This image highlights the new adobe floor oiled with all of it’s multiple coats of linseed (some of them thinned) and drying. As is well known, linseed oil will serve to water proof the earthen floor. We love the crisp look and deep tones of any earthen floor, especially this on in this interesting 200 sq. ft. room with tall ceilings and clerestory windows giving it good light.
This house in Santa Fe was one of the first passive solar homes designed and created in the 1970’s we were told. It has an interesting open living and kitchen floor plan and a large sun room which functions well to pull in the heat in winter and also keep it away during the hotter months.
Adobe blocks are so efficient with their thermal mass properties and work so well for slow heat and cooling exchange, and hold onto those properties for a good amount of time. One slight downfall to adobe homes are the need to keep them heated on a regular basis. If they do get cold it takes a few hours (again due to the slow heat transfer qualities of thermal mass) for them to build up their heat. But once they do! They are great.