DoomsdaysCWWe sealed up the gaps in our floorboards with #Oakum last year. It's holding up just fine! I also used it on some old windows at work and it's easy to install, then remove, then install again!
Filling Floor Gaps With Oakum: Update 2-1/2 Years Later
March 18, 2024
"Two and a half years ago, I filled the gaps in our original wood floors with oakum. You can read more about that process here [link below].
"This is a niche solution to a common problem with homes built in the 1700s and 1800s with original wood floors and gaps between those floorboards. Our house was built in the 1780s and later added onto in the 1800s.
"It’s time for an update on how that oakum has held up!
"First of all, what is oakum?
"Historically speaking, oakum is a combination of natural fibers like #hemp or #jute and tar or oil that was used to caulk wooden ships to make them watertight.
"Oakum was often repurposed from old ship rigging. '#PickingOakum' was a terrible job where someone had to unwind the #rope fibers so they could be repurposed into #caulking.
"Oakum is still used today for several uses related to plumbing, wooden ship caulking, log home caulking, etc. Today, oakum is manufactured in a factory.
"Brown oakum is made from natural fibers (could be a combination of jute, hemp, and/or burlap), oil, and often bentonite.
"White oakum is made from jute, #Bentonite, and water.
"Bentonite is a clay that expands when it encounters water."
Read more:
https://aprettyhappyhome.com/2024/03/18/filling-floor-gaps-with-oakum/
How the author did it:
https://aprettyhappyhome.com/2021/05/10/fill-floor-gaps-with-oakum/
#SolarPunkSunday #NaturalMaterials #SyntheticAlternatives #Insulation #FloorGaps #DIY