More ideas on insulation

http://www.foxmaple.com/proclay.html

Thanks to a comment on the previous post, I am thinking about natural fiber and clay infill again for my walls. I dropped the idea a while ago due to weight concerns, but now I am back onto it. One advantage is that I would have a very high thermal mass in the walls which would help me regulate the temperature. My little stove will put out plenty of heat, but it would be nice if the heat would stick around over night so I don't need to feed the stove every four hours. Once these walls heat up they will keep radiating the heat throughout the night. Another benefit is that it will do a much better job of regulating the moisture in the house- a necessity in a place this size. Imagine what a pot of boiling pasta water could do, even with a vent over the range.

The basics of clay/fiber infill systems are not complicated. You basically coat woodchips or straw in a fine clay slip, then pour this slurry into the wall. Once it dries it provides decent insulation and some more structural integrity (which I definitely don't need). The clay regulates moisture eliminating the need for vapor barriers. From what I have read, I expect about R-2 per inch, which is not much but the thermal mass will work to my advantage. This would also be a good base for a plater finish on my walls. I already salvaged a pile of wooden lath from a renovation down the road a few weeks ago. I still need to take a good look at the weight issue if this house is going to be mobile though.

Here is a link to the Fox Maple School (where I had my first timber framing experience) article on woodchip and clay infill.