In a hot climate, do you need gravel?

So we have a structure without walls and we want to seal its already earthen floor. Can we just get in wet and dance a load of sand and dry grass into it and then add the sealing layers? Will it be ok if it gets water coming in?

I can answer your questions so I thought I would bump this to see what others might say.

The only earthen floor I have ever seen was in Mexico.

This floor was swept every day.  

I think a lot depends on your water table and how water drains around your site.

The earthen floor in our shed would sometimes be damp so I put in a diversion ditch and french drain on the uphill side that seemed to solve the problem.

 

Yes, I was thinking drainage channels would be needed, my serious question is about gravel, all the flooring techniques mention it for insulation, I presume for the cold. Here in Costa Rica it's not cold... So no gravel?

Tamsin Irving wrote:Yes, I was thinking drainage channels would be needed, my serious question is about gravel, all the flooring techniques mention it for insulation, I presume for the cold. Here in Costa Rica it's not cold... So no gravel?

Gravel is primarily a vapor barrier to prevent ground water from wicking up into the earthen floor. It might provide minimal insulation due to the small air gaps in the gravel. If you water table is not too high and and you can really shed water away from the floor I'd say go for it.