Accent Wall & (Part 1) Rammed Earth Floor | DIY Off-Grid Home Build #43 🏜️

[@peggyhelblingsgardenwhatyo7920]

Wow! I wasn't sure I was hearing you correctly. Earthen floors. I can't wait to see if it works. 🙏🤞🙏

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

Our daughter's are clean and solid. If she hadn't did her's first, I don't think we would have been brave enough to try it. Earth floors are expensive to have done, but for us, you can't beat the price. Thanks! 😊🏜️

[@hankfacer7098]

Now I think I understand the Industrial look, it is just so different, I am finding the earth floor most interesting different in make up to what I had expected.

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

It's definitely not a style everyone likes, but we both love it. We are figuring it out and making it up as we go, so we'll see how it all comes together. It's definitely going to be interesting. 😊

[@miltonpomales5405]

Good job!!! Working with cement, clay and dirt is not easy. Keep it up!!!

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

It's going well, thanks! 😊🏜️

[@basilwise8193]

Love how your living room is coming together! The metal accent wall sections are awesome. The earth floors are interesting, I am curious to see how well they work.

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

Thanks! Yes, it's all really coming together now. 😊🏜️

[@B30pt87]

Hey, thank you. You've expanded my impression of how rammed earth needs to be done. (And the tiny lizard at the end was an unexpected pleasure!)

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

Thanks for watching! It was a learning process. There are a lot of interesting creatures out here in the desert. I show some of them at the end of most of the videos. 😊🏜️

[@joetkeshub]

Your posts deserve way more views. Decorative panels are a great aesthetic idea. Thank you for sharing your experience.

[@Buzzard2014]

i hope you come up with a fix to the problem and be able to move on before winter. thanks for sharing and have a great day

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

Thanks! Yes, it shouldn't take too long to get them done. 😊🏜️

[@avalonhomestead9077]

Nice job. Windows look good.

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

Thanks! 😊

[@jeffbee6090]

I like that your remind us over and over that you really don't know what you're doing... Even more I like that you just go for it! :)

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

😄 Thanks! Just making sure people know that this might not actually work. Yes, we went for it and figured it out. We love our earthen floor.

[@waynekomprood7093]

You guys "rock" as do Affordable Dessert Living and Green Dream Project. I just don't understand why you don't have more followers. Love the metal on the walls and the floor.

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

Thanks! This channel is almost 1 year old, it takes time. 😊🏜️

[@ShadowMoonFarms]

Thank you

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

Thanks for watching! 😊

[@vivalaleta]

Love how instinctually artistic and unique your place is. You're courageous to install an earthen floor too.

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

Thanks! It all came together well, & we really love the earthen floors.

[@catgynt9148]

Quite an interesting project with the rammed earth floor. This bedroom floor will be a serious heat sink / thermal battery. Looking forward to seeing what your topcoat materials will be to create a smooth, stable surface. The metal accent pieces really make the windows pop with added brightness. Wishing you and your family a blessed Labor Day holiday weekend, gentle weather and restful evenings. Peace

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

The floors have been interesting for sure. Once it's done, I think it will be another one of our favorite design aspects of the house. Thanks, it's all really coming together! Wishing you a wonderful Labor Day weekend as well! 😊

[@catgynt9148]

@@RedandAprilOff-Grid Have you considered embossing a pattern into your floors in place of a smooth surface. ?

[@cathyjones3403]

Wow that’s a fantastic idea for the windows. I know you guys will figure out what to do with the concrete floor 👏👏. Excellent video

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

Thanks so much! 😊🏜️

[@lawrencelipon8673]

Lots of tough slugging, great teamwork , really like the window accent , with the galvanized, above and below the windows, nice video, hoping the rammed earth mix problem is a minor one !!👍👍👍👍👍👌

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

The wall accents were Red's idea, I couldn't quite imagine it, but it looks great! The floors are going well, thanks! 😊

[@BrainStormAcres]

You guys have been doing a ton of work - literally. The hyperadobe should be interesting at your son’s place. Take care.

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

Thanks, yes, it has been going well! Our son is filling the bags all by himself, it went really fast at first. The height is definitely more of a challenge, but he'll get there. Glad y'all have had some good travels. I listen in some while I'm working on projects. -April 😊🏜️

[@HaroldReece]

Very interesting concept. I am concerned about the durability of the floors, I guess well see how well it works. Thanks for sharing.

