Essential Natural Plasters, livre ebook

Create Beautiful, Durable Finishes with Natural Plasters That Last for Generations

Part of the Sustainable Building Essentials Series, Essential Natural Plasters is the definitive hands-on guide to working with clay, lime, and gypsum plasters for healthy, high-performance interior and exterior finishes. Learn how to create breathable, low-impact surfaces that regulate moisture naturally and deliver timeless beauty.

What You'll Learn

• Healthy, High-Performance Finishes: Use breathable plaster systems that manage moisture, improve indoor air quality, and contribute to long-lasting buildings.
• Materials and Recipes That Work: Source site soils, sands, fibers, and binders, and learn proven recipes for clay, lime, gypsum, and specialty plasters.
• Interior and Exterior Applications: Apply plasters in dry and wet environments, including durable exterior finishes and specialty plasters such as tadelakt for bathrooms.
• Substrate Preparation Made Clear: Prepare surfaces ranging from straw bale and cob to lath and drywall for reliable adhesion and durability.
• Step-by-Step Techniques: Learn how to set up a safe, efficient worksite and master mixing, testing, tinting, repairing, and applying plasters with confidence.
• Expert Recipes and Real-World Insight: Access coveted plaster formulas and techniques from leading practitioners across North America and Europe.

Richly illustrated and deeply researched, this guide functions as both a practical how-to manual and a trusted reference for ongoing projects. It is ideal for owner-builders, natural builders, designers, and professionals seeking beautiful, durable, and low-impact finishes.

Written by Michael Henry and Tina Therrien, respected practitioners with decades of hands-on experience, Essential Natural Plasters distills hard-won knowledge, experimentation, and best practices into a clear, accessible resource.

Explore the full Sustainable Building Essentials Series for highly illustrated, step-by-step guidance on natural materials, resilient construction methods, and high-performance building systems.

Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Natural Plaster Ingredients
Chapter 3: Planning and Preparation
Chapter 4: Mixing and Application
Chapter 5: Earth Plaster Base Coats
    Recipe: Project Karyne Base Coat from Site Soil
    Recipe: Easily Workable Base Coat Using Bagged Clay
    Recipe: Straw-Clay Mud
    Recipe: Lime-Stabilized Base Coat Using Bagged Clay or Site Clay
    Recipe: Straworks' Baseball Diamond Mix
    Recipe: La Couche de Corps
    Recipe: Super Sticky Upside-Down Mix
Chapter 6: Earth Plaster Finish Coats
    Recipe: All-Purpose Finish Plaster
    Recipe: Pigmented Finish Plaster with Fiber
    Recipe: Silty Subsoil Dolomite Sand Top Coat
    Recipe: Fat Plaster
    Recipe: Finish Coat with "Mayonnaise"
    Recipe: Finish Coat Using Bagged Clay
    Recipe: Glen's Wet-Burnish Plaster
    Recipe: Finish Clay Plaster with Shredded Paper or Cellulose
    Recipe: Polishing Clay Plaster
    Recipe: Starch Paste
    Recipe: Rice or Corn Starch Paste
Chapter 7: Lime Plasters
    Lime Recipe: Simple Hydrated Lime Plaster
    Lime Recipe: Traditional Lime Putty-Based Scratch Coat with Hair Reinforcement
    Lime Recipe: Multi-Functional Hemp Lime Coating
    Lime Recipe: Lime Plaster with Manure
    Lime Recipe: Lime Plaster with Paper Pulp
    Lime Recipe: Tadelakt
    Lime Recipe: Stuc/Chevy Tadelakt
    Lime Recipe: Hot Mixed Lime Mortars
     Lime Recipe: Harling, Rough Cast, and Pebble Dash as External Lime Plastering Finishes
    Lime Recipe: Homemade Hydraulic Lime Base Coat
Chapter 8: More Binders
Chapter 9: Finishes and Aftercare
    Recipe: Carole Crews' Favorite Alis
Appendix 1: Coverage Estimates and Conversions
Appendix 2: Resources
Contributors
Index
About the Authors
A Note About the Publisher