[Cob] Fancy a Mexican Vacation Anyone ?

[Jill Hogan]

Hi Ron, 
I am in South Africa in a little town called McGregor which has a vast number of earth houses dating back to the late 1800's and  also built in the last ten years starting with mine.

My floors are lovely.  I dig down about 20cm +- 9 inches  put 10cm small stone tamped down well, then 5inches cob. When dry I lime render with a 1 to 3 mix hydrated lime and sand and 1/4 bucket clay. I am very precise with mixtures and use the same container to mix all.

When the floor is dry I seal it with linseed oil, turpentine and bees wax. I heat the mixture to just below boiling it must not boil.

The first layer is pure linseed oil
Second 1/4 turps and 3/4 linseed
third layer 1/2 and 1/2 linseed and turps
fourth layer 1/4 linseed oil and 3/4 turps and to this I add bees wax.
The linseed oil/turps has to be three parts and the wax two parts.


I paint each layer on with a brush. It must not be too thick and can usually paint next layer on the next day.
When all this is done and dry usually about a week it is quite sticky so I take a softish broom and a cloth and polish it up. It just gets more beautiful each time I brush it. My floors are due their next treatment now a couple of years down the line and I will simply do the 4th layer.

keep a little gas stove under mixture and put it on quickly before it can boil. Couple of us do it together.

Enjoy doing and using your floor.
Thanks for the signature it is great.
Regards Jill

Minimum energy for maximum production

www.mat.org.za
023 625 1533

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Ron Becker 
  To: Jill Hogan 
  Sent: Friday, February 23, 2007 9:00 PM
  Subject: Re: [Cob] Fancy a Mexican Vacation Anyone ?


  Hi Jill,  I'm glad your floors turned out so nice. Will you discuss 
  some of the details of application, drying times, if you used a thinner 
  or not and how the beeswax was to apply. Did it need constant 
  reheating? i.e. did it get harder to work with as the temp dropped? Any 
  other details you'd care to share. What part of the world are you in/

  I noticed my signature line at the bottom of your email. See below.  I 
  have no objection to your using it if that was you intention. Or did 
  you trim one of my posts from the list and forget to remove it. I had a 
  fair amount of flak over the years I've been using it. Even from people 
  on alternative building lists. That's why a amended a few months ago. 
  All the posts were hotly and emotionally disputing that it didn't apply 
  to them.  Got booted of two lists over it as a matter of fact. I've 
  known about global warming since the mid eighties. But haven't had the 
  sig. line that long. Just curious if you realized it was in your post 
  is all. Please continue to use it if you want. The word on GW is 
  finally getting around but not fast enough to suit me.

  Ron
  Those who question global warming have a financial or emotional 
  interest in the status quo.


  On Feb 22, 2007, at 11:49 AM, Jill Hogan wrote:

  > Hi
  > I laid my first cob and lime render floor in 2003 and then the next in 
  > 2004 and they are just the nicest floors around. Warm in winter and 
  > cool in summer and soft under the feet. I painted the layers of raw 
  > linseed oil and beeswax and my floors are the envy of everyone.
  > Best thing I did
  >
  > Jill
  > Those who question global warming have a financial or emotional 
  > interest in the status quo.
  >
  > McGregor Alternative Technology Centre "MAT"
  > 023 625 1533
  > www.mat.org.za
  >
  >
  >   ----- Original Message -----
  >   From: sarah doron
  >   To: coblist at deatech.com
  >   Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2007 12:33 AM
  >   Subject: [Cob] Fancy a Mexican Vacation Anyone ?
  >
  >
  >   Hi , I have been soaking up all the latest chats about earthen 
  > floors, but having almost completed my cob house on the beautiful 
  > coast of Oaxaca Mexico I  still don't feel confident enough to take 
  > the plunge and try to lay one  .I've never posted a comment before but 
  > felt it was worth a go before caving in and  going with the polished 
  > cement floor that would be a very sad but much easier option
  >     For one thing it's just me my daughter and 3 local labourers, it's 
  > taken me a tough but wonderful year to get to this stage and if  I 
  > went through all that time, work and money (linseed is no bargain down 
  > here) and I managed to balls it up which would probably happen at 
  > least once I would be devistated.
  >     I have an abundance of clay and have actually resorted to using 
  > coconut fibre for my walls as it ,unlike straw is readily available.
  >     Man power is not an issue , it's cheap and cheerful over here and 
  > I could even offer accomodation close to the beach with basic cooking 
  > facilities .
  >     This place is heaven , if anyone who really has first hand 
  > experience at laying successful earthen floors feels that they might 
  > be tempted to a great get away with a bit of work thrown in please let 
  > me know , I'm open to starting the work anytime between now and June.
  >     Many thanks to all , for all your contributions to this fantastic 
  > forum !!!
  >     Sarah.
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