INTRODUCTION TO TADELAKT - WATERPROOF LIME FINISH

[@dennisspqr]

Great video, just what I was looking for! Calm explanation that one can actually follow, no guitar music, with community spirited people holding hands while stomping on soil and talks of being inspired by mother earth. I love our mother earth but really was looking to hear about materials and techniques, simple. So thanks!

[@freshimpactco.8698]

Hi Alex, Thanks for the wonderful video on Tadelkt, it was great to see that a method can used to waterproof cobb or rammed earth for areas that are prone to get quite wet. Also really pleased to learn that it can be used for baths!

[@rsdtknqr]

wonderful video Alex! I used to live in Morocco, and I miss the pleasure seeing the vibrant colors and running my hand over the smooth surfaces...

[@lkhfun6575]

Thank you for all you share about cob!!!!

[@Roonnam]

i forgot my recepies.. 15 years ago i mixed thick turkish yoghurt with lime..( funny to empty a complete shelf of all yoghurt.. anyone next to you seeing such a thing will instantly feel robbed) i don't remember if i used a granulate.. let is sit for 3 days or so..think it was 2.. before aplying it.. felt like making cheese.. added a few scoops? classic lime (trascement) with ground up vulcanic rock powder in it.. it is used for placing garden tiles etc.. (better frost resistant no salt blooming.. ) soaked soap.. it turned it from a mat paste into a plasticine paintlike behaviour, very intersting..(painting waterresistant walls in one go i thought.. shiny to.. probably,... i didn't get to doing so.. due to more stuff to do etc.. ) i plastered a bathtub with it..what i wanted to say it setlled fast.. and strong no shrinkage durable as anything.. tough as hell.. i also had a lot of problems with other stuff yet that combi ,, i think the best granulate might be the lime itself ( hardened shrunken and grinded up again.... i think for the future i will only work free standing patches and incorporate them into a whole by leaving a certain with of edge for later to fill with , maybe beeswax or some micture that allows some movement..

[@Juhulia76]

Interesting. How did you get this yogurt idea? Just from your own inspiration or did you hear about this technique from somebody else? And I suppose there was no stone polishing. Just yogurt in the li.e mix, right?

[@NouriaDiallo]

​@@Juhulia76 casein is a well established additive for lime plaster.

[@buildyear86]

can I apply the layers onto wood? I am thinking about making a piece of furniture in wood, and then layer tadelakt onto it as a finish. Can the layers be succesfully applied on a wooden furniture?

[@punchout2418]

Thanks for making this informative video. I'm going to be doing a tadelakt shower and I could use all the information I can get before I get mixing. This seems like a pretty cool channel too. I'm going to check out some of your other vids.

[@williamfox9523]

Very nicely explained. Nice job!

[@fabricedemonaco6886]

Merci "Marius Fabre" c'était très bien prononcé, bravo.

[@albertriddle7114]

How do you clean it from hard water stains? Like rust or the blue stains and soap stains. Are these showers practical for multiple daily uses? I'm plaster by trade ,I've had people ask me about this over the In the last few years . I just feel it would be prone to cracking going over a substrate like a cement board, no matter what measures i took in preparing the cement board..

[@DylanBallon3]

how would one remove/ skimcoat over if they want to remove the tedelakt and texture? sand skim prime paint?

[@sabri_canta]

was the tub soap discontinued? I can't find it anywhere online

[@teddia5654]

I actually something great ! Thank You

[@richardbates7024]

Brilliant video was wondering if you could use clay and polish/burnish with a metal spoon

[@chaosplan]

I’d like to use this for a constantly filled and heated Japanese soaking tub (ofuro). Do you this finish could cope with constant immersion?

[@peterpiper5300]

Can we drill a hole on it without causing hairline cracks?

[@difasmuyanja9371]

Hi watching from Uganda I love your project how can I learn tadelakt

[@Lyra21]

Hi! Thank you for sharing this info. If I want the walls to be matte do I need to use the poishing stones? Is this polishing process crucial to obtain a waterproof surface?

[@ryanjamesloyd6733]

it occurs to me that you might be able to make a tadelakt polisher- either by taking a porcelain tile or some tumbled stones like that, and gluing them to an orbital sander pad. might speed up the process. I am likely going to try this.

