Avoiding Plaster Burn Marks
Avoiding plaster burn marks when building a straw bale house is important and easy if you know what causes them and what to do about them.
Hanging Pictures on a Plaster Wall
If you’re like most people interested in straw bale construction, you’ve likely wondered about hanging pictures on a plaster wall. How do I do it? Won’t the plaster crack? Will I make a mess? Can the picture be moved and the hole patched? These are some of the most common questions I’m asked all the […]
Two Day Natural Plaster Workshop in Temecula, CA
You’re invited to a special event! Join us at a two-day plastering party/workshop at a beautiful home we recently baled during a seven-day workshop in Temecula. The county was not willing to let us plaster until they had completed another inspection, and now that inspection is done. We are ready to throw some mud!! HERE […]
Clay Plastering Workshop Offered by CASBA (the California Straw Building Association)
CASBA is offering a weekend workshop on clay plastering in Vacaville, CA this September. Read on and check out the flier to learn more.
Adding Utility Lines After Plaster
Adding utility lines to your wall after plaster has been applied to your straw bale house is not as hard as you might think. The sooner you realize your mistake (leaving out the utility line) the easier it is to fix. If you’re wondering what I’m talking about, consider this: You raise the bale walls […]
Michel Couvreux: An Expert’s Discussion of Natural Hydraulic Lime
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.
Experience a Straw Bale Workshop With Us!
As the workshop season continues on, you may be wondering what it’s like to experience a seven day, hands-on workshop. This new video will give you a delicious taste of what it’s like. As I’ve heard many times from participants: “It’s so much more than just a workshop.” I hope you will join me at […]
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.
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.