Building with Earth: Design and Technology of a Sustainable Architecture

Loam in bathrooms

The assertion that a loam-finished bath-
room is more hygienic than a tiled bath-
room astonishes many. Both experiences
over several years with bathrooms having
loam walls and scientific investigations
regarding the absorptive and desorptive
behaviour of loam have, however, demon-
strated this assertion.
Mirrors in a bathroom that is tiled up to the
ceiling have been observed to fog up after
a normal hot shower. With doors and win-
dows closed, the mirror remains fogged up
to a period of 30 to 60 minutes after the

shower. In a bathroom with loam walls,

by contrast, the mirror clears under similar

conditions in only 3 to 6 minutes. This is

because loam walls absorb humidity from

the room when its relative humidity is high-

er than about 50%, and release it later

when the air humidity falls below about

50% (see also chapter 1, p. 14).

Since humidity in bathrooms with loam

walls reduces quickly, fungus growth cannot

occur, whereas in tiled bathrooms, the

humidity remains high over a longer period

due to the sealed surfaces, allowing fungus

growth in the joints of the tiles, especially

joints grouted with silicone material. While

132 Designs of building elements

14.78 Loam wallpaper

14. 79Bathroom, private

residence in Kassel,

Germany

14.80 Sanitary objects

covered by loam-filled

hoses

14.81 Wash basin, private

residence in Kassel, Ger-

many

14. 78

14. 79