[@jrharcombe]

Awesome video, couple questions. 1) How do you polish inside corners? 2) what ratios do you use for lime and sand/lime fines? 4-1 or 5-1 maybe?

[@dennisspqr]

The ratio would be good to know!

[@natbabe6589]

Fab instructive video! Thank you 😊

[@hyperqbit7246]

Wow! So glad I found your instructional video on Tadelakt. When do you add pigments in this process? Can a smooth electric polisher be used with a hard buffering sheet that mimics stone polisher?

[@peterporaski2629]

great info, thank you, how to avoid cracks?

[@jimmilner9943]

Thanks so much for this! We are steam room company (consultation, repair, design, and build-outs) and we have a client that want's a Tadelakt finish. We have no experience with this material and were wondering if it's appropriate for a high temperature and 100% humidity environment. Also, various materials (ceramic tile, stone, concrete) impact steam generator sizing due to their relative heat absorption indexes. Any and all info on these questions/concerns would be very appreciated! Thanks again!

[@R32SWEET]

I'm about to find out the hard way

[@Roonnam]

@@R32SWEET any conclusions on your specific experience with your plaster at this point in time ? :)

[@B0773GA]

What is “cob”? Where do you buy your lime and other materials. Thanks!

[@ronaldjoe7896]

how do you get the TADELAKT in different color,?

[@fabricedemonaco6886]

avec des pigments naturels principalement

[@tranquilityrules]

Wouldthisbe adaptive to be usedas aniground greenhouse concern is plants next to lime as time wears on really didnt want to do concrete stay greenhouse as earthen long hours older "knees" preservations. Suggestions ?

[@crickethartley9121]

thank you for bringing up tadelakt what stones are used in morroco?

[@yacinesonsolomon]

We prefer the river stone

[@xandraeon]

How do you clean and maintain it? Thanks

[@emilyporter1186]

Clean with black soap or similar v gentle cleansers, NEVER bleach, anything ammonia based, or other harsh cleaners - they irreparably damage the finish and remove the waterproofing. Reapply soapy water about once a month or so

[@OreoAndMoonbeam]

1000th thumb up 👍

[@createvision8109]

Can lye soap made with fats work? 🙏answer😃🤗

[@Kris.10]

Is there a way to keep the finish matte while still having a waterproof finish? I prefer the dull color over the gloss, but love the waterproofing ability that this option offers! Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

[@thiscobhouse]

Not with this method anyway. I'm honestly not sure. You might have to look to a synthetic coating for something like that.

[@yacinesonsolomon]

Yeah you can byt with another method

[@debraboyd1779]

Hello Alex, if you use tadelakt in the shower of a cob house, how often do you have to renew the process with the stone to ensure it stays water resistant??

[@thiscobhouse]

You should only have to do it once when you apply the tadelakt.

[@utuba11]

Sorry the soap that should be used is the Moroccan soap, called saboon baldi. its dark brown with soft consistency, you need to add water to it to make it more liquid so you can apply it, it can be found on line or in some middle eastern stores . for the polishing stone in morocco they use pebble stone that is vey smouth called msen, witch can be found in abundance in creeks , specially near Marrakech. cheers

[@thiscobhouse]

Thanks! Interesting about the stones. The black soap in the video I use is safely the same though and is easy to find online.

[@ColumbcilleDougherty]

i make soap, can i just use soap that i make at home?

[@rhodesianwojak2095]

another spelling that seems to work on YT is Savon Beldi

[@esoterraearthenbuildingbys5366]

What the guy describes is likely raw african black soap . many soaps can be used the idea is saponafied veg oil

[@redblueyellowlight_brigh91956]

Stearic Acid is the chemical component needed. Any soap that's high in stearic acid will work. In Europe traditionally olive oil soap is used. Castile soap and coconut oil soap are also recommended.

[@joelhorton3830]

Does the cob training package show detailed how, recipes etc for tadelakt?

[@thiscobhouse]

Yes, it sure does!

[@FLpoolpatio]

Can it be used inside swimming pool finish?

[@thiscobhouse]

I would say yes, but it would be a big challenge to do that much.

[@FLpoolpatio]

@@thiscobhouse why? Does it have to be done all the surface at the same time? Thank you for quick respond.

