An earthen floor, also called an adobe floor, is a floor made of dirt, raw earth, or other unworked ground materials. It is usually constructed, in modern times, with a mixture of sand, finely chopped straw and clay, mixed to a thickened consistency and spread with a trowel on a sub-surface such as concrete. Once dry, it is then usually saturated with several treatments of a drying oil.
History
Earthen floors were predominant in most houses until the mid 14th century in Europe, and persist to this day in many parts of the world.
[Frances Gies and Joseph Gies, Life in a Medieval Village] In medieval times, almost all peasant housing had earthen floors, usually of hardpacked dirt topped off with a thin layer of straw for warmth and comfort.
In China, most cottages and smaller houses also had earthen floors, made of rammed earth and sealed with raw linseed.[Mitsu,Ahn , Developments in History: China] Earthen floors were used in ancient Greece,
Benefits
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Variety of colors, textures, and materials
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Can be installed over nearly any subflooring
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Integrates well with in-floor radiant heat tubing
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One of the cheapest flooring methods, Environmentalism or otherwise
Construction
In modern times, most earthen floors are often laid over the top of a subfloor of tamped gravel or cob or adobe, and then a mixture of clay, sand and fiber are mixed and leveled onto the subfloor. The finished layer can be 1/2 to 2 inches thick, and once dry is sealed with a drying oil (like
linseed oil). Earthen floors can be laid over the top of previously installed wood floors but weight can become an issue.
Finishing
A drying oil like linseed oil is usually used to seal the floor and protect it from wear and tear. A final coat of a wax sealing finish (
perilla oil or floor wax) can be used to increase durability and lustre.
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