Natural Building: How to build earth floors sealed with oil?

In contrast to the common conception of a dirt floor, well-constructed earth floors are durable and aesthetically pleasing. They are resistant to spills, mopping, and regular foot traffic when treated with linseed oil. Due to their optimal hue and density for absorbing and storing winter sunlight, they are the best choice for many passive solar homes. They are also useful for cooling in the heat.

This video demonstrates a step-by-step guide on creating an earthen floor from a mixture of ingredients, such as clay, sand, and straw, with the on-grade floor (oil-sealed) by Sukita Reay, author of Earthen Floors.

Step 1: 4 to 6 inches of drainage layer composed of round, coarse gravel. This prevents moisture from rising from the subsoil into the soil layer above and allows liquids to drain away if they are spilled.

Step 2: Lay down two base layers of mud mix, each about 2" - 3’’ thick. The mixture consists of soaked clay soil, sand, gravel, and straw. Each layer is carefully leveled with screed boards but needs to be trowelled smoothly. Alternatively, you can sometimes install a 4" -6" thick layer of compacted road base in place of the poured base layers.

Step 3: The finish coat of an earthen floor is a very smooth mixture of screened clay slip, sifted sand, and fine fiber such as chopped straw or horse manure with the consistency of cake batter. It is only applied after the base layer has dried completely and is polished smooth with a steel float. When the floor is completely dry, it is sealed with four or more coats of oil and sometimes waxed.

Chapters
00:03 Where did you learn the basic Earth Floor techniques?
01:02 When to use drain rock
01:44 Vapor Barrier
02:16 Option for insulation
02:44 What is Road Base
04:47 Ways of Leveling the Floor
05:51 Using a laser level to level the floor
06:13 Optional quarter-inch finish
06:57 Option of adding another oil coat
09:51 The aesthetic of an earthen floor

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