An earthen floor or adobe floor in the us is a floor made of earth that has been compressed, polished and oiled. I was recently asked if it is possible to do an earthen or cement skim coat over a concrete slab in a straw bale house. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. They are varied in construction, but the idea and ingredients are essentially the same across the board. When coarse sand is added, compressive strength is increased and shrinkage reduced as the. Earthenables customdeveloped earthen floors are the solution. The oil was applied with a paint brush with great success, sometimes dumping oil on the floor and working it around.
Read my thoughts about the difficult decision to use pink foam insulation in our earthen floor. Jan 12, 2012 its easy to turn crushed limestone into rock hard floors. Claylin is for the do it yourselfers as well as contractors. Scope this draft rwanda standard t gives guidance on the design and construction, performance criteria and test methods for earthen floors. To finish your earth floor, apply our concentrated oil earth floor finish 46 coats over several days. Additionally, since earthen flooring is not a popular choice, not many contractors know how to install these floors. Sukita is currently working on a how to, technical earthen manual, due. She is a delight and i now share her passion for earthen. That means that every fermatamade earthen floor is not only rich and lustrous in appearance. The inherent insulation value of the durisol blocks made them our first choice for the exterior of the building, but the extremely low environmental. Ensure your work site is set up to be easy to use, with screening table, mixing area, water source, and an easy path of transport from the materials to the floor. However, the word tataki is written in chinese characters as, meaning literally three and earth or three harmony earth, which reflects the fact that japanese tataki floors consist of three ingredients, earth, lime and bittern, a byprod the creation of a traditional earthen floor in northern japan as conducted by keisuke. The heart of a good strong crack free earth floor is the base that it is applied on.
Earthen floors, a modern approach to an ancient practice. In addition to the durisol stem wall foundation, our project for the teachers union office includes two long sections of earthbag foundation to support the floor joist spans inside the building. Claylin earthen floors faq about claylin earthen floors. Unlike the common stereotype of a dirt floor, wellbuilt earthen floors are durable and very beautiful.
There are many different ways to build an earthen floor. If the floor has holes, fill them with pieces of rock or earth. Theres not much easily accessible info out there on how to make your own earth floor, however. A modern approach to an ancient practice is the first comprehensive, fully illustrated manual covering the history, use, and maintenance of this attractive, practical flooring option. A modern approach to an ancient pdf practice is the first comprehensive, fully illustrated manual covering the history, use, and maintenance of this attractive, practical flooring option. Claylin earthen floors doityourself earthen floors with. My challenge is that linseed oil is not something ive been able to find here in panama, and im now searching for alternatives.
Feb, 2019 no less amazing is that the floors are comfortable underfoot, durable, and beautiful. Earthen floors eco friendly flooring systems jeffrey. Increasing freeboard or designing the spillway for the passage of larger flood flows. If the floor has underfloor heating pipes and good ventilation. Natural building with earthen floors learn about the benefits of earthen floors and how to install them yourself. I have no experience with earthen floors, but find them fascinating. A modern approach to an ancient practice, sukita and james have come up with the ideal mix of inspiration, experience, technique and instruction. Poured adobe floor with clay alis highlights and boiled linseed oil finish. This is true for almost any floor be it concrete, tile or wood.
The first step is a drainage layer of round, coarse gravel 4 to 6 thick. Earth floors are more like concrete in that they must be properly compacted, graded and screeded flat. Installing an earthen floor into our cob cottage was muddy work. If, however, you plan to simply install a 1 earthen finish floor on top of a concrete slab, the installation is much more simple. A modern approach to an ancient practice is the first comprehensive, fully illustrated manual covering the history, use and maintenance of this attractive, practical flooring option. Hi, im wondering if anyone here has experience putting down an earthen floor over a concrete slab. The materials for an earthen floor can be free if your local soils are up. Earthen floor recipe from sustainable nations preparation essential to any work is good preparation. I loved that house because it had such character, she says. Earthen floors are floors composed of compacted clay, sand, and straw. Earthen floors design and construction code of practice 1. Aug 30, 2011 applying the base layer of earthen floor.
Earthen floors utilize layers to make them as strong and resilient as. For the land of the free and the home of the brave. Its not possible to write a list of all the places earthen floors can or cant be used, but understanding their characteristics will help the installer determine what applications are appropriate. Mar 18, 2017 earthen floors are indeed quite hard and durable, but lets be clear that they are not concrete. Drive the 4 to 6foot rod into the ground until only 2 or 3 inches of the rod remains exposed.
