To keep myself from typing the same thing over again, I’m going to simply copy the text of an email I sent to Bill and Athena Steen, in my hope to determine an appropriate natural insulation layer in an earthen floor installation.
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I’ve been living in my cob house for two years now, and I’m preparing to re-do the earthen floor. We think it’s a source of the major moisture issues we’ve been experiencing. It currently doesn’t have a vapor barrier, and that’s the main reason we are considering re-doing it.
Actually, I have two questions about our floor project. One is: if you use vapor barriers, what is your preferred type of membrane?
And more importantly, do you insulate your earthen floors? Can you recommend a material that would be suitable? I am not thinking a light clay straw insulation layer would be appropriate, because of the thickness necessary, and thus the change in floor height. Have you ever heard of anyone doing a sawdust-clay insulation layer? I did a sawdust insulation layer over the earthen oven I built two summers ago, but I’ve never heard of anyone doing something similar in a floor.
Any ideas? We want to avoid manufactured products as much as possible. (Not possible with the membrane, of course.)
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Well, there you have it. Ideas greatly welcomed!
