Finished the floor today.

A summer full of rain and heat has been an obstacle, but I got it done.

The floor is mostly poured stabilized adobe- a clay rich soil with 15% cement/lime mix added for strength, plasticity, and water resistance. I added straw as well to keep everything together.

The area in the foreground in gray is a bathroom. I did the bathroom and kitchen floors (the highest water areas) using a cement grout mix instead of adobe. Those spaces will be finished with tile.

It has rained on the adobe flooring several times without any issues, so I’m calling it a big success. The only downside is that, because of the nature of the mix using straw, I could not get it mixed and pumped in using a big concrete truck and pump, which could have done the whole thing in a day. But it’s done and I am happy with the results.

The floor is plenty strong; I tested several areas by rolling my tractor on it- no problems.

Nevertheless, it is softer and warmer than concrete, and that’s what I was looking for.

Now the walls go up.

I’ve ordered the doors and windows. I have plenty of compressed adobes to mortar on the first two courses. Then I need to make the blocks that will be dry-stacked to the top of the wall. The block press is capable of making several thousand blocks a day, I just need dirt and a crew to help me get it done quickly.