Essential Natural Plasters
A Guide to Materials, Recipes, and Use
by Michael Henry & Tina Therrien
Natural plasters made of clay, lime, and other materials mixed with sand are beautiful building finishes. Fun to work with, low-impact, and allowing infinite creativity, they are high performance and provide proven, centuries-long durability.
Yet until now there’s been no resource that has pulled together the best North American plaster recipes and how-to into one place. Essential Natural Plasters covers it all:
- Sourcing and selecting materials, including site-soils
- Clay, lime, and gypsum plasters as well as fibers and amendments
- Interior and exterior use and specialty plasters such as tadelakt for bathrooms
- Preparing substrates, from straw bales and cob to lath and sheetrock
- How to set-up a safe, efficient worksite
- Mixing, testing, tinting, and applying plasters and plaster repair
- Coveted recipes from leading plasterers in Ontario, Vermont, New Mexico, France, and New Zealand.
Richly illustrated and deeply researched, Essential Natural Plasters is the must-have resource for owner-builders and professionals alike., and applying plasters and plaster repair
Buy it at New Society Publishers
Updates, corrections, and more are posted at essentialnaturalplasters.com
Reviews of Essential Natural Plasters
“More than a book on plasters, Essential Natural Plasters delves deep into the world of natural building, explaining the detailing and function of walls finished with natural plasters in addition to the fundamentals of plasters made from earth, lime, and gypsum. It covers the spectrum of natural plasters, providing fundamental advice on mixing, application, and finishing, but also discusses often overlooked details such as masking and maintenance. Including tons of recipes, Essential Natural Plasters should be in the hands of every natural builder. ” – Kyle Holzhueter, PhD, First Degree Certified Plasterer, Permaculture Center, Kamimomi, Japan
“This is hands down the most comprehensive book on natural plasters that I’ve ever read. The authors include information you’d expect in a textbook, yet they write in a clear, easy-to-read style. Everything you’d want to know about natural plaster is included – from preparation and planning, through choosing materials, application techniques, and even recipes. Essential Natural Plasters is indeed essential for every natural builder’s library!” – Sigi Koko, Down to Earth Designs, www.buildnaturally.com
“From an engineer’s point-of-view, plaster can be both a weak point and a strength in a natural material wall assembly. Tina and Michael, supported by their myriad plastering guru contributors, have curated a wonderfully broad and incredibly detailed recipe book for anyone who wants to work with natural plasters. There is background on a wide variety of materials, wisdom from many projects, and inspiration galore here. For anyone from beginner wall finisher to expert plasterer, this is a valuable resource – one that moves the state of the art forward here in North America.” – Tim Krahn, P. Eng., structural engineer at Building Alternatives Inc.
“Essential Natural Plasters: A Guide to Materials, Recipes, and Use is aptly named. Tina Therrien and Michael Henry have delivered a thorough and honest easy-to-read guide for anyone interested or working in the natural plaster field. This book guides the reader through the stages of plaster work, beginning with onsite and personal safety and closing with much-needed coverage calculations that only a professional would know. They have given the reader an unprecedented 27 plaster recipes from around the world developed by professionals to help guide others in the complex and temperamental field of working with natural materials. The information in the book will save others years of personal study and experimentation I wish I had this book 20 years ago when I started out!” – Janine Bjornson, Natural Builder, Educator, and Consultant
“Tina Therrien and Michael Henry have created a superb, comprehensive, and well-illustrated guide to natural plasters. Drawing on their own extensive experience, and the experience and wisdom of other leaders in this field, they have woven together a treasure trove of practical and insightful information about materials, processes, decision-making, recipes, tricks of the trade, and essential practices.” – David Eisenberg, Director, Development Center for Appropriate Technology
“Essential Natural Plasters is the book I’ve been waiting for – clear, concise, and thorough knowledge delivered in a thoughtfully organized format. Finally, a book for plasterers by plasterers with a fountain of knowledge on the subject and a killer selection of recipes, to boot. This is easily my new go-to resource for all things natural plaster in North America.” – Ziggy Liloia, owner, instructor, builder, The Year of Mud