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  Artificial rock walls.
From: "brian williams" pugturd50 at hotmail.com> on 2003.01.18 at 18:24:47(9852)
Have been thinking about the rock walls. Though I plan to continue with the
rock I have been using. Went to a Home and landscape show yesterday. Saw
this guy who sprays insulation foam for houses. If one was to get a guy to
spray a wall with a ft thick of this stuff, then cut it the way they want
and cover with a thin slab of concrete. They could have a rock wall in a few
days. Would be something to see how well it works?

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From: "Planter Rik" planterrik at hotmail.com> on 2003.01.19 at 02:47:50(9853)
Brian, My info on this is not recent, and there may have been advances of
which I am not aware, but, these foams, in residential applications, have
produced dangerous gases over time. I would be concerns for both human and
flora.

Incidentally, I'm a believer in rock walls, but that is easy for me because
I live on a terraced property with a total of around 300' of 8+' 80-year-old
retainer walls, with a base greenhouse built between one of these walls and
the house, which has 1'-thick brick walls. I've found that a variety of
rock-wall/greenhouse configurations works well to provide a variety of light
and warmth requirements. It has been important to balance the need for
sunlight as the primary heat source and the benefit of warmth retaining rock
walls. Besides the base greenhouse, others, extant and planned, have one
tall rock wall, lower or graded side rock walls and a wall (opposite the
higher rock wall) either has only a low, rock base or a relatively low rock
wall -- to the height of the benches.

I'm experimenting with heat lamps aimed at the rock walls this winter.

Rik

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From: "Julius Boos" ju-bo at msn.com> on 2003.01.19 at 16:49:12(9856)
Dear Brian,

I`d contact you local zoo, or browse the zoo web pages nation-wide, as most
Zoos have been using 'artifical' rock for years, it can be seen when one
visits most large zoos as back-walls, certer accents, etc., and is fairly
simple to do. I don`t think they use any foam, just blown-on cement that
is finished to look EXACTLY like natural rock and wood. For trees a mold
is first created from rubber, then used to cast cement over metal rod
reinforcements, the finished products are indistinguishable from the real
thing.
Good luck,

Julius

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