This course is a complete journey into natural flooring – not just as a surface, but as a system that affects comfort, durability and the feel of every space.

You begin with “What is flooring?” and see how floors sit within the family of finishes. Using the idea of public, semi-public and private zones, you’ll understand why a living room floor must handle different loads and wear than a bedroom or bathroom, and how usage patterns influence material choice.

From there, the course introduces the major types of flooring used in natural buildings today:

• Tile flooring – stone and terracotta laid in lime
• Lime-based floors – traditional lime finishes from different regions
• Earthen flooring – mud floors sealed with oils
• Cowdung flooring – mud and cowdung floors maintained with periodic smearing
• You’ll then go below the surface into the layers of a floor:
• Base layer using stone, brick or terracotta to create a solid, compacted foundation
• Intermediate limecrete layer for stability, moisture control and strength
• Floor treatment and finishes, including DPC strategies to stop capillary rise and deter termites and rodents in water-prone areas
• Each base option is explained with where it works best:
• Stone base layers for flood-prone or wet areas
• Brick bases for dry regions
• Terracotta bases where moderate moisture and reduced absorption are needed
• The course then dives into three key finish systems, step by step:
• Tile flooring (stone or terracotta)
• Pros and cons, typical uses in different rooms
• Mix ratios for lime mortars and lime milk
• Level marking, base mortar preparation, loose mix, and tile laying
• Checking levels with tube levels and strings, tightening grooves, cleaning and curing
• Grouting, polishing and handling natural undulations in stone
• Stone flooring
• Where stone floors make most sense and where to avoid them
• Tools required, levelling and base preparation
• Lime-based mixes, base-and-lime-milk method
• Details like nosing, edges, junctions and careful grouting
• Final curing practices to ensure long life and minimal maintenance
• Cowdung flooring
• Pros, cons and appropriate uses in today’s homes
• Mud mix preparation and how to apply it correctly
• Cowdung wash: how to mix, apply and maintain over time

All along, you see how soil filling, herbal and anti-termite treatments, DPC, limecrete and finishes come together as one system rather than isolated steps. By the end, you’ll be able to choose the right flooring type for each zone, design the layers for your context, and execute natural floors that are comfortable underfoot, breathable, and durable—without depending on cement-based solutions.