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Monday, 10 December 2007 |
Lindsay Woodster discovers the glories of tadelakt
 
One of the most dramatic
expressions of the multifaceted
qualities of lime
must be Tadelakt. This is the
traditional coating, interior
and exterior, of Moroccan
palaces, in particular of
hammams: the ‘Turkish’
baths. It is labour-intensive
décor: a fine plaster of lime
and powdered marble which
is smoothed to a close-knit
finish, polished with a river
pebble, and made waterproof
with a liquid soft soap of
olive oil. The final surface is
naturally a bone-white sheen.
Adding earth pigments to the
mix can lead to brilliant
colours which gleam in
desert ochres, blues and reds.
Lime breathes. This is
why it is so suitable
for creating healthy
environments in the home, as
it is impermeable to water
but permeable to air. Its
natural flexibility helps it to
resist cracking, and its strong
alkalinity makes it antibacterial
as well as
fungicidal. The extra value
of tadelakt apart from its
beauty is the possibility of its
seamlessness. No more grout
lines between tiles to gather
mildew and resist cleaning.
When finished tadelakt
feels like cool silk. Moulded
basins, baths and showers
can be completely coated in
it, and the hand-worked
surface can be marbled or
smooth, rustic or simply
uniform.
It is said that you cannot
be skilled in this art without
training in Morocco, and it is
true that there are courses
held there, and a growing
number of people with good
credentials offering their
work here in France. But a
keen amateur can have the
experience of creating small
areas to good effect. And
having a go is a reminder of
the great skill of artisans
which is being lost in mass
production of the less
ecological skins of modern
buildings.
If you’ve no artisan near
you, and you don’t dare
follow the recipes yourself,
the Ecole d’Avignon is
renowned for its courses in
building restoration.
It will be teaching an
Italian/Catalan style of
tadelakt from 11 – 13
December and from 18 – 20
March 2008.
In Virginie and Thierry
Thisse’s new strawbale
house, the owners
encouraged enthusiasts
to try out unusual
effects. Here their bathroom
walls gleam
with the marbling of
tadelakt on walls which
had the uneven surface
of the bales.
http://ploug.eu.org/doc/fiche_technique_tadelakt.pdf
http://moroccan-plasterer.blogspot.com/
http://www.ecole-avignon.com/stages/stage23.php
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