[Strawbale] Two questions:

[tim Owen-Kennedy]

Hello Andre,

We have sealed earth walls in much the same way we have sealed earth floors;
with multiple coats of linseed oil successively reduced by 20% with
turpentine/mineral spirits. (1st coat just linseed oil, 2nd 4:linseed oil 1:
mineral spirits, 3rd 3:Linseed 2: mineral spirits, ...) We do this until the
penetration is even and material starts to build on the surface, which we
remove (3-5 coats). We avoid boiled linseed oil because even when it says
100% pure it often contains heavy metal "Japan dryers". We boil raw linseed
oil ourselves and apply it warm-to-hot as we think this helps it penetrate
deeper. We've tried adding 10% beeswax boiled into the mix for the final
coat which has performed the best in wet conditions. On two floors we
finally went with a carnuba wax for hardness and less maintenance. We
haven't had anything in use with these scenarios more then 3 years so who
knows in the end how they will perform. Always great to test in real life if
we can.

I actually applied Linseed oil mixes to my new office floors and walls today
and the smell is almost gone...

Good luck and let us know how it goes,

Tim
----- Original Message -----
From: <lars.keller at mail....dk>
To: <strawbale at amper....muni.cz>
Sent: Sunday, September 15, 2002 12:33 AM
Subject: Re: [Strawbale] Two questions:


> Andre we simply paint the finished "bathroom"-section with linseed oil. If
it needs to dry fast you can choose to paint with linseed oil fernis (Danish
word, its a boiled producrt).
>
> Lars
> ~~
>
>
> "Coralie & Andre de Bouter" <m.ep at laposte...> wrote:
> > Dear Herbert and Chug,
> >
> > Thanks for your reply's, but I might not have stated my
> > question clear
> > enough.
> >
> > I allready have a earthen plaster on the wall, and want to
> > apply the linseed
> > oil over it. I've seen a shower done like that in Denmark
> > (Lars, any
> > suggestions?) and I believe the thin the oil with
> > Therpentine or Thinner.
> >
> > My Borax question is in relation to treating wood against
> > termites.
> >
> > Bye
> > Andre
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Herbert Gruber <d.sign at aon...>
> > To: <strawbale at amper....muni.cz>
> > Sent: Friday, September 13, 2002 2:36 PM
> > Subject: Re: [Strawbale] Two questions:
> >
> >
> > > Dear Coralie and Andre
> > >
> > > 1st) Linseed Oil can be mixed directly to the earthen
> > plaster (instead of
> > > blood, cow-dung, urine, waterglass or salt (borax), as it
> > was done in
> > > history) to make it a little more waterproof. Just make
> > tries to find the
> > > right mixture (depends on the oil-content in clay), but
> > you need only a
> > > little bit. As Canadian tests have shown,
> > waterdamp-permeability is not
> > > influenced much by linseed oil.
> > >
> > > 2nd) Borax is a salt which gives a relative good
> > protection against mice
> > or
> > > moth, it even protects wood against mould for a certain
> > time (so it is
> > > nearly the only organic-chemical material, which gives no
> > toxic damps to
> > the
> > > air, but is not liked by animals and plants). Because it
> > is a hard but not
> > > waterproof material when it is dry (as salt), it can be
> > washed down by
> > rain,
> > > falls off etc. That means, you have to renew the covering
> > after a time
> > (1-2
> > > years). But be sure to construct your wooden beams so,
> > that no water or
> > damp
> > > can harm it (constructive wood-protection). Borax is not
> > proper for
> > > strawbale- protection, because it is only a covering.
> > >
> > > Best wishes
> > > Herbert Gruber
> > > -------------------------------
> > > asbn austrian strawbale network
> > > herbert & astrid gruber
> > > http://www.baubiologie.at
> > > email: asbn at aon...
> > > -------------------------------
> > >
> > > > Von: "Coralie & Andre de Bouter" <m.ep at laposte...>
> > > > Antworten an: strawbale at amper....muni.cz
> > > > Datum: Thu, 12 Sep 2002 22:36:45 +0200
> > > > An: <strawbale at amper....muni.cz>
> > > > Betreff: [Strawbale] Two questions:
> > > >
> > > > Bonjour,
> > > >
> > > > Two questions:
> > > >
> > > > * Can any of you tell me how to use linseed oil to
> > waterproof an earthen
> > > > plaster. It's meant for the shower, yes, a SB shower
> > with earthen
> > plaster.
> > > > Just a little test building in our garden that we will
> > take down in a
> > few
> > > > years so we can see how it holds up.
> > > >
> > > > * Does any of you have any feelings (and info) on Borax
> > as an anti
> > termite
> > > > treatment (for wood)? Or are all of you so far up north
> > that these
> > little
> > > > critters are no problem for you.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > A little positive news from our house...... we are mud
> > plastering our
> > > > bedroom..... but wait, that's not all.... Coralie is
> > pregnant and is
> > pushing
> > > > hard to have her little nest ready before february.
> > > >
> > > > Hope you are all well,
> > > > Andre
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > ____________________________________________________
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