flooring
Earth Floor
Earth floors are a great heat storage for your home- absorbing heat from the sunlight and easing it later. The first floors we ever used were earth floors. At the time it was just compressed earth and got a bit dusty in time. Today through the finish of for example linseed oil, the dusting is a very minor problem.
Earth floors are a great environmentally friendly choice, especially when the materials are already on site.
Earth floors are generally made of a mixture of sand, clay, straw and water. The sand gives the floor structural strength, the clay with the help of water binds the sand together and the straw helps to give the floor tensile strength, to avoid cracking.
For CO2 emissions created during manufacture, recyclability and thermal mass, earthen floors are hard to beat.
Advantages of earth floors:
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Earth floors are sustainable and can often be made out of local materials
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The floors can be fully recycled
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Very low CO2 creation during its production
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Very long lifespan with little maintenance
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Potential cracks can easily be fixed
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The floor helps to regulate the indoor climate
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Mould, termite and fireproof
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High thermal mass, storing heat and releasing it in the evening/ at night
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Disadvantages of earth floors:
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Cracking can happen (though they can be repaired)
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Floors will take a few weeks to be finished and able to be worked upon
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Dents can be made with furniture of high heels
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The floor requires a concrete or timber floor underneath
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The floor is about as heavy as a concrete floor
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The floor does require some knowledge in mix and application to avoid cracks and have a fairly even floor
