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Beautiful, durable, non-toxic floors — made from the earth beneath your feet
If you're looking for a natural flooring option that is warm, breathable, and environmentally responsible, Earthen Floors, Second Edition shows you exactly how to design, install, and live with earthen floors that perform beautifully in modern homes.
Fully revised and updated, this comprehensive, full-color guide combines time-tested techniques with modern best practices. Whether you're a natural builder, homeowner, architect, or contractor, you'll gain the confidence and technical clarity to work successfully with this ancient yet highly relevant building method.
Why Earthen Floors?
Earthen floors are more than an aesthetic choice. They are durable, low-impact, and free of synthetic toxins. When properly designed and installed, they regulate moisture, work beautifully with radiant heat systems, and age gracefully over time.
Rather than presenting romanticized ideals, this edition draws on decades of hands-on experience to demystify every stage of the process — from raw materials to final finish.
What You'll Gain
- Step-by-step guidance for mixing, pouring, leveling, burnishing, oiling, and sealing
- Clear recipes and ratios for durable earthen floor mixes
- Guidance on subfloor insulation and vapor barrier options
- Techniques for integrating radiant heat and electric wire systems
- Creative approaches including inlays, color washes, patterns, and alternative fibers
- Updated tools, materials, and supplier resources
If you're looking for practical ways to reduce synthetic building materials while maintaining performance and longevity, this guide delivers grounded, experience-based instruction.
Built for Modern Homes
Earthen floors are not limited to off-grid cabins or experimental builds. This book demonstrates how natural flooring can integrate seamlessly into conventional construction, renovations, and contemporary design. Extensive case studies and photographs illustrate real-world applications across climates and building types — helping you make informed decisions based on evidence, not assumption.
Written by Experienced Practitioners
Sukita Reay Crimmel is the developer of Claylin, the first commercially available ready-made earthen floor product in North America, and is widely recognized as a leader in the modern earthen floor movement. With a background in environmental studies and architecture, she has helped shape contemporary best practices in natural flooring.
James Thomson brings two decades of earth building experience, having led workshops and installations across the United States and internationally. His practical construction background and lived experience with earthen floors inform the technical clarity of this guide.
Together, they combine field-tested expertise with a commitment to ecological building practices that work in real homes.
Who This Book is For
- Natural builders seeking durable, low-toxicity flooring solutions
- Homeowners planning new builds or renovations
- Architects and designers integrating sustainable materials
- Contractors expanding into natural building techniques
- DIY enthusiasts ready for a detailed, practical guide
Earthen floors connect traditional craft with modern ecological design. With the right knowledge, they are durable, adaptable, and entirely achievable.
Build with intention. Create floors that are both grounded and enduring.
This book brings together all my favourite elements of natural building: experience, humor, wisdom, and color photos! The authors have achieved something rare—an update of a classic text that completely elevates the new edition above and beyond the original. Earthen floors are solid, beautiful, and the best thing in the world to stand on... and so is this book!
—Chris Magwood, director, Builders for Climate Action, author, Making Better Buildings and Essential Sustainable Home Design, co-author, Build Beyond Zero
Wow! I have never been more pleased to see a second edition of one of my most beloved and referenced building guides. This edition brings us up to date on technical developments of the last decade, as well as expanded sections on such important topics as hydronic floor heating, earthen subfloors, and advice from, and for, professional installers. I used to tell people that earthen floors could be any color they wanted, as long as it was chocolate brown. No longer! The stunning color photos make clear that a new era of earthen floors is upon us.
—Michael G. Smith, author, The Cobber's Companion, co-author, The Hand-Sculpted House, The Art of Natural Building, and Essential Cob Construction
This second edition of Earthen Floors is an excellent and vital addition to anyone's library of natural building tools. With great photos and in-depth information, it's the kind of book that is useful and inspiring to the beginner and the professional alike. What a gift—all the hard work and research this book represents makes incorporating natural materials into buildings even more practical and accessible.
—Lydia Doleman, Earth Dragon Natural Building LLC, author, Essential Light Straw Clay Construction
There is nothing quite like walking barefoot on an earthen floor. Sukita and James provide an approachable and thorough reference accessible for anyone interested in learning about or crafting their own earthen floor. This clear and comprehensive guide will motivate both the practicing professional and enthusiastic DIYer to pick up a trowel and get muddy!
—Tyler Hash, owner, Mountain Ash Natural Building
Who'd have thought this book could get even better? The depth of knowledge and experience shared is incredible.
—William Stanwix, author, The Hempcrete Book
It's so great to see this second edition bringing together not just Sukita and James' deep knowledge, but the experience of earthen floor installers from around the world. I've picked up so many great tips and ideas—even after years in the trade. This book is an incredible resource for anyone working with earthen floors, whether you're just starting out or looking to refine your technique.
