Rammed Earth Floors

[mauzi]

We are in the process of ramming the floor for the power shed. First step is to bring in soil to level it - doing that with the walking tractor and tipping trailer then following with an old fashioned hand roller (think it was used in the old days on tennis courts and then ramming. Then the black plastic goes down and the whole process starts again. Some hardwood pieces are also being rammed into the floor where the Listeroid motor (converted to a generator will sit) and the last step will be the oiling.

We have a rammed earth floor in the cottage and it has been quite amazing and we think ideal for a shed or other space as well. The house has a slab down - that is about all so far never mind, soon. Anyway, back to the rammed earth floor. We have found the cottage very solid and providing you keep it oiled it is pretty dust free as well. Basically it looks like a stone floor and is amazing tough. If it can stand our family it is pretty tough In the first place we used linseed oil when it was completed which certainly does leave a good finish but the disadvantage is that you can not walk on it for two days, which is OK when you are not living in it (or needing to enter a shed for instance) but not practical otherwise, so since then we have been oiling it with any vegetable oil, which works well and is a lot cheaper. It is a bit messy for a day or so but goes in pretty quickly with a good finish. The only maintenance then is to sweep it (as you would any floor) and oil it when it starts to get dry. I will probably miss it when we move into the house.

I will put up some pictures when it is done.

Cheers
Mauzi