EARTHEN FLOORS!

A 4-day workparty teaching all things earthen floor related! We will cover the essentials of earthen floors, preparation, base and finish pours. During the workshop, we will conduct tests to determine the right materials and recipes for earthen floors. A base earthen floor will be poured and participants will help create samples for the finish floor recipe. This work is being completed on a fire rebuild home in Paradise, CA. We are utilizing grant funding to complete this house for a lovely woman who has been living in a trailer for the past years. There is no cost to attend these workparties, our hope is to have many hands make light work and get us closer to a finished home years after these devastating fires. We appreciate you coming to learn with us and using your hands to help finish this home.

This workparty will cover:

• How to source the raw materials that make up earthen floors

• How to test your site soil to be used as a building material

• Aggregates and what is appropriate for use in floor systems

• Using carbon sequestering building materials and what that means for our planet

• How to test and ensure a good floor mix

• Mixing techniques and efficiency

• How to create a level, consistent floor and what tools to use

• Sub-floor and design details specific to earthen floors

• How to properly finish the floor

• Artistic techniques and embedding stone or tile

This course is suitable for both beginners and experts. You will learn everything from the basics, such as finding soil, how to compose a mix, and pour that mix. You will leave with a confidence and understanding of how to install an earthen floor in your own home.

LOGISTICS

• Dates: This course begins with orientation Thursday morning 11am, May 23, and ends Sunday, May 26, at 3pm.

• Meals: You are responsible for bringing your own meals. We will have lunch around 1pm on Thursday, this will be our first meal together. If you have the capacity, please consider bringing items to share as well. We value eating meals together and would love to see some potluck style lunches & dinners come to fruition. Some snacks will be provided. Drinking water will be on site.

• Accommodations: Camping is available on site with an outdoor camping like shower and toilet. If you prefer to stay elsewhere; there is a hotel and Airbnb options nearby.

• Attendance: If you are not able to attend for the entire weekend, please let us know. We could be open to some people coming for part of the time, we just ask that you commit to a full day and not partial days as it may be too distracting to the education/work flow.

Registration

Registration Form – Please click on the register button and fill out the form. Space is limited to 20 people per workparty so please let us know if you are wanting to join. We look forward to meeting you! Happy mud!