Here’s me and the shower, no good pictures yet but Paul will send me some after he gets the bathroom cleaned up and I’ll post them.

Paul is also going to finish off the floor in the bathroom and the countertops, so it will be one of those nice seamless Tadelakt bathrooms.

For substrate we used a new product I have become very interested in.  It’s called Rubberize It and it’s a Zero VOC paint on rubber coating that seems to waterproof any surface it coats.  On their website they do a demonstration on the inside of a cardboard box which they completely waterproof with the rubberizer and then fill with water.  Pretty impressive.  Here’s a link to their website.  What surprised me when I ran some tests in the studio a couple of months ago was how well all of our material bonded to it.  I applied the Tadelakt directly over the coats of Rubberize It and our material bonds very strongly to it.  So theoretically, in a shower one could build the substrate out of almost anything (for example, plywood) and coat with Rubberize It and end up with a waterproof surface the Tadelakt will bond great to.  Seems like it should work.  Paul is one of the principals in the company so he gets to be guinea pig for a few months and then I am going to use it in my house for a Tadelakt shower as well.  I’ll keep you posted.

You can also use the material on exteriors, which is very interesting, and they seem to be doing a brisk business selling the coating for roofs, as well as koi ponds and other water garden features.

The Columbia gorge is such a beautiful area, go there if you can.  Here’s a couple of shots I took during our hike:

Nice, right?  We have a couple of spots left in our certification class next week, and there is also room in the one-day Tadelakt class.  I’ll be using my new find Rubberize It to prep all the Tadelakt boards.  I’ll post photos of that finished bathroom as soon as I get some.

]]> http://www.stuccoitalianoinc.com/venetian-plaster/working-weekend-tadelakt-installation/feed/ 1 http://www.stuccoitalianoinc.com/venetian-plaster/substrates-for-plaster-finishes-showers/ http://www.stuccoitalianoinc.com/venetian-plaster/substrates-for-plaster-finishes-showers/#comments Mon, 04 Apr 2011 17:16:06 +0000 Aaron Cohen http://www.stuccoitalianoinc.com/?p=1834 We get so many requests from contractors and homeowners asking for information on how to do showers these days.  Probably our single-most requested technical info item.  My answer is always a resounding “don’t ask me”.  But seriously, tackling a shower surround is a whole different animal than just putting up a nice finish over drywall, so this is no job for amateurs.

Fortunately there are now full start-to-finish systems available that seem to be working great as a substrate for Tadelakt or even Marmorino Carrara or Intonachino.  Our applicators have had excellent success over the past 4-5 years with the Wedi board system which is a lightweight alternative to cement board and include a special panel fastener that seems much more reliable than simple screws, as well as a paintable urethane caulking system to ensure cracking does not occur at the joints.

Click here to get to the Wedi site.

During last week’s decorative cement class one of our students gave me a brochure from Schluter, another leader in the wet area substrate industry(thanks Tamara!).  They now have a relatively new system similar to Wedi called Kerdi-board.  And they have seminars around the country for interested contractors.  In our area there is one coming up in Lynwood, WA May 17th, Tacoma on May 18th, and Portland on May 19th.   I’ll be at either the Lynwood or Tacoma one for sure.  Here’s a link to the page listing Schluter seminars.

These seminars are free.  So you want to install an incredibly beautiful Tadelakt or other lime-plaster finish in a shower and not sure how to do the substrate?  Maybe quit calling me and go learn how to do it right from a professional.

AARON…

Our February 2011 Newsletter

This months newsletter just went out – here’s a link to the online version.

If you’d like to receive our newsletter in the future there is a link to sign up on that page.

“…out 300 pages in the new catalog, 60% of the photos involve Plaster Walls and Plaster Mantels…” Read the whole post here.

LIME VS CEMENT

People are becoming more and more concerned about indoor air quality. Homes plagued with VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) or mold can negatively impact the health of the occupants. According to Green By Design, “an estimated 15% of the U.S. population — millions of people — are chronically ill from their homes, and indoor air quality is a major factor.”

If you are using Venetian plaster, you might want to check out some info on indoor air quality around the web:

• The EPA’s guide to indoor air quality

• Wikipedia on indoor air quality

• Treehugger on causes and testing of poor indoor air quality

• Build It Green explains that “A common source of indoor air pollution is the offgassing of chemicals found in many building materials…”

• There’s even an Indoor Air Quality Association…

Have you noticed a difference between working with non-toxic Venetian plasters versus acrylic finishes? Tell us about it in the comments…

A while ago, I briefly mentioned a project Tom Williams is working on in Ballard using Intonachino Extra Fine and Medium. It’s worth taking another look. Click on the picture below to see more photos.

Of course, mold-resistance is great for optimal indoor air health as well, so intonachino and other lime plasters are also ideal for interiors. Quoting from this excellent article on lime plaster’s natural mold resistance; “the short answer as to why Venetian plaster is truly mold-resistant is that mold can only grow in an acidic and wet or damp environment. Venetian plasters breathe and do not retain moisture. Molds also require a food source and an acidic environment in which to multiply.”

For both health- and earth-conscious reasons, Venetian style Italian lime plasters are the way to go…

Our Stucco Italiano line consists of non-toxic, natural lime plasters. If you work with our materials you can be confident you are offering your customers a natural alternative to acrylic and cement based materials, both of which do not offer the same naturally green characteristics. Pointing these features out is a good place to start a conversation about what kind of wall finishing materials your customer wants in their home.