The Lime Green Plaster Blog » Hydraulic Limes

Limestone Plaster Arch

Authenticlime — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 23:40:18 +0000

We can create the durability and look of cut limestone with substantial weight and cost savings. Utilizing a proprietary decorative crushed limestone plaster. The limestone coating can be placed on vertical or horizontal surfaces in-situ, and finished to your specifications by our trained plaster artisans. We have full control over color, texture, finish (distressed, polished, honed, sandstone,tumbled, travertine effects etc.) to any customers specifications, creating virtually any architectural elements desired

The mixture is sprayed or troweled over any type of interior and exterior substrates (i.e., drywall, brick, tile, concrete, brown coat, foam) We then work the stone plaster by hand to achieve the desired pattern and texture.

Here’s the final look, completely done by hand, 2 days from conception to completion.

This particular project we were asked to create a tumbled and aged limestone effect, here’s a sampling of some of the processes involved ,the final outcome is completely in the hands of the skilled artisan plasterer.

First we confirmed the profile required with the Architect and designers , and constructed a template to suit there needs. The template is mounted to the horse and we then proceeded with the layout and finally the formation of the arch molding itself.

A snippet of lime plaster History:
Since Roman times, lime putty mortars and plasters have been used widely for internal ( today, venetian plaster and marmorino’s are still being made from this same lime putty )and external plastering and stonework. For external rendering and stucco, greater compressive and tensile strengths were achieved by adding various forms of pozzolans to lime based mortars.. burnt clay, volcanic ash, ( tuff ) brick dust, all such additives react with lime putty’s to form cementitous “mortars”

Limestone containing clay were also burnt to produce hydraulic limes (NHL) these set by reaction with water and by carbonisation of the lime.

Hydraulic Limestone Veneers

Using hydraulic lime in the above project we saved the owners time, which equates to money

Using hydraulic lime in the above project we saved the owners time, which equates to money …and we all like saving money …right?

Producing details in-situ such as the archway described on this Vancouver plaster project… is versatile, adaptable and flexible! Giving the Architect,the Designer and the homeowner design freedom,with both color and texture, with large pieces or building facades there is a further cost savings on engineering and construction costs associated with weight.

Compare this to having the architectural detail cast in cement or concrete,making molds, trucking and other logistics…or having the detail carved,which is the smarter alternative? Id say hiring a knowledgeable plaster and stucco contractor is the right move.

North American Interior Designer Discovers Tadelakt Lime

Authenticlime — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 23:40:16 +0000

Up beat Vancouver interior designers are always looking for cool plaster wall finishes, Looks like San Francisco Bay area designer Kit Golson is very upbeat,checkout the use of Tadelakt lime on her design blog Chic Provence .

More pictures Kit ! the red and gold back splash is a stunning example of Tadelakt Lime Plaster.

“I had never seen anything like it before, and rarely have since I had stumbled upon one of the oldest and most treasured plaster finishes in the world. The art of tadelakt is 4,000 years old, and comes from Morocco.

The tadelakt process is deceptively simple. A natural powder paste is applied to the surface, then polished with a smooth stone. This is repeated seven times. Finally, the surface is sealed by rubbing with a black olive oil soap”

Read the rest of the blog here  Chic Provence

Tadelakt ….the “Red City”

Authenticlime — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 23:40:14 +0000

A fellow Tadelakt lover recently wrote to me with some of her experiences during a visit to Marrakesh,where she participated in real world application of true Moroccan Tadelakt….here is an excerpt from that email.

“What I really loved about Marrakech is that Tadelakt is everywhere in the red city, indeed I would say it is the red city because of the Tadelakt and all the beautiful pigment you can mix into it. In some of the very old palaces (Bahia and others) you can still see Tadelakt on the walkways and in the pools hundreds of years after, so it clearly withstood the test of time. Maalem Majid said that they add marble powder to the mix for the swimming pools. He even worked on the villa for Yves Saint Laurent who also owned the Majorelle Garden right next to it with all the walk and waterways made from Tadelakt. He was very humble and taught us a lot, you could tell he himself works mainly by knowing and feeling the material and he had a lot of patience (a thing that I lack) but he could also be really fast when needed without stressing (which would happen to me). When working on a wall you really have to do the whole thing at once, starting from the bottom up and once you are done with the whole thing it is time for the next step, no time to kill with mint tea and Moroccan delights there. But since I was able to do it in 45 degrees heat in Marrakech I hope I can do it in the Okanagan (Indian) summer”

Nicole is planning a Tadelakt workshop in the very near future on her home in Western Canada’s BC interior , I plan to attend and help her put this together,no times or dates as of yet …interested?? just let me know here.

