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earthen floor

Interim sealer that won’t cause issues to additional layers

R Scott

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Location: Kansas Zone 6a

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posted 4 months ago

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The deal is I have the base layers done (stone, Vapor barrier, compacted soil cement “road base” ) and only have the final layer(s) of finish cob to do, but winter is coming and I want to live in it as I finish the rest of the interior and finish the floors after all the major changes of dropped tools or paint or plaster are done.

Is there a way to seal the base from dusting that will still let the final coat adhere? Or will I be living on drop cloths all winter?

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John C Daley

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posted 4 months ago

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can you clarify what you are talking about?

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Douglas Alpenstock

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Location: Canadian Prairies - Zone 3b

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Drop cloths would be a royal nuisance. Can you throw down some sort of sacrifical layer to catch the construction crud and then scrape it off in spring? It could be sand, it could be discarded carpet diverted temporarily from the landfill ...

R Scott

pollinator

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Location: Kansas Zone 6a

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I am violently opposed to carpet. My allergies can’t handle it—the VOC’s when new or the dust sponge when old.

I could put a sacrificial layer, but I don’t want to go to the work of cob to tear it up, plus clay is REALLY hard to come by here.

I have thought about watered down wood glue, then peel it up when ready for the finish layers, but can’t find anything one way or another. It works for paper bag flooring, but is still an expensive experiment with no time left for a plan B.

Anne Miller

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I have been fascinated with dirt floor since I was a teenager.

A friend while we lived in Mexico asked us to take her to visit her mother.

That was my first and only experience seeing some who lived with an earth floor.

I doubt if that lady ever heard of `stone, Vapor barrier, compacted soil cement “road base”` though she did sweep her floor every day ...

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Aaron Yarbrough

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Location: Austin, Texas

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posted 4 months ago

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I haven't been able to think of a good solution. We had similar situation but I had put down the cob layer and not sealed it yet. We put down cardboard that kept some of the dust down while we plastered the walls. I still had to go back and put a skim coat on the floor to repair some of the damage though.

If I was going to live on it I think I would put down some 1/4" or 1/8" plywood in the high traffic areas.

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Megan Abdallah

Posts: 56

posted 4 months ago

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You could apply manure … cow dung.
Once it’s dried thoroughly it will lose its smell and will repell flies and other insects.
There’s a lot of reading material on it.

Thea Morales

Posts: 72

posted 4 months ago

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“I have been fascinated with dirt floor since I was a teenager.”

I was one who lived on a compacted dirt floor, but it only works in dry climates. You’d be asking for trouble in a moderately wet climate. I thought about this when I decided to build a dome in my area. It doesn’t get much moisture and it would feel like home again.

Annette Henry

Posts: 39

posted 4 months ago

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Here is the solution to moisture wicking/cold coming up through a cob/adobe floor. Lay down a layer of glass bottles to use as insulation. I'm planning on doing this with my cob house and am collecting glass pop bottles to use as I don't drink, and will use volcanic rock for under the RMH.

As for the sacrificial layer for the winter - I agree that scrap plywood, even the thinnest type would be the best. The point being that you don't have to have something nice, just something that will keep the floor protected. That means the wood can be of any type. If you have left over 2x4's or your old neighbor is throwing out some paneling use that.

Good luck with your new place!

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