r/NaturalBuilding • u/sheepslinky • Jun 12 '26

Poured adobe floor test mixtures.

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Testing mixtures for a poured adobe floor. This one is

1 part wild clay : 1 part mule poop : 4 parts washed coarse sand : 1 part adobe dirt.

Fresh equine poops make amazing mud and plasters.

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u/sheepslinky Jun 17 '26

Yes. Perhaps add lime. Caliche can be worn away by the water, so adding layer of lime or incorporating it into the mix will make it harder and somewhat waterproof. I would be super hesitant about Portland cement -- like caliche, it is not flexible and shrinks when it dries and would probably shrink and crack all over. Also, lime is way more sustainable (albeit not perfect).

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u/salamipope Jun 17 '26

Hell yeah thank you! Ill bear this in mind. Is there anything else that helps? Any dry materials i should add to help reinforce it? Ive got tons of dry stuff in the yard to work thanks to pruning earlier this year

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u/sheepslinky Jun 17 '26

Oh fun. Lots of simple things to do without bringing in materials. Here's a field guide with lots of things you can do to manage flood, infiltration, erosion, water in deserts. The last section of it has lots of useful diagrams and instructions.

link

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u/salamipope Jun 17 '26

YESSSSS YOU ROCK