Ondol

Made by putting mud over under-floor heating stones, Ondol is a main feature of traditional Korean houses. The floor of an Ondol room is made of flat stones and mud, and pathways of smoke are beneath the flat stones. A stove and chimney are outside the Ondol room at the entrance, and the exit of smoke is through a pathway beneath the floor.

When the stove is lit, hot smoke flows beneath the under-floor heating stones and warms the room. Outside, the stove is used for cooking. Inside the Ondol room, the floor is covered with thick, glossy paper which is always kept very clean. Koreans always take off their shoes when entering a house.

Koreans sleep on a thin mattress called Yo on the heated Ondol floor. Ondol is a very efficient heating system which keeps the room warm during the winter when the outside stove is lit. During the summer, the under-floor stones keep the room cool.

The Ondol under-floor heating system has a history of more than 2000 years. In modern Korean houses, the Ondol is still used; but hot water is used instead of smoke to warm the floor.

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