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It is not uncommon to have a place or two in a house where building up plaster is necessary. An obvious example is when spaces between the bales are left un-stuffed. Some of these holes can seem like never ending pits when you start laying plaster into them. For that reason, it is important to […]
How to Plaster Around Electrical Boxes It is all too common for plaster to fill up electrical boxes and cause major headaches for the electricians during trim out. To avoid this, be sure to fully tape off all electrical boxes with red duct tape so that they will be well protected. The red helps locate […]
When applying plaster to the bales, the fastest application may not be the best. There are two schools of thought in plastering. Some believe that the plaster adheres better to the bales when sprayed with a plaster gun and others believe a hand troweled application provides the best adherence. I personally believe that either application […]
Integral Color Plaster vs. Plaster and Paint I have used integral color plaster on every straw bale house I have built and I have always wrestled with the pros and cons of doing so. Integral color plaster means that the final color for the wall is placed in the finish plaster coat. The wall surface […]
Misting Straw Bales with Water Before Plastering I have had several clients of my consulting business call me after they started to plaster their straw bale house. The calls come with a similar voice over the phone: panic (sometimes mild and others extreme)! “My house is smelling musty.” That pretty much sums it up and […]