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

Thanks! Yes, I don't think we would have been brave enough to try it, if we hadn't seen how our daughter's turned out. She just used dirt, sand, and a type of grass we have out here that is like straw. The floor is easy to repair if needed, and is very solid and clean. 🙂🏜️

[@alexfreer8892]

Fascinating learning about this style of flooring and high I have never seen before

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

Thanks! We wouldn't have been brave enough to try it if our daughter hadn't first.

[@mikehogan1827]

Great work and progress. I love the idea of the rammed earth floor. Can’t wait to see the next steps.

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

Thanks! It's coming along nicely! 😊

[@Dazza_Doo]

Amazing

[@bondpaz]

We are planning something similar with the corrugated metal. I love it. 🥰 Working with earth and shoveling and sifting is hard on the body FOR sure. Lol. Can’t believe how tiny that lizard is. ❤️❤️❤️ Forgot to say looks amazing! Hopefully that’s an easy fix on the floor!

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

Thanks! That was all Red's idea, it turned out great! It's so much nicer to work outside now that it's not so humid, and it has cooled off so much! Loving this change of weather! 😊🧡🏜️

[@bondpaz]

@@RedandAprilOff-Grid Me too! 💜😊

[@bondpaz]

@@RedandAprilOff-Grid Me too. 🥰👌🏽

[@apex007]

Thats interesting. Theres something called sand topping mix, which is used to create shower pans. Its 4 parts sand and 1 part cement. Reminded me based on what youre doing.

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

Thanks 😎

[@pure46]

A little less sand and more cement is something that helped when I've done such mixture (but that is dependent on the quality of the clay). The windows look great!

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

Thanks! 😊🏜️

[@et5222]

So interesting ~ completely guessing, but was more water needed for the chemical reaction of cement, sand and dirt? Can't wait to see how you solved the issues.

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

We think it's going to be a really awesome floor! Thanks! 😊🏜️

[@peterdement]

Consider a transom window above the sliding door to match the height of the windows.

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

Not a bad idea, but I think we have enough windows, and at this point, it would be a whole lot of work to add.

[@thisismyway]

Hey Ya'll The build looks very good. I have been watching for quite a while. I really like what you are doing. I am a retired Mason so I find it very interesting all the cement concepts you are practicing, including your try at air concrete. Thanks for all the content!!

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

Appreciate the comment, and thanks for watching! 😊 We hadn't ever mixed and poured our own concrete until this last year, it's a lot of work, but it's actually kinda fun. Aircrete wasn't particularly fun though, and we are very glad we didn't try to build with it. 🧡🏜️

[@diyfferent]

Yikes, it was sad to see the end clip. I was hoping it would have just worked out. I hope you find a good mix to do so the rest of the house can go smoothly.

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

We'll be showing the conclusion of the rammed earth part of the floor in our next video, Saturday morning at 6:00 MST. Thanks! 🌞🏜️

[@danjenkins5704]

That is a nice idea for floors,are you going to trawl the surface to a smooth finish or leaving the earth rustic look. No matter which way it's going to be sweet. Thinking I might try this and just wondering which one to choose. Thanks for sharing

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

It's nice we have a couple of bedrooms to experiment on before doing the big living room area. We are trying a few different things and finishes on the topcoat, so stay tuned. Earthen floors are pretty awesome! 😊🏜️

[@garytmartin8025]

I have been working with concrete for 50yrs if you measure the dry mix to get it right every time you must measure the water you won't get it right if you just spray the water

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

Earth building is a lot different than mixing concrete. I haven't seen anyone measure the water for their earth builds, but maybe some people try to. Our sand and dirt have varying moisture content. Once you get the hang of what consistency you want, it's fairly easy to tell by looking at the mix if it's right.

[@bobjoatmon1993]

I know very little about the rammed earth floor BUT I thought you used lime so it was self healing and could be added to whereas with Cement is not self healing and it forms cold joints. How'd you decide on using Cement?

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

The recipes we have seen for rammed earth use 8 to 10% cement. It does form cold joints, but it's not a problem, and it adds a lot of strength to the mix. The top coat will help smooth and level everything out. The channel Red Earth Ranch is building an amazing rammed earth home. 🌞🏜️

[@bobjoatmon1993]

@@RedandAprilOff-Grid Yes, I'm subscribed to them too. It's too late to change your game plan and I'm sure it will work out fine for you. In rammed earth walls I think that cement is useful but because I have had some experience in stabilizing dirt floored buildings (think a building as big as a Walmart or Home Depot with columns set on concrete piers but the floor was dirt) the design engineers used lime tilled into the dirt and it worked wonderfully. It was hard but if it got damaged by any of the heavy equipment gouging into the floor, They just wet it a bit and trowled it back flat and it dried hard again. Had a great look and interestingly enough, was easy on the feet. You didn't get as tired standing all day on the stabilized floor as on a concrete floor in the regular buildings.

