[Cob] Cement/adobe plaster and cob floors

[David Thurman]

Dorthy This thread brings up something. Aren't there sealers for lime
plaster either natural or polymer based? I almost hate to bring up polymer
based sealers here but sometimes they work great are fairly environmental
friendly compared to what they do.
On Jan 15, 2014 2:44 PM, "Dorethy Hancock" <dorethy at centeroftherainbow.com>
wrote:

> For Mike Creedy:
> I'll add my vote with Tys Sniffen on the cement.  If you'll read what Ianto
> Evans says in *The Hand-Sculpted House*, you'll find that the expert has
> had bad results with cement.  I don't qualify as an expert, perhaps; but I
> put earthen plaster over cob, (about 1:3 clay to sand, plus chopped,
> strained straw; and then a lime plaster over that.  My cob house has
> weathered almost 10 years now, and I only have to patch a few cracks in
> this lime plaster now and then, and they are very easy to mend.  Anyway, it
> sounds like you have good overhang, so you don't have to worry much about
> water damaging your plaster.  I'll admit, I don't know your weather there;
> but in Kansas we sometimes get rain *sideways*, with heavy winds.
>
> As for floors:  *You can't use JUST linseed oil*!  I have a nice hard floor
> which admittedly had some damage by renters who somehow managed to gouge
> holes in it (they apparently neither knew nor cared anything about them
> because they didn't own them!); but for everyday normal wear-&-tear, it's
> good.  It's a "poured cob" floor:  bottom layer (3" deep) is clay and sand
> with rocks up to 3/4", plus chopped straw and a little manure;  next layer
> is 1 1/2" deep, and has small pebbles, and the straw is strained through
> 1/4" screen; then the third/top layer is about 1/2" thick, with same
> ingredients (clay, sand, straw & manure) that are strained through window
> screen and troweled on.  Now, for the protective coat:  The first coat was
> 3 parts linseed oil to 1 part turpentine.  Second coat is half and half.
> Third coat is 1 part linseed oil and 3 parts turpentine.  You must wait
> between each coat for it to thoroughly dry, just as you do with each layer
> of cob.  I've read where one builder does 7 coats, and guarantees her work
> to stand up to anything.  Suit yourself on that.
>
> I hope this helps.  Good luck!
> Dorethy from Kansas
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