[@thiscobhouse]

@@FLpoolpatio Yeah. You would really need to apply all the plaster at once and the polish asap. I definitely think its possible to do a swiming pool with tadelakt. The Moroccan bath houses and palaces were covered in tadelakt (that's where it originates), but you need to be really expert in the skill to take on a big project like a pool. That's just my thought.

[@FLpoolpatio]

It would be a interesting project. I need to do a lot of research.

[@janaes3857]

Can I use this for a kitchen backsplash or will it stain easily, say with tomato splatters? Thanks!

[@thiscobhouse]

It can stain, usually from citric juices.

[@beorntwit711]

Earthbag construction would be perfect for tropics, except for all that pesky rain. Do you think Tadelakt could provide the protection for earthen architecture domes against that much precipitation/humidity?

[@mytennisinstinct]

Just built an Earthbag dome in the tropics of Mexico. Did you get an answer to your question?

[@tj48649]

THANKS FOR A GREAT VIDEO! Question for you: I have some marble meal. It's the consistency of fine sand, what we call 'sugar sand' here in Florida. Can I use that? I realize you may not see this but I hope you do!

[@guerillagrace]

How did it turn out? From what I gather marble meal may actually be a superior finishing to lime fines -a couple of coats over a courser aggregate

[@freshimpactco.8698]

Quick question, how did you acquire that finish on the rounded piece of cobb? I saw a spectacular speckle on it and it made it look really beautiful...

[@thiscobhouse]

The little dark speckles actually come from the aggregate in the lime plaster. In this case it was lime fines as the aggregate, or it can be from sand.

[@fuadhasanchowdhury6189]

How can I apply on soil burnt bricks walls? Should it needs to apply cement plaster before apply tadelkt plaster? Need help

[@abdullahazeem2494]

Just a thought.. Ditch the cement plaster. Use lime plaster and then continue with the tadelakt polishing

[@WallaceRoseVincent]

In line with the s-lime comment ... Wouldn't you want to use nhl 3.5?

[@veronihaydee]

Is there a power tool that will polish the Tadelakt like the stone? I’m thinking my hands and arms will be exhausted using the stones!

[@thiscobhouse]

There is not to my knowledge. The person that taught me, who is an expert in tadelakt, told us that no power tools ever worked for him.

[@veronihaydee]

This Cob House thanks! 😊

[@rogueskywalker7649]

Would this lime finish effect heat absorption and release on rammed earth walls?

[@emilyporter1186]

I'm not sure but it might end up like putting lime plaster over clay plaster: the lime tends to break away and flake off after some time

[@hyperqbit7246]

How many hours/days between each coat of lime, assuming each coat is 1/8th of inch thick? What trowels work best for the first 3 layers?

[@firstname-qq3xp]

you apply the layers while the previous layer is still wet.

[@eltoncarvalho9456]

Do you think glass could work instead of the stone?

[@tofurkeyrice]

What is the proportion of lime, sand, and pigment?

[@dver89]

You have to experiement a little with earthen plasters and cob as far as ratios are concerned. For cob its good to start with something like 25% clay and 75% sand. With plasters it can vary depending on the type of binder (how aggressive the clay is for instance). Just google lime plaster ratios or something like that and I'm sure you can find what you're looking for.

[@anjube]

What's the ratio of lime to sand?

[@TheColonyRed]

Does anyone know the price per m2 for application by a master?

[@saren6538]

Where you based ?

[@yacinesonsolomon]

Im a master , in morocco Price varies depending on the location the walls not like a floor and the floor not like a bathroom (sink, bathtub ) . But the high price is 30€ per m2 and the less is 10€ per m2 but if u want to take the master in another country ofcourse its higher than this

[@saren6538]

4 coats of lime on a cob ball ? I’d understand 1 as tadelakt needs a something to grip onto but the cob ball is quite sufficient to remove the water from the tadelakt

[@samreenkhawar8031]

oh thanks for the answer and yes olive... sorry

[@chaosplan]

Instead of cob could this be built with a foundation of high density foam?

[@DylanBegazo]

Why type S Lyme Plaster?

