Plaster in the subfloor

Howdy,

I was touring around Summerville, SC and their museum the other day. In the back they have a stabilized (but in need of restoration) "Garden House". The garden houses were popular in these parts of the south around the turn of the 19th century. They were mostly placed in the back yards of homes. The building is a 14' octagon that resembles a gazebo but instead is enclosed. It has windows and did have a brick fireplace on one side. The structure sits on piers.

Anyhow, the flooring is cut in a section where it met the chimney stack. As I was looking at it I noticed plaster in between the flooring (see image). As it would have been completely unseen, I was a little bewildered in why it was there. It must have served a purpose in the mind of the builder. Has anyone in other parts of the country seen an application such as this?

Insulation?
Termite Protection?

Any thoughts?

Course plaster or a daub like mixture of clay and chopped hay put between joists is called pugging. It serves the purpose of insulation, draft stopper, and sound deadening. Also, it was considered to help prevent the spread of fire.

The walls of old houses are commonly "back plastered" with a layer of plaster between the outside sheathing and the inside woodwork or plaster. This is the same idea.

In this case it seems clear that the space was heated and so the pugging musst be for insulation.

Jim

Pugging! Thanks Jim. I'll pass along the term and idea.

Pug: To pack or fill the space under a floor with mortar, clay, sawdust, or other material for the purposes of fireproofing or soundproofing a room or space.

1820 At the White House in Washington, "the garret and second story floors have been laid of best 5/4 heart pine, and the whole of these stories counter-floored and pugged, to guard against fire."

Daily National Intelligencer

Source: An Illustrated Glossary of Early Southern Architecture and Landscape. Oxford Press

I have this book. Awesome Resource. Gives all the primary sources from building documents of the period. Ill look see, if I can add to the Wiki.