Here are some shots of Tadelakt from the “Red City” of Marrakech

Exterior Tadelakt

Authenticlime — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 23:40:10 +0000

A sneak peak of an exterior Tadelakt plaster finish, before we are fully complete, had to leave the project for awhile due to the weather…close to finished here are a few of photo’s….tough tough job …not for the faint of heart

Interior Tadelakt of the Villas of L’Amandier

Authenticlime — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 23:40:09 +0000

Check out this web blog about the Villas at L’Amandier in Marrakech there are plenty of photos with Tadelakt lime plaster either being applied,or already finished in the background. Personally I find it interesting to see the Tadelakt being applied in its native setting,all of the interior walls are finished with Tadelakt lime,and then protected using “savon noir” (black olive soap) Apparently there are more photos on the way, as some of the Villa’s have been completed ….if your looking for ideas for your interior, you like Moroccan architecture,or you want to buy a villa in Marrakech! …check out this blog!

Mikaela Fenton-Jones sent me this email of her personal account of Tadelakt lime plaster in Marrakech, and included updated shots of the interior of the Villa’s.

Thank’s Mikaela!

The lucky new buyers of these villa’s should give Maryam a shout from My Marrakech Lifestyle and interior design Blog, for some inspiration in furnishing there newly acquired abode

“The Moroccan art of Tadelakt plaster is one of those building traditions that has thankfully survived the test of time and is not, as so many other traditional trades and skilled practices are, dying out with a reduction in the knowledge pool. It is alive and kicking in Morocco. Now, I am by no means an expert in tadelakt, but I love that fact that it is ubiquitous here in Marrakech; it’s historical ‘ birthplace’ . I also love the fact that it transcends the luxury décor/functional divide and is just as widely used in public hammams (steamy bath houses) as the most trendy of boutique hotels The beautiful rounded edges and curves achieved on showers and bathubs, allow for the most indulgent of designs and the natural pigments used produce a wide variety of colours. See for example a couple of the bathrooms at the fabulously bohemiem Riad El Fenn in Marrakech”

“We are in the process of building an exclusive villa community, L’Amandier, in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains . Our British architect set out to blend a contemporary design with the traditional Moroccan materials and he chose Tadelakt for all the interior walls. He was absolutely right, because in my opinion, Tadelakt gives an overall impression of depth and warmth. It seems to both reflect and absorb the light and gives the feeling that the walls have somehow organically grown into the design of the house”

Assuming it is skillfully applied, Tadelakt is durable (although be careful of corners; rounded edges advised), waterproof, and stunningly beautiful…

The Lime Plaster Company

Authenticlime — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 23:40:07 +0000

Heads east …Ben Scott, talented owner of the lime plaster company has left Vancouver for greener pastures, and landed in Georgetown Ontario. Good luck Ben and keep in touch! At least keep your blog updated so we can all see what you are doing

Limestone Plaster is it Real ?

Authenticlime — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 06:32:17 +0000

This is the first of a two part series, of two projects we completed recently……

One of my contractors was faced with the challenge of having a Limestone or Travertine lintel fabricated and installed.So like any good contractor does when he does not already have the resource in place, he asks his best trades the ultimate question ” Do you know someone capable of doing this limestone header for me” he asks,as he is showing me the elevations. Not one to ever back away from a plastering challenge, I offered my further services and took on the job myself. Authentic Plaster FX was already fully involved in this extensive interior and exterior venetian plaster project…so why not add some more of our expertise to the project ?

The question is …is it real? and if no,how did we do it? Well the ins and outs of how it is done I will keep to myself ,and some applicators may offer there insight into how it is done ….but I’ll leave em guessing I’m afraid in this case

Here’s 2 shots of the start of the process,the rest stays under my hat!

