verified — Cob Research Institute-backed IRC code path exists
Straw Bale — Infill (non-load-bearing)
Peer Replacement — Insulation batt replacement
Best shape: Straight · Tier: Any
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Sign In →Straw Bale — Nebraska-style (load-bearing)
Peer Replacement
Best shape: Straight · Tier: Warmer / lower-snow climates only
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Sign In →Papercrete Brick
Peer Replacement — CMU/brick replacement
Best shape: Straight · Tier: Foreman+ (current MM default)
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Sign In →Hempcrete
Peer Replacement — Concrete/papercrete replacement, preferred-tier material
Best shape: Straight · Tier: Preferred / permit-path required
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Sign In →Rammed Earth Tire (Earthship-style)
Peer Replacement — Retaining/berm wall replacement
Best shape: Berm / hillside, earth-sheltered · Tier: Any, labor-intensive
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Sign In →Gabion
Beats the Cheap Version — Beats landscape timber, thin retaining block; peer-replacement for true engineered retaining walls
Best shape: Straight or curved, any · Tier: Any, near-zero material cost with on-site stone
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Sign In →Earthbag / Superadobe
Peer Replacement — CMU / poured concrete replacement, especially in seismic zones
Best shape: Dome, curved, or rectilinear · Tier: Any, labor-intensive (1,500-2,500 bags for a small cabin)
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Sign In →Wattle and Daub
Niche Fill — Historical interior infill technique, direct ancestor of ferrocement
Best shape: Curved or straight infill · Tier: Interior / unheated structures only
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Sign In →Aircrete
Niche Fill — Lightweight liftable decorative monolith — nothing commercial fills this niche
Best shape: Decorative, liftable/precast elements (arches, lintels, old-world accent pieces) · Tier: Novelty / niche
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Sign In →Cardboard-Laminate Panel (DIY OSB)
Niche Fill — Free-form custom household shape, no table saw or lumber needed
Best shape: Any shape scissors can cut · Tier: Household / kid-project
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Sign In →Moldable Wood-Pulp Casting (sawdust/cardboard-pulp clay)
Niche Fill — Rosettes, trim, appliqués — skip the Dremel or rough-out a shape before hand-carving
Best shape: Any mold-cast shape · Tier: Household / craft-tier
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Sign In →Insulation Fill Materials
Perlite (loose-fill)
Fire: Excellent — improves 8in CMU fire rating from 2hr to 4hr when silicone-treated
Moisture: Water-repellent-treated versions available; not for continuous water exposure
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Sign In →Sheep's Wool
Fire: Naturally self-extinguishing, no treatment needed
Moisture: Excellent — absorbs and releases moisture without losing R-value, unlike cotton
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Sign In →Rice Hull Loose-Fill
Fire: Naturally fire-resistant via silica-cellulose structure — resists sustained combustion
Moisture: Excellent — silica coating resists rot, fungus, insects
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Sign In →Denim/Cotton Scrap (shop rag shred)
Fire: Cotton chars in place — safe; poly-blend content must stay low, see sort checklist
Moisture: Requires vapor barrier — packs down and stays wet if soaked
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Sign In →Roof Systems
Living / Sod Roof
Best paired wall: Rammed Earth Tire (Earthship-style), Cordwood (structural)
Tier: Any, needs engineering sign-off
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Sign In →Bamboo Shingle (Sirap / Pelupuh)
Best paired wall: Ferrocement Panel, Cob
Tier: Feature / accent
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Sign In →Thatch
Best paired wall: Cordwood (structural), Cob
Tier: Feature / test-section only
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Sign In →Wood Shake (treated)
Best paired wall: Papercrete Brick, Hempcrete
Tier: Secondary / accent, insured structures only
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Sign In →Conventional baseline (metal / standing-seam)
Best paired wall: Any wall system
Tier: Primary residence default
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Sign In →Fire Risk — Stacking Flag
Highest-risk roofs: Thatch, Wood Shake (treated)
Avoid pairing either with cordwood or straw bale walls without an explicit defensible-space/fire-mitigation note in the build book.
Quick Pick Guide
Freeform / curved build
Ferrocement or cob walls + bamboo shingle or living roof
Straight structural, current default
Papercrete brick + wood shake or conventional
Straight structural, insulation upgrade
Hempcrete + wood shake or conventional
Cabin-scale, log aesthetic, heavy thermal mass
Cordwood + thatch or living roof
Fast, low-skill, non-structural enclosure
Ferrocement panel, roof-independent (fencing/pen/garden context)
Heavy insulation on framed structure
Straw bale infill, roof-independent (frame dictates pitch)
Earth-sheltered, bermed into a hillside
Rammed earth tire + living roof
Retaining wall, terracing, seating, raised bed
Gabion (near-zero cost if you've got field stone)
Load-bearing dome, seismic-resilient, low material cost
Earthbag / Superadobe
Interior partition or unheated outbuilding infill
Wattle and daub
Decorative arch, lintel, or old-world precast piece you need light enough to lift into place by hand
Aircrete — novelty/accent only, never load-bearing
Custom-shaped household piece, want the look/feel of wood, no table saw or band saw needed, don't want to pay for lumber
Cardboard-laminate panel — scissors, flour, and a stove is the whole tool list
Rosette, trim, appliqué, or rough-out shape before hand-carving, don't want to break out the Dremel for a whole piece
Moldable wood-pulp casting (sawdust or cardboard pulp + binder)
Open Verification Items
- Cordwood / Nebraska straw bale — WV-specific snow and wind load numbers
- Ferrocement — max post spacing before mesh sag under wet mortar load
- Hempcrete-as-cordwood-mortar — needs a physical test panel, currently zero built precedent found
- Bamboo shingle — freeze/thaw behavior on Zach's specific clumping species over a full WV winter
- Thatch — WV climate performance, no source data found either direction
- Living roof — structural engineer sign-off required per-build, not generalizable
- Wood shake — confirm current Kanawha County code and insurer position before specifying on any primary structure
- Gabion as primary load-bearing building wall (not retaining) — limited built precedent, mostly academic interest so far
- Aircrete — no reliable compression strength data exists anywhere; MM's own test-pour-and-document could fill a real gap here
- Cardboard-laminate panel — zero compression/load data exists anywhere; treat as household/novelty only until (if ever) tested
- Rice hull WV-local equivalent — identify true local silica/lignin-rich ag byproduct
- Denim/cotton scrap — confirm borate treatment protocol before any permanent wall-cavity use