Adobe master Kurt Gardella, the man behind our backyard oven, is teaching an online adobe plastering class. Here’s the 411:

Dear adobe friends,

The next online class I am teaching for Adobe in Action – Interior and Exterior Plastering – begins on Monday, September 1, 2014. Earthen plasters are a great way to finish just about any wall substrate in the home. They create a soft, breathable final plaster layer which regulates humidity, odors and sounds like no other wall finish can. Plastering is a great way to get a feeling for building with earthen materials because the thin plaster surfaces give us direct and immediate feedback on how well we’ve selected and mixed our clay and aggregate materials. Also, you can practice your earthen plastering skills over existing conventional walls if you wish. We’ll show you how!

Here is the direct registration link if you are interested in joining us:

http://adobeinaction.bigcartel.com/product/interior-and-exterior-plastering-8-week-online-class-from-september-1-to-october-26-2014

And here is some info about topics covered in the class:

About the Course

This course covers the fundamentals of finishing interior and exterior adobe brick walls with natural plasters and paints. Our hands-on projects for this course focus on the mixing and application of earthen plasters, lime plasters and lime/casein paints.

Topic Overview

• historical overview of interior and exterior finishes for adobe structures in New Mexico
• importance of respiratory and eye safety when preparing and mixing plasters
• overview of mud plaster characteristics and why earthen plasters make sense on adobe walls
• summary of tools and materials needed for plastering
• window and door opening reinforcement using reed mat
• adobe wall preparation for maximum earthen plaster adhesion
• locating and testing clay for earthen plasters
• locating and testing aggregates for earthen plasters and lime plasters
• preparing lime putty 10 importance of work site and material organization for plaster work
• fiber (straw) preparation and chopping techniques
• sifting & preparing & mixing soil and aggregates for earthen plasters
• wheat paste production for strengthening mud plasters
• casein production for lime paints
• natural exterior earthen plaster stabilization techniques (lime, cactus juice)
• hand application techniques of earthen plasters (base coats, patching)
• hawk & trowel application of earthen and lime plasters (leveling and finish coats)
• basic earthen plaster ingredients and recipes
• basic lime plaster ingredients and recipes
• calculating surface area to be finished and materials needed
• troubleshooting earthen and lime plasters (cracking, adhesion problems, etc.)