Want to add a new look to your plaster walls, while keeping splash zones smudge free? Try using Limestrong’s Tadelakt! Limestrong is a lime plaster company founded by Ryan Chivers, a previous CR guest instructor. Traditional Tadelakt is a Moroccan style of artisan plaster that is water resistant. At CR we use Limestrong’s Tadelakt mixture on our already plastered bathroom walls as the process is less time intensive and uses fewer tools than traditional Tadelakt, while still providing a great look and smooth feel. But, recently we’ve started to use Limestrong in a new way! Limestrong Tadelakt can also serve to protect heavy use areas such as around light switches or behind sinks where plaster walls tend to get smudged or splashed. Once in place, you can easily maintain the cleanliness of your new Limestrong feature with mild vegetable based soaps!
Learn More about Limsetrong maintanence here!
Basic Mix
If you are just covering a small area, like we did, you will have more than enough material from just a sample pack, linked here.
Basic Mix (for entire walls, if desired)
Limestrong “tadelakt” (32 lb. bag) mixed with 8 liters (2.1 gallons) of water (this will cover approximately 150 square feet using two coats).
Application
Here is a simplified version of the Limestrong “dry use tadelakt” application process, which is the type of application you’d use on anything outside of the shower space since it won’t be directly and routinely hit by water. If you have a CR home, you should have lime plastered bathroom walls already, which are a fine base for your “tadelakt” mix to go on top of. If you don’t have plastered walls, there are more steps. First, the drywall must be finished to a level 3 and primed with Limestrong “Primer Grit” mixed with a water-based primer. Second, Limestrong SAND (a separate product) must be applied in two layers as a base coat. Once the second coat is smoothed and has cured overnight, the first layer of Limestong tadelakt can be applied. Tadelakt finish should be applied using a wet-on wet technique. After the second coat is applied a finishing trowel is used to smooth and burnish. Once the wall has completely dried, an olive oil soap is used to polish, and an additional Limestrong wax layer can be added.
Check out the Full Application process here!
COMMUNITY REBUILDS 