Okay so why plaster? Isn’t that outdated? What exactly is it anyway? Well for starters lime plaster is what you’ll find adorning the walls of some of the most prestigious buildings in the world such as the Sistine chapel, the coliseum, and was even the original coating for the exterior of the great pyramids.

Plaster is a traditional and natural product. It has been used for thousands of years to cover surfaces inside and out of buildings. Plaster provides a beautiful and durable surface that is smooth to the touch yet pleases the eye with depth and texture. Plaster is made of a binder such as lime or gypsum, that is mixed with an aggregate often fine sand, marble dust, and other ultra fine materials depending on the desired finish. The dry ingredients are mixed with water and applied to walls and ceilings using trowels. When plaster drys it undergoes a process known as carbonation where ambient CO2 is absorbed and the surface reverts to limestone. You are left literally with a stone wall. Pigments may be added to achieve a broad range of looks. Traditional Lime Plasters are still used widely in Europe for its strength, flexibility, and benefits.

Benefits you say? That’s right Lime Plaster has many! Because it is porous in nature, plaster absorbs humidity from the air and releases it back into your home when conditions become drier; thus acting as a natural humidity regulator for your home. Lime has a high PH making it a natural inhibitor for mold and bacteria growth. Plaster also has the added benefit of absorbing carbon dioxide and odors from the atmosphere and the processes to create it’s ingredients are less harmful for the planet. Plaster has zero to very low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) levels as well. In summary, certain plasters could help up the air quality in your home and being a natural building material is better for the home we all share, Earth.