Has anyone in here used the clay plaster on their walls either for a customer of their home? I have seen this product before but have never used it. It SEEMS to be a great product, and it's claims about helping to regulate humidity sound great, but is it real? What about in the winter, does it crack and fall off or what? Is it easy to put on? What about hanging pictures and what not? Here is a link for what I am talking about. I do NOT sell and am not affiliated with this brand or product in ANY way, it's just a good video of the product in general so you know what I am referring too. I won't respond to any pm's asking for info on this product to maintain that seperation. This is NOT a sales pitch. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOeDrlEUidw&feature=related I likehow it looks and would like to use it, but would like more info from the real world. Thanks in advance for your guys replies and have a good day.

I also have wondered about this clay plaster, dose it work like they say it dose? any one?

I think my 2 main concerns are with it drying and cracking and damage. From what I can tell it seems rather "easy" to fix a hole or something. But where I live it is very humid in the summer and very dry in the winter. I see it cracking in the middle of winter, especially if a wood stove is used. But I obviously don't know for sure as I started the thread. lol So someone hopefully will educate me on this product. I like how it can look and that the imperfections of it are not only DIY friendly but it adds character.

I used this product on a bathroom remodel a few years ago and love it. It was a bit of an experiment but we plan to use it on all the walls in a new home we're building. It's amazing how it has changed the feel of the room. It is a "breathing" finish and absorbs and releases humidity - perfect for a bathroom. It has also seemed to help regulate the temperature.
We installed it ourselves easily, although needed more than we'd calculated probably because we were troweling it on too thick. It did crack a little while it was drying but we followed the manufacturer's instructions and smoothed them out and since then, we've had no cracks. We used the Loma finish and my only complaint would be that sometimes I find sand on the floor! Again, that was probably because we had never used it before and didn't pack it down enough.

I have taken the company's 8 hour intro class. I am building a 3000sf home outside Durango CO. I am using it throughout my home. I am lucky to have a very experienced applicator who is coming up from Albuquerque to do the work! I have been living in NM, where this project originates and have several friend who have used it. They love it. One friend's child drew on a plastered wall with a permanent marker. It took about one hour to fix it, using a "cupcake" of plaster that was saved from the original install. As far as application, use a trained applicator, or attend a class at the company. This product is finished differently than lime plaster!

Thanks for the replies everyone. I will look into it a bi tmore an dsee if I can find a training class.

anybody have any feedback on the cost of this product per sq. ft?

I used it (American Clay) on a few projects. It was an ideal choice to go with the Durisol because they both facilitate a vapour permeable wall with moisture storage capacity (hygroscopic). The cost ranged depending on location on timing (seasonal and also in relationship to the start of the recession).

We used it on our entire ICF home.  One of the first projects they had in Texas in 2005.  it does not crack if applied correctly.  The only place you may notice cracking is where an internal stick wall meets an ICF wall and the stick shrinks.  It's easy to reapply and bumps and holes are a snap to repair, good as new.

The application of it is labor intensive, however.  If you can find a person with experience in Venetian plaster, you'll be all that much farther ahead with your results.

i've always been interested in altenative finishes and this clay sounds pretty good. is applied right on the eps or does it have to go over drywall?

When we did it it was over drywall.  Their site lists all applicable surfaces and prep that has to be done beforehand.  I do not think that it can be directly applied to EPS.

I've had some experience with this stuff and have to admit that it's kind of counterintuitive to spread mud on your walls as a finish.  Still, having seen it and used it before, I'm planning on using it in my house (over Rastra).

As for cracking, it can develope cracks initially, but generally because it was applied too thick.  It reactes similar to drywall mud if applied too thick, though not as bad.  By thick, I mean +1/4 inch, which is not per the manufacturer's guidelines.  If it does crack, you have to spray it with water and trowel it again.  Big deal.  One fixed a couple days after application, they don't come back.

Clay doesn't crack because of seasonal changes in humidity.  Clay holds incredible amounts of water, so unless your seasonal changes results in a complete soaking of the wall, the cracks won't appear because of a damp season followed by a dry season.

I applied a layer of clay to the exterior foundation of my existing home as a test for the interior of the home that I'm building.  That was six years ago.  It's about 1/4" thick, on the southern wind/rain exposure on my home in Seattle.  I did a couple different colors and styles; a dash coat, a floated "mission" type of coat, etc.  I also did some areas with natural hydraulic lime.  The clay is still perfect, despite having been repeatedly soaked for days at a time and being an "interior only" product.  When dry, it is much harder and more durable than the hydraulic lime.  It is amazing stuff.  But for the cost, I'd be tempted to use it as an exterior stucco, even in Seattle.

Because of the relative cost, for my interior walls I'll probably do a first coat of Structolite to straighten the walls, then use a finish coat of clay.

Mark

Any American Clay I have seen, that gets a steady stream of water, will run.  Is your outside test application sealed, or is it protected from direct rain?

Mine isn't sealed or protected from direct rain.  The cement foundation is an exposed area that creates a daylight basement.  I applied clay there just to see what it looked like.  I never expected it to remain the same after years of exposure to rain.  It gets soft after a couple hours of direct rain, but as long as nothing touches it, it dries out just as it was the day I applied it.

I've never understood sealing the clay.  It kind of makes sense to put a protective layer over it, but if (when) it does get damaged, the protective layer would make repair much more difficult.  If the clay plaster is trowelled hard, the only thing that might effect it would  be a splash of red wine or crayon art.  Still, without a sealer, you could moisten the area, remove the stain, and trowel in replacement clay (or just moisten and blend).  I don't know how you'd do that with a coat of Thompson's or other sealer on it.  Seems to me like maintaining the sealer would be more difficult than maintaining the clay.  I guess I'll find out some day.

Mark

Interesting.

I'm not advocating sealing, for the reasons you mentioned.  No repair, no painting if you want to in future.  Same goes for the wax finish.
AmClay makes one, though.  Thompson's is no go for it.

I am considering using clay or lime plaster over ICF in a new home (the first sub I got an ICF price from costs far more then wood framing over poured concrete, so I am getting new pricing while reconsidering...), however ... Some clay plasters products claim to attach right to EPS, without metal lath. This would worry me, especially in a two story space. Does anyone have direct experience with applying the base to EPS, and would you recommend mechanically fastening lath to the furring strips even if the manufacturer says it is not required? many thanks