Floor ideas! New house build.

Hello!  

To keep things simple but so anyone asking questions understands..  I haven't built this house yet, but the idea is a pole and beam barn style but then establishing a house within it.  Nothing new or crazy or anything, but I have plenty of my own trees a lumber, I live in a bit of a mountainous area so my only expectation is I may have slight issues digging far for my posts.  But with time and an auger I don't imagine too many issues in that area.  But my core issue right now is - how do I do the floor?  There will be no basement so we'll be building on even ground on a raised terrain area like on a hill berm to avoid drainage issues.  Would people have suggestions for how to make the floor?  I'd prefer not using wood because I dislike walking on wood floors, I know that's a bit silly but I'd really like to explore rammed earth, cob... stone maybe?  Do people use masonry floors much?  If for instance I do.. put down a layer of gravel and rammed it into the earth a ways so its firmly packed then slowly add cob and layer in stone in a similar way you'd do cobble stone roads?  We have a literally endless amount of wood and stone on the property with the large acreage of mixed meadows, thin forested spots but mostly thick forest.

Maybe I will just go with something as simple and less time consuming as possible..  ideas help!  Share some flooring ideas!  I must know all the possibilities!! :D

Hey Joshua,

Good drainage is key so yes lots of gravel. Good compaction is also important. We did an earthen floor which is essentially about inch of cob, over a couple inches of road base over 6 inches of gravel with the gravel and road base well compacted. Here's the build video:



Another option I've seen is soil cement which is similar but involves mixing in a small portion of Portland cement with your finish layer:



You could also do a stone floor using a technique like this:

- Earthen floor on the ground.
- concrete
- masonry

Thank you for the suggestions!  I'm wondering if I could do a mixture of these..  rammed gravel flooring with how you'd prep a road - then into a cob/concrete or straight concrete slab on the top finishing layer and work in patio stones? Whenever I see patio stones in use its never for inside the house.  But if it holds up outside in the rain I can't see why it wouldn't be alright inside.  Just curious!!  I'd love to use the endless amount of stones I have to make a mixed concrete+stone floor.  Thoughts???

Sure you can. Issues to think about:

cleanability. Patio stones and can be hard to sweep, so keep that in mind as you decide on smoothness and grout/mortar between joints.

Vapor/radon Barrier. Depending on where you are, you need a barrier to keep ground moisture and radon from coming into the house.

Insulation. The floor can get COLD depending on your climate. You will want to isolate the floor slab from the outside. But if you are in a hot climate, you may want to keep the floor coupled to the ground for natural cooling.

R Scott has made good suggestions, I have seen patio paving inside homes.
https://www.abdallahhouse.com/2013/12/crazy-paving-with-urbanite.html

Flagstone floors if done well can be perfectly practical inside a house. The house my parents built has a flagstone entry hall which connects the different wings of the house so is a traffic hub. Once the spaces were grouted flush, it was no big deal to clean, and could stand hard dirty traffic. It was cold in winter and cool all summer.

I laid fieldstone flooring in my front entry with radiant heating in concrete beneath it, and it was wonderfully warm all winter and cool in summer. It is a much more efficient heater than the radiant tubing under the wood floors.

Stone flooring installed where it gets winter sun will absorb and store a lot of heat to radiate back in the evening, aside from any radiant source you put below it.

For your unique pole and beam barn-style house build, there are indeed various creative flooring options beyond traditional wood. Here are some ideas to consider:

Rammed Earth Flooring: Rammed earth is a sustainable and durable flooring material made by compacting layers of earth or clay. It provides excellent thermal mass and can be left natural or sealed for a smoother finish. Rammed earth floors are low-maintenance and have a unique, rustic appearance that complements your barn-style aesthetic.

Cob Flooring: Cob is another earthen building material made from a mixture of clay, sand, and straw. Similar to rammed earth, cob can be formed into solid floors with natural variations in texture and color. Cob floors are eco-friendly, breathable, and can be finished with natural oils or wax for protection.

Stone Flooring: Utilizing stone from your property is a fantastic option for creating durable and visually striking floors. You can use flat stones or flagstones to create a mosaic-style floor, or opt for larger stone slabs for a more polished look. Stone floors are timeless, easy to clean, and can withstand heavy foot traffic.

Masonry Floors: Masonry floors, such as brick or concrete, offer durability and versatility. Bricks can be laid in various patterns to create unique designs, while concrete can be polished or stained for a modern aesthetic. Both options are long-lasting and require minimal maintenance.

Mixed Materials: Consider combining different materials to create a custom flooring design. For example, you could incorporate stone accents into a rammed earth or cob floor, or use reclaimed wood beams as inlays in a masonry floor. Mixing materials adds visual interest and allows you to showcase the natural resources available on your property.

Before making a decision, evaluate the characteristics of each flooring option, such as cost, maintenance requirements, and suitability for your climate and lifestyle. Additionally, consult with local builders or contractors familiar with alternative building methods to ensure proper installation and durability. Ultimately, choose a flooring solution that reflects your aesthetic preferences, sustainability goals, and practical needs for your new home.

Old thread, but I'll add my experience since I built a similar style place a few years ago. We went with a polished concrete slab with embedded radiant heating, ran us about $8 - 10 per square foot, but the thermal mass is a game changer.

Rammed earth or cob can work, but they're labor-intensive and need regular maintenance to avoid dust and cracking. If you have unlimited stone, I'd look into a dry-laid flagstone over a compacted gravel base, it's breathable, durable, and you can diy it in sections.

We built with Grand Homes in VA and they were open to non-standard materials, but you'll need to find subs who know how to work with them. Just budget for a good vapor barrier underneath, no matter what you choose.

i do like the feel of an african clay floor in a mudhut. if i had clay nearby that would be my preference, or one could do a cement subfloor in the video, add a nice oxide or tint to the mix to color it to ones preference, then keep a nice thick wool rug or carpet over the floor to keep your feet warm. id definitely insulate and damp proof it from the bottom of course, and perhaps run some underfloor heating, and combine that with a solar or compost heating system, youd get toasty room temperature. the great  thing about cement is you can also acid stain it to look like marble or all kinds of high end stone finish