Essential Natural Plasters is the most comprehensive guide to making and using natural plasters for all types of buildings. It covers clay, lime, and gypsum plasters; waterproof tadelakt plaster; fibers and additives; interior and exterior use; substrate preparation; mixing, testing, and tinting; and practical application tips.
A veritable cookbook of natural plaster recipes and techniques for beautiful, durable finishes
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 cover it all:
Richly illustrated and deeply researched,Essential Natural Plasters is the must-have resource for owner-builders and professionals alike.
Michael Henry plastered his way across Ontario for a decade. His research, attention to detail, and mad-scientist plaster experiments have made him a noted expert and teacher in the field. Michael lives in Peterborough, Ontario, with his wife and two children. He shares his knowledge at thesustainablehome.net.
Tina Therrien started plastering in 1997 with Camel's Back Construction, Ontario's firs straw bale company. A founding member of the Ontario Natural Building Coalition, she is co-author of More Straw Bale Building and operates Shelter By Hand, a timber framing company, in Low, Quebec, where she lives with her partner and daughter.
Create Beautiful, Durable Finishes with Natural Plasters That Last for Generations
Part of the Sustainable Building Essentials Series, Essential Natural Plasters is the definitive hands-on guide to working with clay, lime, and gypsum plasters for healthy, high-performance interior and exterior finishes. Learn how to create breathable, low-impact surfaces that regulate moisture naturally and deliver timeless beauty.
What You'll Learn
Richly illustrated and deeply researched, this guide functions as both a practical how-to manual and a trusted reference for ongoing projects. It is ideal for owner-builders, natural builders, designers, and professionals seeking beautiful, durable, and low-impact finishes.
Written by Michael Henry and Tina Therrien, respected practitioners with decades of hands-on experience, Essential Natural Plasters distills hard-won knowledge, experimentation, and best practices into a clear, accessible resource.
Explore the full Sustainable Building Essentials Series for highly illustrated, step-by-step guidance on natural materials, resilient construction methods, and high-performance building systems.