Icelandic turf house

The Torfhof was the predominant house form of the rural population in Iceland.

The walls and the rear gable are piled up at the houses of Torfziegeln. Made of wood gable and the roof was built. Was Eingedeckt with flat stones and then covered with sod. If more space needed on the farm, so another house with gable was built next to it, for example, a workshop or a forge. The only fire in the house there in the kitchen Eldhus, an open fire for cooking. It was not every day a hot meal. The smoke from the fire meat and sausages were preserved. The largest room in the house is the Baðstofa. Here are the beds. But it is not only the bedroom, here was eaten from wooden bowls with hinged lids. This was in the evenings Kvöldvaka ( " night guard ", shared Gathering ) sat, while for example the wool was processed, it was a reader, it was sung or recited poems. This room was above the stables, so the heat of the cattle was used for heating.

The material used, the houses were not very durable, and it was quite cool and damp in the house.