Hello Annalis,
Just for fun (under the aternative building materials theme) you should also try light weight concrete using perlite (the white foam stuff in your potting soil). It sorta looks like rice crispies treats when mixed up but is solid when dry. Here's an easy formula is use:
1 pound perlite and between 2 and 3 pounds cement (2 pounds cement is about the mimiminum). Perlite is pretty light so this will make about two lunch pails full of mix! I buy cheap 4 for $1 plastic trays at the dollar stores for these experments.
Add about 2 1/2 pound water to the cement then JUST mix in the perlite. Don't mix too much or you'll break up the perlite.
It may be fun in class to try the different formulas for papercrete you find on this site and have the class analyse the results for hardness, final weight, cost per pound, drying time, spreadability (can it be spread like plaster?) ...
Have fun, Joel
--- In papercreters@yahoogroups.com, "ANNALIS" <n2art25@...> wrote:
>
> I am sooo excited. I have been given the green light to build a shed using recycled materials at my school. It's a great way to introduce my students to the necesity of recycling and the use of alternative building materials. I can just see the beautiful sculptural possibilities on the surface. I also have access to all of the obselete textbooks which will more than be enough to make the PC blocks. I can start shredding paper and bagging then when weather gets better, we can start making blocks. I am probably looking at plastering when we return to school next year. I am hoping to move this into our community little by little. Can't wait!
>
> Annalis
>
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