Sealing the Floors

We finally got around to something I have been waiting for for a very long time - sealing the downstairs floors.

Because the sealant is so stinky, it is not something we could just do, as the house must be left open for a while. We'd wanted to do it at the beginning of the year, but we had visitors, then other stuff came up, then the rains started, etc. This was the last chance we had to get it done before it gets cold.

This was something I did not participate in, as we were worried that it might be something that would affect the baby. Abe and a friend did a great job and it went a lot faster than we had thought.

We have left the house open and alone, while we take a mini vacation, much deserved we feel.

We have now done all the major projects we had wanted to get finished before winter, and when we return home I will be able to sweep and mop the whole house - just in time for the pregnancy nesting phases. Poor Abe.

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Painting and Sealing

We went back to work on the house this week.

We laid the floor that connects the two rooms. This part is running bond pattern, while the two rooms are basket weave. We then poured concrete for the door thresholds and final step.

We textured and painted all the walls and ceilings, and sealed all the brick walls.

Finally, we sealed the brick floors. We used a heavy duty industrial acrylic concrete sealer. It has made the bricks darker and glossy and looks beautiful, but VERY STINKY!! We now have to wait a week before we can move in.

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Kids Rooms Floors

We only worked a couple of days this week, but they were very productive (and tiring!).

We finished working on the sheet rock, then moved onto the floors.

We got both floors done, using a basket weave pattern out of CEBs. They look great, and Leo has already christened them by taking almost all of his toys up there to play. Didn't get to do the landing floor, but no biggie.

Once we get back from the holidays, we just have to do the landing, paint, seal the floors and brick walls, and make shelves. Then we can move in. Yippee.

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Brick Floors

This week has seen our first floor laid, and it went really well. It is the first floor we have had in the 7 years we've been together, so probably anything would seem great.

It is a brick floor, using compressed earth bricks that were stabilized with cement.

- We started off with a compacted sand base.
- We put black plastic down first as a vapor barrier.
- We laid 1 inch insulation over the whole floor.
- We cut a piece of remesh to fit the room.
- We tied PEX pipe going up and down the room. This sub floor pipe will be heated by solar boilers that we will later install on the south side of the roof.
- We put screened sand on top of the pipe, which we then leveled.
- We laid the bricks on the sand in a running bond pattern, knocking each brick level and tight against its neighbors with a rubber mallet.
- We cut the edge bricks and laid them.
- We swept screened sand into the cracks. As the sand settles we will sweep more sand into the cracks until they stop settling.

We will have to leave the floor a while before we can seal it, but it looks finished. Furthermore, the living room is now fully painted, so we have our first room done (more or less!!!). Very exciting.


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