Cob: Using AE>>Too much linseed oil

[D.J. Henman]

Will,

Firstbrook, Will wrote:

> ......This weekend I retried the alcohol again with a wire brush and 
> scraped off the top layer of sticky linseed oil. The floor is airing 
> out this week. It is not as nice looking now but it its not sticky and 
> most of the smell is gone. I am probably going to put a throw carpet 
> over the floor and refinish it next summer.
>
Let it dry as thoroughly as possible before covering it with anything.
If you must cover it, another possible material to consider would be 
cork flooring. 
I don't know how cork flooring would work with filthy, barbaric practice 
of wearing shoes in the house, but such flooring exists and feels good 
to walk on, and doesn't provide a home for bugs like a carpet does.   
Gives good sound quality to the room to.  I am assuming that the floor 
is not being used to collect direct solar energy.

> On the north wall I have a shed style roof for some covered storage 
> space. Right now its floor is just earth and some 1" river rock. My 
> wife wants me to make a cement floor so we stop tracking in dust and 
> make a smooth level floor.
>
You could used a rammed earth with lime stabilized floor.   Its better 
on you feet.  But, takes longer to make.    The problem with tracking 
dust in,  is just a symptom of the filthy, barbaric practice (partly 
joking of course) of wearing shoes inside the house.  Remember,  it's 
not just dust that becomes attached to the underside of ones shoes its 
is all kinds of stuff that you wouldn't want near you if you thought 
about it from pathogens, animal excrement, toxic chemicals, to 
what-have-you.  

A better way to keep you floors clean is to take off you outside shoes 
before entering.  If you have to wear something inside, then wear inside 
use only slippers.   They feel better to.   Your floors will last longer to.

I do this and it feels normal when you get used to it.   After a while 
seeing people wear shoes in the house seems so .... well unclean.   
Especially, for folks who have little ones crawling around or like to 
lay about on the floor after a big meal.

> I'm wonder about asphalt emulsion, clay and sand. I wonder what kind 
> of subfloor I would need. I want to do something with that floor next 
> summer. I have a small trench on the outside perimeter (part rubble 
> trench) to reduce the chance of water getting on to that floor.
>
> Regards,
> Will
>
Regards,
  Darel