— Jeffrey Hart, The Earthen Floor Company / Building Sustainability Podcast
With the first edition of Earthen Floors, Sukita and James gave us a wonderful mix of inspiration, experience, technique, and instruction. With the second edition, we get full (and useful) color in the photographs and more color (and practical guidance) in the added case studies, stories, and information shared. This new edition is beautifully improved by the intervening years of experience by the authors and many others. Whether experienced practitioner or someone just dipping their toes into earthen floors for the first time, this book is an essential resource. Well-written, clear, and practical, with informative personal stories interwoven, this book makes a great contribution to the field on every level.
—David Eisenberg, director, Development Center for Appropriate Technology
Sukita and James are our go-to authorities for creating beautiful, durable earth floors. Having spent 15 years with our current earthen floors, which Sukita helped us create in a workshop setting, we can personally attest to their performance and the unique grounded and peaceful quality that they contribute to the home. We can recommend an earthen floor option to our clients without reservation based on our experience, and are so pleased that Sukita and James continue to refine, expand, and share this craft in this new edition.
—Paula Baker-Laporte and Robert Laporte, EcoNest Founders, co-authors, The EcoNest Home
This book has my full endorsement! Gold Hill Clay Plaster is a manufacturer that sells clay and earthen floor mixtures. This book is the go-to manual that I tell customers to follow. With its clear breakdown of theory and insulation tips, it is very helpful in understanding the expectations and scope of earthen floors.
—Kyle Alexander, Gold Hill Clay Plaster
Go find a house with an earthen floor, then take off your shoes and socks and walk around on it. Sold! Now buy and read this book and get your own. Earth is the new glam, the height of luxury. It's dirt-cheap, but better than gold!
—Bruce King, PE, author, The New Carbon Architecture, co-author, Build Beyond Zero
What I really like about this second edition of Sukita and James's book is that they have taken the time and made a really solid effort to incorporate into this edition all that they and others have learned since the first printing. I think aspiring earthen floor builders will find this a very useful tool in helping them be successful in their efforts. Thanks for another fine book.
—Bill Steen, The Canelo Project, Arizona, co-author, The Straw Bale House
For years we've been referencing and recommending Earthen Floors to our students and clients, and we look forward to sharing this indispensable second edition. Well-organized and detailed, this book could guide a beginner through every step of the process, and also inspire a seasoned builder wanting to improve techniques or innovate artistically. We love the new sections on contracting earthen floors, and lessons learned from professionals' and DIYers' personal experiences. Thank you James and Sukita for this comprehensive, informative, and beautiful book!
—Greg Allen and Danielle Ackley, owners, Mud Dauber School of Natural Building
Earthen floors have become an important tool in our architectural toolbox of natural, beautiful, low carbon materials. We are particularly excited about this new edition that builds on the experience of many practitioners, from expert modern plasterers in the Pacific Northwest, to the amazing work of EarthEnable, addressing health, climate, and the need for creative, dignified jobs that can literally change the world.
—Anni Tilt, Principal, Arkin Tilt Architects
Sukita Reay Crimmel is considered one of the preeminent experts in the modern field of earthen floors. As well as presenting extensively on this exciting technique with organizations such as Aprovecho and Yestermorrow, she is the developer of Claylin – the first commercially available ready-made earthen floor product in North America. Sukita holds a Bachelor of Science in environmental studies and architecture from the University of Oregon, and is co-author of the original edition of Earthen Floors. Sukita lives in Portland, Oregon.
James Thomson got his start with earth building in 2004, and since then has facilitated dozens of workshops and trainings in multiple states and countries, including Panama, Guatemala, Jamaica, India, and France. He also has a background in general construction and a driving desire to find ways to integrate natural building practices into more conventional modern homes. James has participated in many floor installations, both in workshop settings and for paying clients. He has lived on (or near) earthen floors for most of the past two decades and is co-author of the original edition of Earthen Floors. James lives in Williamsburg, MA.
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Section 1: About Earthen Floors
Chapter 1: The Story of Earthen Floors
Chapter 2: Understanding Earthen Floors
Section 2: Technical Information
Chapter 3: Tools
Chapter 4: Identifying, Gathering and Processing Materials
Chapter 5: Oil and Finish
Chapter 6: Making the Floor Mix
Chapter 7: The Subfloor
Chapter 8: Preparing the Work Area
Chapter 9: Pouring the Floor
Chapter 10: Applying Oil and Finish
Chapter 11: Living on, Maintaining, and Removing an Earthen Floor
Chapter 12: Color and Artistic Touches
Chapter 13: Options and Alternatives
Chapter 14: Contracting Earthen Floors
Chapter 15: Stories From the Field
Appendix A: Glossary
Appendix B: References
Appendix C: Resources
Appendix D: Building a Compacted Gravel (On-Grade) Subfloor
Appendix E: Earthen Subfloors and Base Coats
Appendix F: Installing Radiant Floor Heat
Index