Can someone ID this?

[gtblum]

This house was built in 1820.

This "stuff" is sandwiched between the floor, and the rusted sheet metal that's held up by what looks like scrap from the original floor. It runs the length of every joist bay of the original section of the house. Could it be the "A" word? Got more pics if you need them.

Thanks.

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[Bill Kibbel]

I've seen many 18th and some early 19th century homes with mud-and-straw or mud-and-lime applied under the floor between joists as insulation. Random width boards hold the material in place. I've never seen sheet metal. Basements were usually vented year round with no windows in the openings. Spaced horizontal square bars in the openings kept out large critters.

I really can't tell from pics what that material is.

[gtblum]

I've seen many 18th and some early 19th century homes with mud-and-straw or mud-and-lime applied under the floor between joists as insulation. Random width boards hold the material in place. I've never seen sheet metal. Basements were usually vented year round with no windows in the openings. Spaced horizontal square bars in the openings kept out large critters.

I really can't tell from pics what that material is.

Thanks.

Now that you mentioned lime, it had the same consistency and easily crumbled to powder the same way lime would.

Here's a better view of how they did it.

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[Marc]

I've seen many 18th and some early 19th century homes with mud-and-straw or mud-and-lime applied under the floor between joists as insulation. Random width boards hold the material in place. I've never seen sheet metal. Basements were usually vented year round with no windows in the openings. Spaced horizontal square bars in the openings kept out large critters.

I really can't tell from pics what that material is.

It looks like the 'mass wall' concept being applied to a floor. Mud and moss were used the same way in 19th century Acadian architecture, but just in the wall cavities.

Marc