Earthen Floors

Down and dirty -- a complete step-by-step guide to making, installing, and living with beautiful, all-natural earthen floors A COMPLETE STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO MAKING, INSTALLING AND LIVING WITH BEAUTIFUL, ALL-NATURAL EARTHEN FLOORS "The authors successfully de-mystify the process of mixing, installing, finishing and maintaining an earthen floor in a way that will help novices and seasoned builders alike to produce floors that are the most beautiful, sensual and eco-friendly option available." Chris Magwood, author, Making Better Buildings and cofounder, The Endeavour Centre "The ideal mix of inspiration, experience, technique and instruction… this book makes a great contribution to the field on every level." David Eisenberg, director, Development Center for Appropriate Technology EARTHEN FLOORS are a beautiful, affordable, durable flooring option suitable for nearly any home. Earthen Floors: A Modern Approach to an Ancient Practice is a comprehensive, fully illustrated guide to this natural building technique, explaining every part of the process, including:

• Sourcing and harvesting materials
• Preparing the subfloor
• Pouring, finishing and sealing the floor
• Living with and maintaining your earthen floor.

Drawing on the combined knowledge of the most qualified earthen floor practitioners, as well as the authors' own substantial experience, Earthen Floors is the definitive resource for this exciting flooring alternative, perfect for everyone from the environmentally conscious do-it-yourself enthusiast to the veteran builder. "Earthen Floors fills a long-standing gap in the catalog of natural building publications in providing reliable and thorough instruction in earthen floor construction… the most comprehensive and thorough resource on earthen floor technology available today." Jacob Deva Racusin, author, The Natural Building Companion and co-owner, New Frameworks Natural Building, LLC SUKITA REAY CRIMMEL has installed over 20,000 sq ft of earthen flooring, and is one of the preeminent experts in the emerging field of earthen floors. JAMES THOMSON has spent a decade introducing students to the joys of building with earth with House Alive, one of the leading natural building training organizations in North America. For most of human history, people have lived in durable, comfortable buildings made from natural materials such as soil, sand, rocks, and fiber. All over the globe, these ancient traditions persist; a quarter to a third of the world's population today lives in houses built partially or entirely of earth. Conventional Western building techniques using industrial materials may save time and create efficiencies, but these perceived savings come at considerable financial and environmental cost. As well as boasting a unique and beautiful aesthetic, natural building techniques are accessible, affordable, and non-toxic. Earthen Floors: A Modern Approach to an Ancient Practice is the first comprehensive, fully illustrated manual covering the history, use, and maintenance of this attractive, practical flooring option. This detailed, fully illustrated guide explains every part of the process, including: * Sourcing and harvesting materials * Preparing the subfloor * Pouring, finishing, and sealing the floor * Living with and maintaining your earthen floor Because information on creating quality earthen floors was not previously widely available, there have been some negative experiences. Drawing on the combined knowledge of the most qualified earthen floor practitioners, as well their own substantial experience, the authors deliver the definitive resource for this exciting technique, perfect for everyone from the novice to veteran builder. Sukita Reay Crimmel has installed over twenty thousand square feet of earthen flooring, and is one of the preeminent experts in the emerging field of earthen floors. James Thomson is part of House Alive, one of the leading natural building training organizations in the country.