Cob: slate-crete flooring-crossposted

[Charmaine R Taylor]

 Hi to all.... I just got some beautiful slate pieces-1ft sq, odd lots,
colors, rough/uneven on the bottom, etc. at deep discount at the tile
store. ($2.50 ea.- - as a cost example a FAKE slate made  locally of
colored  portland cement only,  with a "slate" texture on top called
"Arizona slate" -to tart it up, sells for $7.50 each)

These REAL slates will crack if stepped on on an uneven surface,  ( ask
me how I know : >)  and are too irregular, all  laid together, in  their
thicknesses to lay in a regular mortar of " Thinset" ( Portland- which I
did not wish to use anyway)

So I began messing with an "outdoor" mix of  lime-Kaolin
clay-sawdust-paper ( AKA my fibercrete recipe )  which I had used for a
poured "step" off of a patio area.

the crete mix dries really really hard, yet is cushiony to walk on, so I
decided to made a small "frame box" of scrap wood,  troweled  in an inch
of the crete, and laid the same-size slate onto it...it's outside
drying, and it got me to thinking this combo  might be great for a
"natural floor" as it does about five  things at once..ie  The Crete
insulates, cushions, acts as solid mortar, lets you level the slate as
needed underneath, and is practically free! ( the cost of the bagged
lime) and the REAL stone on top can be anything you can acquire.

So for any type of stone, porcelain tiles, rejects, odd lots, etc. that
one can get, this may be a good solution for a  heavily used floor area,
instead of depending on clay/earth floors to hold up  to traffic, chair
legs, ( although I hear they do fine)


will report back on how this is working...the samples I made will be
used at the entry in my studio bldg.  and walked on just to see how they
hold up over this winter with me stomping on them daily.

One more thing...the slates, if they break can be pried out and a new
one laid  in, making repairs pretty easy.  Nothing looks as good as real
stone floors, and they are perfect for natural builders to use..

possibly griding off a floor area with wood strips, troweling in a crete
mix, then laying in stones could work too.   has anyone done this? and
can you tell us/me the results?

Papercrete floors are poured, but I don't know of any combination  with
stone floors.

Ms. Charmaine  Taylor/ Taylor Publishing
http://www.dirtcheapbuilder.com
http://www.papercrete.com
PO Box 375, Cutten (Eureka) CA 95534
707-441-1632