Our new Dublin LEED-Platinum Police facility is nearing completion! One of the last steps on the exterior of the building is to apply our specialized plaster mixture. This building shows our method of straw bale construction. In order to waterproof and seal the straw bales, our plaster mixture is applied. Once cured, it provides a waterproof, pest proof and fire resistant exterior. The plaster we use is a high-lime plaster, we have a proprietary blend that we have found to be the perfect balance to achieve the best result. It is applied in 3 coats: two base coats and one color coat. The final coat, also known as the color coat, has a slightly different mixture. This coat is composed of mainly white cement, lime, marble dust and Monterey sand. We use a specialized technique to expose some of the sand in the final coat, creating a washed aggregate finish. See the pictures to view close up, what the exterior of the building looks like when it is finished.
Humans have been plaster coating buildings for thousands of years. Everywhere from the Middle East to England, Rome and Greece to even the pyramids in ancient Egypt! The earliest discovered plasters are from around 7,500 BC. People living in what is now modern day Jordan used a type of lime plaster mixed with crushed limestone, to coat the walls and floors of their houses. Inside tombs and pyramids in Egypt, plaster was painted with elaborate pictures and hieroglyphics. In ancient Rome, lime and sand were combined to create base layers of plaster over which a final coat containing marble dust & gypsum was applied, creating that classic Mediterranean smooth white appearance to buildings.