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

@@bobjoatmon1993 Interesting! Yes, we really liked that earth floors are easier on the joints, but I suppose the cement in the mix could negate some of that. The top layer of most earthen floors is typically just a mix of sand, clay, dirt, and water, sealed with oil. We used some cement in the top layer in one bedroom, but not in the other with interesting results, so stay tuned. 🙂

[@elmultimediaschoolofartscu3924]

I wish you show us start to final look

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

It was a several week process, so we showed it in 3 videos. Here is the next video kzbin.info/www/bejne/mXS5e4WXr7Bjl68

[@MJ-wz6jo]

You will figure it out.

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

Yes we will, thanks! 😊

[@ricardoy.7493]

I have a cement floor (80 square meters) and I would like to convert it to clay floor. Do you think I would get good results doing it on this? Do you have any advice for me? Thank you and I congratulate you on your work.

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

Here is our video of doing the earthen floor in our son's house. kzbin.info/www/bejne/on6ygHSVlMZpmJY A recent video we posted also shows a more recent update. It takes some maintenance, but we really like our earthen floor. Your results can vary a lot depending on the composition of your soil, Best wishes! 🙂

[@bucksiouxwanan908]

👍!

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

😊

[@rammedearthladakh2686]

Where is this place...doing such interesting..

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

We are in southern Arizona. Thanks, we really love how everything turned out.

[@debaterforhim]

I see this is from 10 months ago, how is the rammed earth floor holding up?

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

It's doing great! We really love our floor. I have had to fill in the seam between the concrete and the earthen floor, and do a little repair to some of the cracks. It takes some work to get enough sand/dirt to fill them in, but it looks a lot better and stabilizes everything. I just sealed the repairs with wax. We used a wetter mix on the base layer of our son's floor. It was easier to work with, and sets up really solid. His floor turned out really nice.

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/qmfEiqWlebF8i6s

[@debaterforhim]

@@RedandAprilOff-Grid thank you!

[@teepeeX]

Use a measured bucket so you can work out exactly how much water is going in

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

Our soil moisture isn't consistent this time of year. Most people say you can just spray it in, and learn what it's supposed to look like. At this point, we didn't know how wet it needed to be, but we learned, better too wet than too dry. 🌞

[@teepeeX]

@@RedandAprilOff-Grid yes, I just watched the lounge room .. cheers

[@gregwaugh8069]

Measure your water in buckets so you can recreate the moisture content

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

It was the monsoon season, so we had varrying moisture levels in the sand and soil. At this point, we also didn't know exactly what the mixture should look like or how wet to make it.

[@waderue]

i love what your doing but just pour concert floors and be done with it you putting some much work into just the floors

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

The whole process is taking about twice as long as pouring and finishing the concrete sections of the house, but the work is more pleasant, and I think it is going to look and feel pretty awesome! We also already had the materials we needed for the earth floor. We ended up with just 4 bags of chunky cement leftover. 🌞🏜️

[@omegaroyal]

Oh my god it is a comment!

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

Thanks for watching! 🌞

[@danijelabozicevic1079]

👍🏠☘🌞🙋‍♀️

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

😊🏡🏜️

[@catgynt9148]

Since you are going for an “industrial look” in your house you may find the following site inspirational kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJvaY2uKeM5kiqs. Gavin has several videos on making shelf brackets and other decorative pieces from rebar. Flag and save for future ideas when your home is finished and you begin wondering what’s next...? Wishing you both another blessed week, gentle weather, nourishing rain and restful evenings. Peace

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

That's great! Thanks! 😄

[@masterspacetime2826]

I couldn't imagine spending thousands of hours of Labor and dollars building a beautiful home and then walking on dirt every day it would actually make me feel rather dirty no pun intended

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

It will have nice top coat and will be sealed well. It will perform a lot like a concrete floor. People do put earthen floors in million dollar homes. I would be somewhat hesitant without seeing how our daughter's turned out, it's just mud and dry grass sealed with linseed oil, but it's very solid and clean. Stay tuned! 🌞

[@2MorMor]

WHY didn't you get instructions from your daughter?

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

She used straight dirt will a little sand and some of the large clump grass from the property for straw. Chopping the grass was a ton of work, and we already had the cement. Her floor cracked, but she filled them in with dirt and made it work.