Free clay plaster - how to make durable plaster so that it doesn't crumble or crack

Earlier, our grandfathers used clay plaster everywhere. They mixed horse manure and clay with fine sand. Over time, new building materials have appeared that are not cheap and environmental friendliness is questionable.

Clay plaster has been proven for centuries. There are several varieties of mixes and good advice from the old masters. We will now tell you about this and how to avoid cracks and shedding.

All the advantages of clay:

• Cheapness,
• Does not cause allergies,
• Breathable material, natural absorbent,

Cons: Clay is different. The quality of the plaster directly depends on the properties of the clay. The plastic material retains its shape during deformation, and if you use non-plastic clay, then the plaster can turn out with cracks and it will not work comfortably with it.

Therefore, it is better to check the plasticity before work. Mix clay with water so you can sculpt from it. Roll a ball (about 6 cm. in diameter). Crush the ball with your hand.

If you see that the result is a cake with cracks, breaks, then nothing good will come of it. If a clay cake flattened into a saucer without cracks, then this is good clay. However, remember that small cracks and fractures are inevitable, even with the best oily clay.

To improve the elasticity, wheat flour or dung is added to the solution.

Sand is needed to prepare the solution. Its amount depends on the clay (its plasticity). It is recommended to add about half of the total solution. However, more than 80% of the sand is not worth putting.

Add straw, sawdust, or pine needles to the solution. This fiber reinforces the solution. Straw is an excellent insulation material. You can buy industrial (polypropylene fiber) in the store, if you are not an adherent of everything natural. The straw should be fine to keep the walls even and smooth. An alternative to straw is fine sawdust.

Some people add gypsum to the solution. This helps the solution dry faster.

Clay must be soaked beforehand.

Then add fiber and sand and mix well with a construction mixer. The ideal solution should be like thick sour cream. The walls can be filled with a mesh with cells of 20x20 mm.

After that, take a spatula and get to work. Then you need to smooth out the surface with a dense, wet and hard sponge to smooth out all the irregularities.

You can prime the finished surface so that it does not crack, crumble or wash out with water.

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