Stucco Italiano » Green building

SUBSTRATES FOR PLASTER FINISHES IN SHOWERS

Aaron Cohen — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 17:16:06 +0000

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

Stucco Italiano New Classes, New Dealers

Aaron Cohen — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 18:26:46 +0000

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.

Plaster is Everywhere

Aaron Cohen — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 17:09:27 +0000

Nice post from our good friend Randy Orr about lime plasters and the Renovation Hardware catalogue:

“…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

Aaron Cohen — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 22:40:42 +0000

OK maybe this is a little biased, but all and all I found it to be a pretty decent synopses of the differences between lime and cement especially regarding plaster and mortars:

LIME VS CEMENT…

Why you should care about indoor air quality

Katharine Houpt — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 23:48:03 +0000

Wondering why we stress Venetian plaster’s green qualities (non-VOC, naturally mold-resistant)?

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…

Aaron and Stucco Italiano Venetian plaster featured on Fauxology blog

Katharine Houpt — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 21:39:54 +0000

The lovely and talented Regina Garay of Garay Artisans posted a nice feature on Stucco Italiano including an interview with Aaron. He discusses what first sparked his interest in Venetian plaster as well as some of the more popular lime-based products.

Regina is quite prolific and her blog, Fauxology, is always a great read. One of the most articulate and balanced resources we know of. Definitely subscribe if you’re in the biz. Check her out on twitter too.

Thanks Regina for all you hard work!

Featured Venetian Plasterer: Jenn Williamson

Katharine Houpt — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:42:13 +0000

Jenn Williamson is a Stucco Italiano Certified Installer up in the Vancouver, BC area, and a very talented finisher with many years of experience in all phases of decorative plastering, painting, and design. She sent us some pics of her recent projects. We’re impressed. Jenn (AKA Ispirato Design) uses a variety of finishes, making the most of the unique qualities of each material. Truly beautiful work. See for yourself…

Jenn used Marmorino Carrara on these pillars (click on them to enlarge)…

And these are from her Intonachino project a few months ago…

And last but not least, and exquisite application of Marmorino Classic…

Like what you see? Contact Jenn.

Are you a Stucco Italiano installer that would like to be featured here? Contact Katharine and send some photos.

Mold resistance: why lime for exteriors and interiors?

Aaron Cohen — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 21:18:52 +0000

Intonachino has proven to be one of our most popular finishes for exteriors. Its naturally mold-resistant nature makes it perfect for the outdoors, even up here in the rainy northwest.

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…

Thoughts on “Green”

Aaron Cohen — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 23:13:03 +0000

We like to talk about how our Stucco Italiano Italian Plaster materials are “green”, and many consumers do respond in a positive way to that message. It gets increasingly difficult to separate the facts from the hype when it comes to calling a product green – “greenwashing” is a term I’ve seen used about over-hyping or just plain lying about the environmentally friendly nature of one’s product. More about greenwashing.

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.