Still Coming Along . . .

It's been several weeks now since we began plastering the exterior of the house. Lime plaster (a mix of lime putty and sand) is applied right over the strawbale walls. The lime reacts with CO2 in the atmosphere and "carbonates" back into limestone, forming a very durable and breathable protective shell.























We're going for an earthy tan color for the final plaster coating and began experimenting with pigmenting the plaster. We never did get quite the color we were after and so we've decided to simply apply the final coat of plaster without pigment and plan to apply a colored lime wash sometime this spring.




































The final coat of plaster goes on grayish and dries to a fairly bright white. The plaster is troweled smooth and hard and then lightly sponged to its final texture.





































Meanwhile, in the interior of the house . . .

Sheetrock is being hung and windows are being trimmed.