Courses in Tadelakt and natural clay plasters.
The craft of Tadelakt comes from Marrakech in Morrocco, using lime from The Marrakech Plateau. The word ‘tadelakt’ comes from the Moroccan ‘to rub in’, as during the application of this plaster it needs to be continually rubbed with a smooth stone. The resulting finish is layered and smooth and with the application of an olive oil based soap completely water resisitant. As such it is used mainly in bathrooms and kitchens and allows the artisan to form there own naturally looking baths, sinks and showers. In my opinion it is without doubt the most beautiful and organic plaster finish in the world, and it is 100% natural.
Natural clay plasters, as well as lime plasters, can be used as an alternative to toxic paints in traditional houses as well as the plaster of choice for sustainable builds. Mixtures of coloured clays, or natural pigments, allow a wide variety of choice of colour but the main benefit of natural plasters is that it allows the walls to breathe, removing damp naturally from walls.