Cob: Smelly earthen floor (OT)

[Darel Henman]

Fermenting straw will smell.  But it takes a wet environment for this. 
Did Barbara ever let the floor dry?  In Japan where straw is added in
and intentionally made to ferment in their earth finishes it does smell,
but after a few weeks of drying it stops. 

Eight inches with only one surface to get air blowing over it to help
dry would take a long time.  Did she use a really wet slurry?  If so it
take longer.

Why on Earth is there no windows in a bathroom where condensation is
famous on not matter what kind of surface you have.  Get a window and/or
vent put in ASAP  

Mold usually forms on walls and ceilings, do you find the floor getting
wet from shower water as well as dripping condensation?

Eventually when all organic material in the soil ferments out, it will
stop smelling.  

But you really need a window in shower rooms.  This is just common
sense. 

> There are no windows to open yet -  plastic over the openings.

> I could wire up the exhaust fan or set up an oscillating one to keep air
> moving.
Why not just fix the window and open it when everyone is done showering,
even in cold weather, to let it air out at night.  Leave it open all the
time in the summer.  This is what every one in Japan does after taking a
Japanese bath to keep mold off the walls or other micro-organisms to
flourish in a warm damp environment.

In Japan its common to use wooden pallets layed down on the shower room
floor to walk on.  The water drips through but, the feet are clean. 
This is for the (real bath) shower room, of coarse and prevents
slipping.   Note however, that even concrete or grouted tile floors
become moldy and each year (maybe it should be done sooner) I take the
pallets off, throw them away, clean the mold, and buy new fragrant ceder
pallets, called (sunoko), for the forthcomming year.  It's kind of a
tradition.

> There is an exterior door, but mighty cold out to be letting in
> that much air. 
So fix the window.  Windows are prettty critical. (Especially if you've
a western bathroom, those that have the stink pots (toilets), in the
same room as the bathing room).

Which reminds me of that sulferous smell you mentioned... Could it be
that someone there is a really bad aim consistently?   Maybe its really
a nitrogen rich smell....  

Do you have a conventional waster water flushing toilet, instead of a
compost in this tiolet in the shower room design?  Maybe it leaks? 
Check this out.


> Could also spray very lightly with vinegar and then hydrogen
> peroxide (the Natural Home recipe for disinfecting) in the hope of
> killing the molds.

Whatever you do, you should let the floor become completely dry first! 
I have an inkling that you were inpatient and didn't let it dry for the
weeks to a month or so required before using the shower.

>  Smells enough that I wonder if it's molding only on the
> surface,
> or if the deeper straw is rotting.
There's no problem with fermenting straw, it will stop eventually, but
you do need to control the wetness.

Make sure the floor is completely dry.   Then  you might try putting
several coats of linseed oil on it.  I believe some people do this. 
Look into this.

>  Any help readers could offer is much
> appreciated.  Since it's an OT, please just post to me individually.
> 
> 
Barbara in Sierra foothills, CA


Darel orignially from near the Indian Foothills, Chinese Rock Fences,
and Table Top Mountain in the Sierra foothills, Calif.