[Cob] report on earthen floor, 14 months in

[Jill Hogan]

Sorry I did the first floor in 2004

On 2013/01/18 09:41 PM, Jill Hogan wrote:
> 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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