Category

Clay Plaster

Apr 24
Love0

Straw Bale Plaster Tips

By Clay Plaster, Lime Plaster, Straw Bale Building
Straw Bale Construction: Plaster

Plastering your straw bale house — a critical step to get right!

Plastering straw bale walls is time-consuming, it requires finesse, and it’s definitely something you want to avoid having to do over again, at all costs. Plaster is a barrier to the elements, to moisture, and it’s what will define the aesthetic appearance of your home. I recently appreciated Andrew Morrison’s succinct plastering tips article at Strawbale.com.

If you want a better handle on how to do a successful plaster job on your house, read this! It’s the most technical and critical part of straw bale construction.

Feb 29
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Lime Plaster and Lime Wash on Cob or Straw Bale Wall

By Clay Plaster, Lime Plaster
limewash

Applying a lime wash in Gobcobatron

This year, I added a layer of lime plaster to the bottom half of the wall in my house. The idea was that adding some extra alkalinity to the surface would deter surface mold growth — although it’s been so mild this winter that I haven’t actually been able to determine if it makes a difference! (Remember that last year I was having terrible mold and condensation problems on the bottom of my walls during the coldest parts of year.)

Well, the thing that I actually want to talk about is — wow, I love the half earthen plaster and half lime plaster look! Having lived with it for several months now, I know that I want to try something like this in our new straw bale house. But next time it will be even easier than how I did it this time.

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Sep 28
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New Mud Room Exterior Mosaics and Seating

By Artwork, Clay Plaster

mosaic

A couple of weeks ago, we got around to re-plastering the north side of the house (most of the plaster on the lower half of the wall was completely weathered away), the east, and the finished mud room. April slaved away on this mosaic above the bench and around the window that day, and I think the final product is really swell. The stones are from a Tennessee river bed and the white pieces are broken tile.

The grape vine (to the left in the photo) exploded with all of the rain this year, and it frames this mini seating area and has climbed well up onto the roof. The bench itself is cantilevered in the wall — two roundwood branches (one osage orange, one black locust), and the boards are hand-planed and oiled black walnut. It’s cozy!

Jun 19
Love1

Finish Earthen Plaster: Part 2: Applying Earth Plaster

By Clay Plaster, Hand Tools

finalplaster-01

Once you have mixed your deliciously smooth finish earthen plaster, it’s time to apply it to make your cob walls shine. It’s a seemingly simple process, but there is a certain hidden finesse that will make the job easier with time and practice. I’m no expert, but here’s how I went about plastering the interior of my cob house.

(This entry is a continuation from Finish Earthen Plaster: Part 1: Materials and Recipe.)

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Jun 17
Love2

Finish Clay Plaster: Materials and Recipe

By Clay Plaster
Clay Plaster - Interior Finish

Applying finish clay plaster on straw bale walls

Applying clay plaster may be one of the most satisfying parts of building a natural home. Smoothing over cob or straw bale walls with a creamy clay plaster mix is incredibly satisfying and brings about a truly dramatic transformation. What was once coarse is made buttery and gracefully smooth. For a successful clay plaster job, it’s important to carefully prepare and mix your material. In this post, I will explain the preparation methods and recipe I use for most of my natural building work.

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