[GSBN] health (ill) effects of earthen floors

[strawnet at aol.com]

 Thanks Bruce,

Interesting article. However, I suspect that you could pave the floors with asphalt or seal them with oil and have the same results for the particular health problem the concrete floors are intended to solve. Following the links from the article to the report cited - which is in Spanish of course - and translating it, there is nothing about the floors that were covered over other than referring to them as dirt. What would be interesting is to know more about whether those dirt floors that were covered over with cement were sealed with anything, and if so, what. A follow-up research project that would be worthwhile but probably hard to convince authorities to do would be looking into how various alternatives to concrete floors, like well-compacted earthen floors sealed with, for example, multiple coats of linseed oil would perform in solving this problem. 


 David Eisenberg

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Bruce King <bruce at ecobuildnetwork.org>
To: Global Straw GSBN <GSBN at sustainablesources.com>
Sent: Thu, Jan 5, 2012 9:39 am
Subject: [GSBN] health (ill) effects of earthen floors




Happy New Year, baleheads!


I came across the article linked below about how adding concrete over earthen floors has a measurable positive impact on occupant health--  especially children's.  Many of us think "Yuck!" at the idea of concrete instead of earthen floors, but you can't argue with the science.


Anyone have a rebuttal or additional relevant information?  At the very least, this seems like something we natural building types should take a cool-headed look at.


Paving Paradise - by Charles Kenny | Foreign Policy
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/01/03/paving_paradise





 

Thanks,


Bruce "Cool Head Cold Feet" King


bruce at bruce-king.com
(415) 987-7271


Twitter: @brucekinggreen


blog: bruceking.posterous.com

Skype: brucekingokok
 


 
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