As well as boasting a unique and beautiful aesthetic, natural building techniques are accessible, affordable and nontoxic. Home earthenable low cost flooring solutions in rwanda. Earthen floors by sukita reay crimmel, 9780865717633, download free ebooks, download free pdf epub ebook. We are proud to offer the most comprehensive guide to creating your floor. This detailed, fully illustrated guide explains every part of the process. How to pour a rammed earth flooradobe floor dancing. We so enjoyed working with sukita on our earthen floor. Earthenable eliminates unsanitary dirt floors and provides affordable, sanitary flooring that can be washed, cleaned, and used to create a healthy home environment for millions of people. Performance of our earthadobe floors two years ago we poured adobe floors in.
Media in category earthen floors the following 4 files are in this category, out of 4 total. Earthen floors by sukita reay crimmel overdrive rakuten. New york earthen floor design i just uncovered a new york times article on earthen floors. Dont walk on the wet earth floor or put the furniture back on it until its dry. Earthen floors are a great option for those who want to bring earth into their. The answer is yes, you can do a skim coat of either claystraw earthen floor or cement over the top of a concrete slab. Earthen floors, also known as cob floors, earth floors, rammed earth floors, or clay floors, are a fantastic eco friendly flooring system. She has recently developed claylin a doityourself, ready mix earthen floor product.
Earthen floors have hit the market and plenty of homes in america, particularly in the west. Earthen floors frequently asked questions earth floors. A modern approach to an ancient practice by sukita. If the earth floor is still damp, the furniture can leave marks on the floor. After finishing the first layer of earthen floor, we need to wait for it to dry before starting on the finishing layer. When sealed with linseed oil, they hold up well to spills, mopping, and normal foot traffic. Earthen floors design and construction code of practice. Remember that earthen construction takes a lot of earth. Like any earthen application, one needs to know their material in regard to the clay content of the soil. Complete howto book on designing, mixing and installing your own earthen floor. Athena grew up in a house with earthen floors, thanks to her mother, who studied architecture and supported earth friendly practices long before such ideas were commonplace. This book will be of use and benefit to both experienced practitioners and those just dipping their toes into the subject of earthen floors for the first time. How to ground an esd floor learning center staticworx.
An earthen floor is an ancient flooring technique that has been revived and modernized in recent years, and which is especially popular in the western united states. While i fought on the ground, in the air, on the sea. Here in kingston, new mexico, our soil has close to a 30% clay content so its a dream to use. Coming from traditions all over the world and integrating with the building science of today, modern earthen floor construction combines tradition and science, integrity and beauty to provide an exceptional product of unparalleled beauty. Have a large pile of clay soil, a large pile of sand, and prechopped bagged straw prepared.
Natural soil is compacted with straw or other fibers and sealed with natural oils i. But concrete floors are just too expensive for many families, especially in rwanda. You may be able to just tamped the soil in place as is. On a hot day, lying on your cool earthen floor is second only in comfort to a refreshing swim. A best practices manual for using compressed earth blocks. Traditional southwestern thick adobe floor method built on drainage layer.
Instead of spending an endless amount of time trying to get the dirt off your floors, why not get more dirt on there. We started with a thick layer of pummus to act as insulations, then added a vapor barrier and then went onto the cob floor. How to pour a rammed earth flooradobe floor by tony sirna at dancing rabbit ecovillage, weve found our earthen flooradobe floor hybrid to be a cheap, easy to install, durable ecological flooring solution. Im in a bottom floor condo with a concrete slab under carpet. It is usually constructed, in modern times, with a mixture of sand, finely chopped straw and clay, mixed to a thickened consistency and spread with a trowel on a subsurface such as concrete. Lower embodied energy than any other flooring, and hugely less than concrete slab. Please take a moment to browse through our steadily growing portfolio of natural, earthen floors known to some as adobe floors, and be sure to let us know what you think of our work. The rammed earth house easton, david, wright, cynthia on. When mention of an earthen floor is made, one might imagine a dusty, drab dirt floor. Mar 23, 2014 here are a few pictures showing the basic layers of an earthen floor. An earthen floor with its subtle undulations and tone variations is cool in summer, warm in winter and a sensual delight to walk on. I was struck by the beauty of the floor and the graceful way its history was revealed through the barely perceptible wear of countless footsteps treading for over a century. Natural building with earthen floors green homes mother.