So what makes this so important you may ask?…..

Well with this system we can create Limestone details at a fraction of the cost of real limestone or travertine….in this particular case we saved the home owner approximately $8000.00 as compared to having a real limestone header fabricated ,on top of that we did it in a matter of days as compared to weeks for actual real stone,and we are able to get over any building imperfections because the process is done in-situ.
Here’s a sneek peek from part 2 next week

Trans Mineral … whats old is new again

Authenticlime — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 04:24:13 +0000

I had the pleasure of meeting Michel Couvreux from ST. Astier natural hydraulic limes and Trans Mineral USA today in downtown Vancouver. This guy is passionate about his NHL lime plaster products! We discussed the use of natural hydraulic lime base coats and finishes being used here in beautiful British Columbia. There have been a few exteriors done with the product, mostly in the interior and mostly I believe on straw-bale homes, looks like he is working hard to make the Natural hydraulic limes become more mainstream,and he has promised to help in any way he can to make an upcoming hydraulic lime exterior I have in the works, actually come to fruition.

Natural Hydraulic lime exteriors are the way to go,they provide a far better exterior cladding than any portland cement possibly could. Here are just a few reasons.

Walls breath better and moisture can escape
Mortars and stuccos do not set too hard they remain flexable
Thermal movement can be accommodated without damage
Expansion joints can be somewhat avoided
Insulation is improved and cold bridging reduced
There is a reduced risk of condensation

The hydraulic lime material has been seeing a revival over the past few years lets hope Michel’s work in the industry pays off !

Making lime plaster and mortar,a lost art

Authenticlime — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 04:24:07 +0000

The World is our Oyster

Check out this video from the Colonial Williamsburg video library showing the building and history behind a lime rick .

As the rick burned, temperatures of at least 1800 F were were obtained. This is essential if the conversion from calcium carbonate to calcium oxide is going to occur. Ricks were constructed with several tiers of logs supporting layers of smaller logs then covered with the oyster shells.

There are worldwide examples of historic Lime ricks, these were found in close association to shell middens, which are strewn along the eastern seaboard of the USA, with some examples here in western Canada,with further examples worlwide.

The world-over you will see the use of the sir name “Lime-burner” or points of interest called “Limeburner point” “Lime burner bay” or pubs called “The lime burner” or “Limeburners Arms” these are all in reference of the old trade of burning limestone or in this case oyster shells to make lime plaster, mortars, tabby cement and concrete.

Shell or lime middens are a whole different topic to which I am no expert,but I find the subject interesting none the less.

Shikkui Plaster ( Shirokabe) the traditional Japanese lime plaster, is manufactured in much the same way, from the millions of pounds of oyster shell produced from the consumption of oysters in Japan….albeit in a more modern type of lime kiln.

Shikkui Plaster is made of slaked lime , seaweed extracts and natural plant fibers and other aggregates. Has been widely used throughout Japan for both internal and external wall and ceiling finishes of houses, temples and castles, for over one thousand years.

The hydraulic lime used in the technique of Tadelakt plaster was/is manufactured in much the same way ,in ground pits or pit kilns, with palm fronds as fuel to burn the limestone local to Marrakesh.

The renewed interest in the use of Lime Plasters,Venetian plasters and lime based mortars and paints is beginning a revolution.

Lime Plaster, high in alkalinity and very breathable provides healthy environments, excellent luminescent, reflective light, and simply a beautiful surface wall finish for any home.

Exterior Vancouver Tadelakt Plaster project complete!

Authenticlime — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 04:24:03 +0000

Landscaping is almost complete, this private residence in West Vancouver BC has the best of the best in contemporary finishes including a smooth exterior Lime Plaster Tadelakt finish …there is no other house like it in the lower mainland of British Columbia.

Ryan Chivers of Artesano in Boulder county Colorado seems to think this is the only, if not the biggest exterior ever done in north America with Tadelakt lime plaster …if you know of another …drop me a line.

For a smooth stucco finish there is no better finish then Tadelakt ,this Vancouver exterior Venetian Plaster, also incorporates a rain screen cavity system,usually associated with leaky condos here in Vancouver,but which became part of the BC building code approximately 2-3 years ago.