SB: RE: Fw: Lime versus Earth - community building

[Carolyn Roberts <carolyn@ahouseofstraw.com>]

I go to the local pottery supply store and big 50 lb bags of ultrawhite or kaolin white powdered clay.  Ultrawhite costs about $10.00 a bag; kaolin is a little more - it's a purer white.  I then just asked them to show me their cheapest basic powdered colors and I selected a gold, which I've used quite a bit of, and then other colors that I like.  A little gold mixed with the white clays takes the gray out of them and turns them a nice parchment color.  If the wall needs smoothing and shaping, I mix the powdered clay with silica sand, (about equal quantities and then water to make a thick mush) which I buy in 60 lb bags from a local sand-blasting company for about $8.00 a bag.  I then trowel it on and smooth it with a damp sponge trowel.  After it dries, it needs to be swept with some sort of broom to get the silica sand off the surface.  Most of my walls are that and no more, but I am beginning to experiment with waterproof coatings and find I like a coating of water and elmer's glue for a cheap, effective covering.  If I need to recoat or remove it, I can soften the coating with a little water and scrubbing.   Mostly, I don't coat them until I'm sure I like what I've done.  I don't mix cassein or wheat paste with the clay because it makes it go bad overnight.  I have found that it is very difficult to match colors, so I try to mix one really large batch that will coat an entire wall and won't go bad if I let it sit for days.  Actually, when I only use clay and sand, I can tuck a little extra away and reuse it in the future if I need to patch.  It never goes bad.   Much fun can be had by sculpting and coloring with different clays.  One of the ladies on the list using lime, said she uses leaves to make imprints or imbeds little stones in the plasters.  I'm going to try some seashells too.  Much room for creativity.
	Good luck!
	Carolyn
  *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *
www.ahouseofstraw.com
Carolyn Roberts
Carolyn@ahouseofstraw.com

-----Original Message-----
From:	MM&J [SMTP:mchx2@tds.net]
Sent:	Wednesday, June 26, 2002 1:13 PM
To:	Carolyn Roberts
Subject:	Re: Fw: Lime versus Earth - community building

Hello--
When you say "pottery clays" what do you mean?  did you buy the clay in
bags?  If so which types did you use, how much and what was the cost?
Thanks,
Matt
----- Original Message -----
From: "Carolyn Roberts" <carolyn@ahouseofstraw.com>
To: <strawbale@crest.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2002 9:42 PM
Subject: SB: Fw: Lime versus Earth - community building


>
>
>
> > I've mostly heard of lime as a coating over earthen plasters.  Lime, of
> > course, is waterproof and earth is not.  My interest is really in people
> > being able to build their own houses and from my perspective, it's a
whole
> > lot of work to plaster one's own house inside and out.  Parties are
> needed.
> > Earth is safe for parties with children, adults and the whole
> neighborhood;
> > lime is not.  When we talk about coating an entire house with earthen
> > plasters, then recoating it with lime, we're talking about a whole lot
of
> > hours of work.  But if I had my choice of mixing asphalt or cement in
with
> > the earthen plasters for waterproofing - or doing pure earthen plasters
> and
> > covering them with lime, I'd pick the latter.  Then, I'd figure out who
> was
> > going to help me lime.  But so far I haven't done that - I built a porch
> > that protects the earthen plasters, instead.  I've done the entire
inside
> of
> > my house with pottery clays and I'm really happy with the look, though
I'm
> > sure lime with lime washes is really lovely, too.
> >     Aloha,
> >     Carolyn
> > * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
> > www.ahouseofstraw.com
> > carolyn@ahouseofstraw.com
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Kirk Haines <khaines@enigo.com>
> > To: <strawbale@crest.org>
> > Sent: Monday, June 24, 2002 10:08 AM
> > Subject: SB: Re: Lime versus Earth
> >
> >
> > > > With all this discussion of the hazards of lime, the question that
> pops
> > > > into my mind is "why lime in the first place?"  (This isn't
rhetoric--
> > > > it's a serious question.)  I've heard that lime plaster has some
> > > > bug-deterrent qualities, but I also read about a test between straw
> > > > bales coated respectively with cement, lime and earth plasters, and
> the
> > > > bales with earth were in the best shape after sitting there for a
> > > > number of years.  I'd like to hear the opinions out there!  While
> > > > you're at it, if you have any opinions on cement floors vs. adobe
> > > > floors, I'd like to hear those, too.
> > >
> > > Lime plasters are harder and more resistant to weather exposure.  They
> > > look nice, too.
> > >
> > > Right now all of my lime plaster work is in the context of a 120 year
> old
> > > stone house that we are repointing, and will eventually be
replastering
> > > on the inside.  However, when I finally do get around to the straw
bale
> > > home, my personal plan, assuming I can find a source for decent clay,
is
> > > to earth plaster the straw, and then to put a lime topcoat on it.
> > > Interestingly, this is similar to how the plaster was done in the old
> > > house that I am speaking of.  We're repointing it, now, and it looks
> like
> > > they used a LOT of mud both for mortar and for filler on the inner
parts
> > > of the stone walls, and then used a (lean) lime mortar on the inside
and
> > > outside joints.  Inside of the house, they used a lime plaster on the
> > > walls, and then just finish coated it with a gypsum plaster.
> > >
> > > Kirk Haines
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > To unsubscribe from the list, send a message to:
> > >    <strawbale-unsubscribe@crest.org>
> > >
> > > or for the digest to:
> > >    <strawbale-digest-unsubscribe@crest.org>
> > >
> > > Please send any list administration questions to
> > > strawbale-owner@crest.org
> > >
> > >
> >
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> To unsubscribe from the list, send a message to:
>    <strawbale-unsubscribe@crest.org>
>
> or for the digest to:
>    <strawbale-digest-unsubscribe@crest.org>
>
> Please send any list administration questions to
> strawbale-owner@crest.org
>
>



-------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe from the list, send a message to:
   <strawbale-unsubscribe@crest.org>

or for the digest to:
   <strawbale-digest-unsubscribe@crest.org>

Please send any list administration questions to
strawbale-owner@crest.org