Why is sod laid grass side down?
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| Posted in Green Building Techniques on
I’m writing a dissertation on the vernacular architecture of Uzbekistan, which includes this very green technique, called ‘chim.’.
Many thanks.
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i can't find anything on chim - i wonder if the great plains sod houses are closely related? in these 'soddies', sod was also laid grass down. perhaps to prevent it from growing any further - which would erode the wall faster, potentially? i think it also reduces drop of mud, but that might only be for roofs.
good luck w/ dissertation.
Bark, often birch, was often used as a first layer for water proofing, the sod being what held it in place. Also, the first layer of sod was traditionally placed with the grass down, as the wilted grass would protect the bark from acid humus and act as a drain. Call me a genius, but that is from Wiki.