Earth floor (sol en terre)

 

A few weeks ago we made a start on the earth floor downstairs.  I am using the book 'Les Sols en terre' by Marie Milesi and Johannes Riesterer as a guide.  So it will be two layers of earth laid onto the existing layer of volcanic rock (pouzzolaine) followed by coats of flax oil and possibly a tempura paint ...

The mix we decided on for the subfloor consists of clay earth (12% clay content) that came from a neighbours land, sand 0,4, a gravel sand mix (mélange à béton), some chopped straw, bark chip and flour glue ... it has cost around 60 euros so far for the materials ...

Some images of the work so far:

The Ingredients/materials

Flour glue - a handful for each concrete mixer load



Mélange à béton (gravel and sand mix)

Chopped straw (we used the lawnmower to chop
the straw so that it could be used in the concrete
mixer - if the strands are too long they get tangled
on the mixer blades ........ the ideal machine is a
malaxeur planetaire (don't know what that is in
English) - it is a machine with horizontal action
blades - but supremely difficult to find ....

Bark shreddings/chips collected free of charge
from a local saw mill ...

Local sand - 0,4
 

The Eco - Builders

Regina, woofer from the USA mowing
 the straw.  Nice glasses!!

Woofer Lauren from Texas USA shovels the sand
into a bucket

 Regina shovels sand into a bucket
 

Kevin at the helm of the mixer ...
 

Regina wheeling in the mix
 

Tipping the mix ....



Lauren using the level taped to a builder's ruler
to level the floor ... ideally we would have
used a lazer and vertical sticks wedged into the floor ...

Woofer 'Yes' from Belgium using the taloche to level
the floor mix

The subfloor half done

Kitty grey cat surveying the work
from the safety of a wooden board
in the middle of the floor - she has
enjoyed leaving her footprints
 everywhere.