Claylin earthen floors doityourself earthen floors. The top coat in 2 days and the oil can be fully set in continue reading earthen floors frequently asked questions. The oil container was left to sit out in the sun for the day, so the oil was warm but not hot. After completing the strawbale walls and the roundwood, reciprocal roof of the milkwood roundhouse, we wanted a gorgeous floor to complete this handcrafted natural building. Ive heard from some people that its impossible, from others that its possible but difficult, and from others that its quite doable. Allow the earth floor to totally dry after youve cleaned it. How to pour a rammed earth flooradobe floor dancing rabbit. Theres not much easily accessible info out there on how to make your own earth floor.
This detailed, fullyillustrated guide explains every part of the process, including. They are made flat and troweled smooth just like a concrete slab. This includes architecture, homesteading, gardening, appropriate technology, renewable energy, permaculture principles, and ecological living. Austin, texas is situated in a geologically diverse area, so i got samples from several places including the building site, my backyard and all the commercially available. An earthen floor, also called an adobe floor, is a floor made of dirt, raw earth, or other unworked ground materials. Although natural earthen flooring is more durable than some floors like vinyl because it is easily replaceable, it is not as strong as floors like tile or cement. Once dry, it is then usually saturated with several treatments of a drying oil. This is a wonderful booklet, an invaluable resource for anyone wanting to build an earthen floor. Replacing and insulating an earthen floor the year of mud. Id love to see and hear your reasons for the earthen floor and how it goes if you do it. As well as boasting a unique and beautiful aesthetic, natural building techniques are accessible, affordable, and nontoxic.
The floors never fail to illicit a host of questions. What i mean is that earthen floors are more susceptible to certain kinds of damage, including point loads and scraping. Finally, we started applying the base layer of earthen floor, a very simple mix of 1. This prevents moisture wicking up from the subsoil and into the earth layer above, and also allows spilled liquids to drain away. It is limited to impervious earthen floors for use in residential buildings of classes. Earthen floors are made of natural materials that can be sourced locally laterite, sand, clay and water.
They are the perfect choice for many passive solar homes since their color and density are ideal for absorbing and storing winter sunshine. How to pour a rammed earth flooradobe floor by tony sirna at dancing rabbit ecovillage, weve found our earthen floor adobe floor hybrid to be a cheap, easy to install, durable ecological flooring solution. So you want structurally strong, compacted earth to build on. The ground should be free of topsoil or high organic matter, since the organics will. And that may explain why, centuries after earthen floors were last considered standard home decor, the most natural of natural floors is suddenly surfacing in ecofriendly homes everywhere. A modern approach to an ancient practice crimmel, sukita reay, thomson, james on.
An earthen floor consists of a combination of clay, sand and fibre. Nov 06, 2008 when mention of an earthen floor is made, one might imagine a dusty, drab dirt floor. If properly maintained, an earthen floor has high durability, easily 50 years or more. It is cool because it mentions the person who is consulting with eco brooklyn on some earthen floors in earthen floor detail see more. A pdf on the site offers more specs and information. Pdf earthen floors download full pdf book download. Built with gravel, sand, clay, straw, and linseed oil, it is made of local natural materials except for a plastic moisture barrier necessary in our area. Natural slab floor over a concrete slab in a straw bale house. No fiber this time, just straight up clay and sand, heavy on the clay to make it smooth and easy to work with. Pdf earth building is an ancient construction method, rarely in use in. It relies on the sticky binding properties of clay, which expands when wet, creating sticky platelet particles. Im in the process of building an adobe farmhouse in panama and will be laying earthen floors in several of the rooms.
From my verry limited experience, an earthen floor has more warmth maybe only figuratively, but maybe literally, too and a nicer feel than concrete. After removing the timber you fill in the gab with earthen floor mix which is exactly the same mix as cob, minus the straw. Think of a chair leg dragging across the surface that could result in surface damage unless the chair leg is padded. In total ive placed 4 coats of linseed oil increasing the spirit content as i went along. Department of housing and urban development office of. Earthen floors are gaining popularity as beautiful, natural, nontoxic flooring option. Earthen floors are very versatile and can be installed in a variety of locations, but are not appropriate for every application. Underground home plans earth sheltered berm housing. Alternatives to boiled linseed oil for earthen floors. However, the finished product is much softer on your feet and on the earth itself. Unstabilized earthen floor using road base frank meyer a few years ago, when asked to make an earthen floor, i started by collecting all the soil types available in our area. Here are a few pictures showing the basic layers of an earthen floor. Apparently no longer available on amazon but if you do a search youll find a pdf available for free download.