[@saren6538]

Learned this in Morocco ... first of all tadelakt isn’t waterproof it’s water resistant and needs to be maintained otherwise it blackens. In Marrakech every bathroom I’ve seen are black at the bottom hence why they’ve never been continually soaped. Also they only put tadelakt on the floor if it’s mixed with cement .. theses things are why this material is mis understood

[@Skylightatdusk]

When you say that tub of tadeliakt product will go a long way, does that mean it will suffice for a regular sized bath tub?

[@thiscobhouse]

Absolutely! It will be plenty for a bathtub.

[@DjuzZ34]

Tadelakt do not come from morocco it s just the name they give it but it was used in roman baths and greeks around 500 up to 1k years before they started to use it by berbers people; also some similar techniques have been used by egyptians to; "This is precisely the same process outlined by Vitruvius and utilized by the Romans two millennia ago to produce lime plaster. The Arabs had preserved many of the old Roman texts and during their golden age translated many Greek and Latin documents into Arabic. Tadelakt is essentially a natural hydraulic lime utilizing limestone local to Marrakech. "

[@uldisrats9801]

Hi! Thanks for the video, have a few questions though. Is tadelakt good option in kitchen? At the cooking area where steam and grease can get onto wall? Would tadelakt be enough to protected the wall in this case? And also - you said that this polishing might take around 1 hour for that small tile (so it would be like whole working day to polish 1 m2?)… how is it possible to tell when lime has been polished enough and is waterproof enough (for bathroom or kitchen)? And one more - how to color this lime finish - when to color it, with what type of color (with lime colors?)

[@thiscobhouse]

Lemon/citrus juice can damage the tadelakt. Discolor it. When water wicks off of the plaster, the polishing is done. It is colored with pigments added to the lime when mixed. They come in powder. I get them from Kremer Pigments.

[@Johnsen2012]

Doesn't type S lime include portland cement, a waterproofing material in and of itself? How are you sure the soap carbonate is really being formed? Shouldn't you buy just pure lime and sand separate? Maybe type S means something different for you but around here it's lime, sand and OPC

[@thiscobhouse]

The typse S lime doesn't include the sand. I add that separate as well. Ours doesn't have any Portland cement in it though.

[@StRain-zx2vo]

why can't you use a Dremel type tool to polish the layer of lime?

[@przybyla420]

You probably could, but an auto body grinder might be better for most projects :) For small work that can be held in the hand, it would be best to have the machine fixed and apply the piece to it. Maybe a bench grinder with a buffing wheel (charging with soap?). Or how about making a stone burnishing bit to go in a drill? Or chucking up a polishing stone on a lathe? I need some hydrated lime!

[@Re.Actiive]

How high is this guy

[@kimsong99]

6 foot lol

[@jacobelias5626]

I think watching tadelakt cure would be more exciting than this

[@samreenkhawar8031]

oliver soap can be replaced with Oliver oil??

[@thiscobhouse]

Oliver/Olivier/Olive oil does not work for tadelakt. Best to get the black olive oil soap.

[@shepopop]

samreen khawar , beware of black soap quality . Insure that you obtain an organic black beldi soap

[@jeremydesmond4275]

1.25

[@esoterraearthenbuildingbys5366]

I am glad you made a video on tadelakt Alex a subject shrouded in mysticism. Your kind of wrong about some stuff tho. Although limestone chat works well people typically are using marble sand which has better waterproof qualities. Traditional tadelakt uses hydraulic lime but here in the US hydrated type s works fine except the 4 coats over cob you describe will take weeks to dry properly enough to polish. Tadelakt is not Inherently waterproof but a component of waterproofing system so in all honesty i dont think your cob tub is realistic but worth a try

[@thiscobhouse]

Thanks. I really like the marble sand idea! Yeah. I would actually not try a cob tub anymore.

[@esoterraearthenbuildingbys5366]

@@thiscobhouse the trick i believe is to use the "fines" as a top coat ,compressed into coarser aggregates 2 or 3 coats is plenty over a rigid substrate

[@Jentalksalot]

Simon you seem well versed in recipes. would you have a chat and give me some advice please? I am very into learning this art.

[@nikanaughty]

What was that? Plan your video next time!!!

[@Tradebear]

He's handsome.

[@Daffodil956]

Lol

[@jonerlandson1956]

I wonder if you cheat and mechanize this?...

[@rexgoliath4032]

This actually was not informative at all. What are the materials? Where do you get them? Why would you not have demonstrated this as you spoke?