[Cob] Installing vapor barrier in earthen floor: concerns about moisture wicking into walls

[Christos Aggelidhs]

You could let moisture that comes from the underground evaporate through an
open baseboard

On Wed, Aug 3, 2011 at 8:31 PM, Dulane <silkworm at spiderhollow.com> wrote:

> I have written to you before and I am dealing with a similar problem. Since
> I am on a mild hill, mostly the upside of the house is affected, so I know
> it is drainage. That being said, this is the wettest year we've experienced
> plus coolest summer, in recent history. But with weather changing as it is,
> it's hard to know what to prepare for.
>
> I have to mention that adequate roof ventilation is a must. I think it
> might
> be twice what you might expect...if you have an earthen floor in a wet
> area.
>
>
> I had a 3-4 in. layer of pea gravel, then 1-2 in. styrofoam and then 4 in.
> of very stiff cob (drier and sandier mix) as my base. There was no vapor
> barrier under the styrofoam however, so water can seep in.
>
> I used the base for 2 years. I laid carpets on it to protect it, and I
> never
> noticed a damp area or rotting carpet. I suspect, because it was still able
> to breathe.
>
> Then I sealed over a 3 in. dense damp finish floor with beeswax and linseed
> oil. Not only that, but I fed Mayhem food by adding blood meal and wheat
> paste and manure. If I did it again in a climate like the pacific NW, I'd
> stick closer to mineral and add minimal food sources for the mold. Lime can
> be used in a floor mix, and it is antibacterial.
>
> If you are worried about the walls, I'd say...just make sure they are
> painted with a lime based paint that breathes better than the floor ever
> did. Also, I left a floor area behind a shelf unfinished, and there is no
> mold there. Maybe some built-in ceramic floor vents would be a pre-building
> consideration. You could always stuff them with insulation and cob over
> them
> if they didn't serve their purpose. I have a cooler box vent which is lower
> on the wall and it helps circulate air.
>
> I bet cob floors are great in an arid area.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: coblist-bounces at deatech.com [mailto:coblist-bounces at deatech.com] On
> Behalf Of Brian Ziggy
> Sent: Wednesday, August 03, 2011 9:38 AM
> To: coblist at deatech.com
> Subject: [Cob] Installing vapor barrier in earthen floor: concerns about
> moisture wicking into walls
>
> Hi there:
>
> I've made the decision to tear out my current earthen floor, which lacks a
> vapor barrier and insulation. Here in northeast Missouri, we have extremely
> heavy, damp soil, and I've been experiencing a large amount of condensation
> and mildew on my floor, possibly from moisture wicking up. Homes with vapor
> barriers under earthen floors in this area have done well. I will be
> following suit.
>
> I have dug out the entirety of the original floor, exposing the gravel
> underneath. The next step is to lay down the (6 mil poly) vapor barrier. I
> want to seal it to the urbanite foundation around the perimeter of the
> house, but I fear that will send the rising moisture straight into the
> walls
> instead. Is this true? Will we be simply sending our problem elsewhere?
>
> As a note: the foundation is urbanite, on a 18" deep gravel trench. The
> foundation is exposed and uninsulated.
>
> Any thoughts about this would be very welcome. Thanks for your time!
>
> - ziggy
> www.small-scale.net/yearofmud
>
> --
> _________________
> I live at http://dancingrabbit.org
> and this is the Year of Mud http://small-scale.net/yearofmud
> _______________________________________________
> Coblist mailing list
> Coblist at deatech.com
> http://www.deatech.com/mailman/listinfo/coblist
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Coblist mailing list
> Coblist at deatech.com
> http://www.deatech.com/mailman/listinfo/coblist
>



-- 
'.;';'/;';/';.'/';.'/;'./;'./;././';/;:;';';.'/';.'/;'./;'.';.'/';.'/;'./;'.';.'/';.';.'/';.'/;'./;'.';.'/';.'/;'./;'.';.'/';.'/;'./;'.';.'/';.'/;'./;'.';.'/';.'/