This floor was in sad shape.
It’s an earthship floor that seemed to be placed on the earth itself. Some of the earth / and adobe floor was really fluffy so we removed and patched the those spots with some pea gravel and new cob. Then we created a pretty straight forward mix of 2 : 1 sand to clay with chopped straw plus 1 cup of El Rey 200.
This greenhouse had been used as a painting studio. Painters don’t always get paint directly on the canvas…
We removed the gesso, paint and wax with a wire-cup-brush and putty knife. Gave the floor a scrub and mop and repaired the small holes with new adobe mud.
Carole Crews prescribed a burnt umber and casein wash. Casein is the main protein present in milk and (in coagulated form) in cheese. It is used in processed foods and in adhesives, paints, and other industrial products. It harded nicely and kept the pigment down.
Then we used a product that I had never used before. Howard Feed-N-Wax. It’s made with a blend of besswax, carnauba wax and orange oil. It’s a alternative to linseed oil and it doesn’t stink as bad… it smells like oranges. It left the floor waxed, polished and protected.
