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Mud Floors?

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Good dirt in the house? The OC register recently featured an article (that originally ran in the NYT this past Feb.), about the new trend in Mud Floors. (Read AT:NY's take on the original article here). There is a growing breed of homeowners that are switching to using mud as an alternative flooring to hardwood, carpeting or concrete.

posted originally from: AT:LA

 
 

The mud used for flooring is generally mixed with lime and sand, two classic components of concrete. Adding sand and fiber is apparently key to helping it control cracking. Obviously, earthen floors are not a new idea, but with the increasing interest in environmental awareness, there's a big interest in natural building materials like mud. Currently it's more popular in the West. The article is an interesting read, as it balances the pros and cons of mud flooring. Some of the benefits include the fact that earthen floors have high density and low conductiviy, allowing it to capture and retain warmth. Also, the cost per square foot is drastically lower than, say, compared to hardwood, and the look is definitely unique with character. Unfortunately, some of the cons are that there currently is no firm standard on how to build them. Also, depending on how the floors are installed, high point loads, such as sharp high heels or certain chair legs can dent them. Read the entire article here. Here is also a post at Treehugger on their take on the article. Would any of you consider installing a mud floor? Have any of you experienced or lived with mud or earthen floors?

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Comments (2)

I think they look really cool. If I had unlimited resources, I'd put one in my house.

posted by tgray99 on 2007-08-11 00:35:29
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Years ago I stayed at the Laughing Horse Inn in Taos, New Mexico. It had beautiful, hard, shiny dirt floors. They looked kind of like slate flooring, with irregular shapes. Their website says the original floors were earthen cured with oxblood.

If I remember correctly, the bathroom had ceramic tile flooring. I think overflow or flooding would be the ruin of some earthen floors. Don't know if the dirt floors are still there, as one photo shows wood flooring.

http://www.laughinghorseinn.com/

posted by Carol in Denver on 2007-08-13 22:57:29
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