My grand-dad used to say “pick your poison.” He knew that nothing is perfect. There are good things and not so good things about every choice. When sustainability is your primary goal, you make decisions with a different set of parameters. You might be willing to put forth a little more time and effort knowing that the end result will benefit not only you, but the environment. But before you begin any big project, you better sit down with a paper and pencil and make the old “T” chart. I started one for you. Behold, some pros and cons of earthen plaster.
Pro
- Low Environmental Impact
- Energy intensive
- Adds thermal mass for both passive and active solar heating
- Relatively inexpensive
- Easily patched and repaired
- Adds a warm, natural feeling to your dwelling
- Has great breathability
- Provides a protective shell for your straw bale home
- Lots of warm, rich colors
- Variations in texture
- Allows for artistic expression
Con
- Can get saturated by rain and constant wetness
- Can mold (grows on the organic matter in your plaster, but there are techniques to minimize or stop this)
- Labor intensive
- Doesn’t meet building codes in some localities
- Can crack and “dust” if composition and consistency of earthen plaster is incorrect
- Requires multiple coats
- Sensitive to temperature and weather when applying
- Is pretty messy!
I think the pro list is longer than the con. So if we follow “T” chart rules, this project is a go. Earthen plaster has been used for centuries. Earthen plaster dwellings have stood the test of time; you can find these dwellings literally scattered around the world. Why not add your home to the list?
Looking for “recipes” for earthen plaster? You can find several in my last post, Earthen Plaster Recipes.
