[Cob] report on earthen floor, 14 months in

[Jill Hogan]

Thanks Tys

I did my first floor in 200 and it is still beautiful, smooth, unmarked 
and very sucessful.
We dug down 200mm. We filled 100mm with stone from the property of 
varing sizes and then compacted well.
We then did a 180mm pure cob layer which again we compacted
Once dry and make sure it is properly dry. The more you walk on the cob 
the more it compacts. Then two layers of 10mm lime render (1 lime, 3 
river sand, 1/2 the earth we had been using for cob)
The first layer being a scratch coat and the second screed smooth with a 
metal trowel. The two layers were laid over two days

We left it to dry. then treated it with 4 layers
1st layer 100% raw linseed oil slightly heated.
2nd layer 1/4 turps and 3/4 linseed oil
3rd layer half and half
4th layer 1/4 linseed, 3/4 turps and then 2 parts bees wax to 3 parts of 
the linseed oil/turps mixture.

  The old folk said oil the floor once a day for a week,
once a week for a month,
once a month for a year
and once a year for life.

I haven't done this and my floors are lovely, just did the first 4 
layers of oil, they dont mark. We have put protecters under all our 
furniture

Happy floors, for me make a livable happy homes.

Regards Jill

On 2013/01/18 07:18 PM, Tys Sniffen wrote:
> So, thought I'd write up a small report of stuff I wish I'd known before I
> started my floor, specifically about how it wears.
>
>   
>
> I have a cob house, about 1100 sq-ish ft, three levels, with radiant tubes
> for heating.   Here in the sandstone hills in northern California, we dug
> down below topsoil, put in about 44 tons of ¾" gravel (that's about 6"-14"
> deep, depending on how much leveling we had to do) and then put in a cob sub
> floor made from clay and 'road-base', which is a clay-full crushed gravel
> they use as a road top -- sort of rural blacktop.   That layer was something
> like 4" thick.   Then tubes, then 1 ½" of fine sand, clay, horse manure mix
> "poured in" -- that is, put in pretty wet and trowelled smooth.
>
>   
>
> When that had completely dried, I did one room one way, and the rest of the
> house another.
>
> The bedroom got 6 coats: the first 100% oil, then I waited a week, and did a
> coat thinned to 75% with fancy citrus solvent. Waited a week, thinned again,
> to 50% waited a week, then did maybe 2 more coats at 50%, waiting each time
> until it dried.
>
>   
>
> The rest of the house was done (each room separately) 'all at once'.
> Starting in the morning, I slopped on a heavy, heated coat, and as soon as
> it wasn't puddled, did another, and another and another, using less (but
> still 100%) each time. I got 6 coats on in a day.  Once everything dried, I
> did a fancy wax coat, buffing as much as I could.
>
>   
>
> Unfortunately, the one room done differently is the bedroom, which gets the
> least wear, so it's not a good comparison.
>
>   
>
> They all look pretty good, with a dark chocolate color.  The bedroom seems
> to be a bit shinier, which it turns out I like.
>
>   
>
> However, what I see in my kitchen (where most of the action is) is a floor
> that is NOT hard enough.  The wooden kitchen chairs, when someone sits in
> them (and, surprise, that happens a lot) will leave (permanent) dents in the
> floor, deep enough for a quarter to sit in.   I've dropped some things, and
> they've left noticeable dings.   Basically, it's not hard enough.  That's
> pretty frustrating, as I don't know how I can repair it.
>
>   
>
> If I could do it again, I'd figure out a way to spend more time and get it
> harder, especially in the kitchen.
>
>   
>
> Tys
>
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>


-- 
McGregor Alternative Technology
McGregor Alternative Technology Center "MAT"
Jill Hogan
P.O. Box 365
McGregor 6708 	023 625 1533
jill.hogan at mat.org.za
www.mat.org.za <http://www.mat.org.za/>

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