Preparing For Plaster

The building is two steps away from being closed in. All that is needed are windows and a door

One goal is to finish the exterior plaster before winter. In preparation for plaster a cob mix was applied to the walls. I was actually dreading the job but quickly found out how fun it was. Applying this layer of clay has been one of the most fun and enjoyable parts of the build so far.

Here it is possible to see three different phases of covering the walls. On the right is a layer completed the day before, in the center a newly applied layer, and on the left the wall has been soaked with water in preparation to receive a layer.

Two severe storms came through in the summer and the building was not unscathed. I'm told one of the storms put out 4 inches of rain within 30 minutes with an accompanying wind of 50 mph / 80 kph. Despite these tropical storm conditions the building held up well but did suffer some wash out which can be seen in this post. In many places a quarter to a half inch of clay washed out, and some pockets were as much as one inch deep.

The layer that is being added now is not waterproof and I'm fully aware that another severe storm of this nature will see me doing this work again. That is fine - the building did very well last time. But the push is on to add an outer layer of lime plaster that will assist in shedding water.

 

Lots of additional minor work was done to ready the building for close-in. The gaps above the windows were filled in, the window frames were cleaned and readied, and the rafters and eaves received another coat of oil / stain.