Cob: Earth Floor!

[Charmaine R Taylor]

Yes Darel I think you are are a  little bit confused. Your email is an
odd mix of explaining what you read....and then advice on how to do it.

A wet cobwood mix stabilized with lime and ash as I described shrinks
very little.  It's thick like dough and is poured and trowel into place.

There is a big difference from reading about how to do something from a
theoretical point of view, and actually doing it.   I do a lot of
research and reading myself, but nothing makes up for trying something
and watching its performance over time. You should see the boxes of
sample bits I have!

Not sure why I would I want to ram a 2" thick floor. Tamp a floor maybe,
but my mixes are not clay and sand to begin with.  But let me know
when you test that out with  14% lime. SOmetimes 2% lime is all that is
needed, more can be overkill, and wasteful.

Typically we don't slake our own lime here in the States, it is already
slaked, and hydrated, and is simply soaked in clean water before use. I
could complain that it isn;t as good as fresh slaked, but since I never
get to use freash slaked, then it's a moot point, but the Brits who
visit don't like our lime I hear.

 Ash is a natural pozzolan, as is brick dust, it works  very well, and
was used by the
Romans in England while they were building roads, etc., which are still
functional. I saw an underground water line and spa still in perfect
condition after 2000 years..it is actually under the floors near the
large Minster church in Yorkshire. Clay and burnt brick ash, and
lime...beautiful mosaic work and frescos.

Have you done any floors or test floors yet?

Charmaine  Taylor/ Taylor Publishing
http://www.dirtcheapbuilder.com