I recently asked my friend Michel Couvreux of TransMineral, USA to write a guest piece about lime and the many confusing aspects of choosing and/or working with the right material for a straw bale house.
Tag Archives | straw bale plaster
Wildfires and Straw Bale Construction: Four Case Studies From California
The recent wildfires in California have created massive devastation across the state; however, they have also given us an opportunity to see, first hand, just how well straw bale structures perform in wildfires.
The Importance of Protecting Natural Plaster During Installation
The importance of protecting natural plaster can’t be over stated. It’s not the same as conventional stucco and it needs specific conditions for application.
Plaster Tip: Applying American Clay Over Natural Hydraulic Lime
In this article I discuss using American Clay plaster over a Natural Hydraulic Lime plaster, making sure that cure times are accounted for.
Smooth Plaster on Straw Bale Walls
I recently received an email asking if it was possible to get the interior walls of a straw bale house flat and smooth. I have included the email and my response to it below. Question: Are there any alternatives to finishing the interior walls of a straw bale home with plaster? More specifically, can I […]
Plastering Tip for Straw Bale Walls
Plastering has a lot of challenges to it from mixing recipes to application techniques. Some challenges may not be obvious from the start, so be sure to spend some time learning what you need to know before you jump in. Today I spoke with a client who had spilled Natural Hydraulic Lime (NHL) all over their […]
Call For 2017 Straw Bale Workshop Hosts
I am currently accepting host applications for the 2017 straw bale workshop season. If you hope to host a workshop on your project, please apply today.
FREE Three-Day Crew Training May 24-26, 2016
If you are interested in straw bale construction and live near Gravette, Arkansas, then you will want to join us for a FREE three-day crew training on May 24-26, 2016.
The Power of Education – A 15 Question Test
It may sound obvious, but learning how to build a house, of any kind but especially a straw bale house, is a good thing to do before you actually start building. Ask yourself the following 15 questions and if you cannot answer them with a high level of confidence, you would be best served to gain some more experience before you start building.
Acid Staining Concrete Floors with Plaster Walls
When acid staining concrete floors, it is very important to properly mask off walls and doors so that none of the stain gets onto places where you don’t want it. One of the hardest surfaces to protect is unsealed plaster.