Hi Phil,
Thank you! And thank you for your response.
When I bought this house the basement was bone dry during a very wet fall. Over the years I inadvertently compromised the drainage around the house until inches of water would flood the basement (this caused a not-insignificant mold problem). I've been learning more and reversing the issues. Most recently, I unclogged a Y-junction in a downspout and the wet invading the basement corner went from puddles to the dampness I described. I think I will continue to investigate and see if tweaking the downspout/grading/etc. can prevent the dampness altogether. I have a sump pump in a 3ft dry well (though in the northwest corner, not the northeast, which is getting damp) and it almost never kicks on.
Your description of the potential issues caused in an earthen floor by dampness is helpful - I'm trying to learn what the considerations are for this kind of material. I'd like the fiber in the earthen floor to be unnoticeable. I've seen toilet paper used to reinforce clay walls. Do you have any idea of that'd be suitable? Lastly, I'm considering walling off a portion of the northeast corner to make a produce cold-storage room. I'd keep it around 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 80% humidity. Could it cause any issues in the earthen floor for one corner if it to be at a different temperature and humidity than the rest?
