5 Steps to Laying Tadelakt on a Wall

 Contents

 – Tips for working with tadelakt

 – Step 1: Prepare a tadelakt

 – Step 2: Prepare the substrate

 – Step 3: Make the first layer of tadelakt

 – Step 4: Make the second layer of tadelakt

 – Step 5: Apply the finishing coat

 Tadelakt is an ecological lime coating that comes from Morocco, where it is often used in hammams, fountains, basins… Its impermeability and its sealing properties make it a layer immensely appreciated by home improvement connoisseurs.

 Posing tadelakt on a wall is a delicate task you can carry out if you are a DIY enthusiast. It is essential to observe the stages and the techniques of installation to guarantee perfect sealing. Start with a small surface to test because the tadelakt is carried out in only one time.

Tip: for a traditional tadelakt, you can use Marrakech limea mixture of lime and minerals (sand, clay…).

 Tips for working tadelakt

 – When working with tadelakt, the ideal temperature should be between 10 and 18 °C to avoid too fast drying and cracking.

 – To tint the tadelakt, you should observe the dosages indicated for each preparation in order not to saturate it.

 – The tadelakt is applied to any supports (rough and porous), except those already coated with cement or painted with a resin of synthesis. On plaster, lime risks flouring and coming off. An undercoat of mineral paint is then essential.

 – Remove glossy or satin paints and apply an undercoat of mineral paint before applying the tadelakt.

 1. Prepare a tadelakt

 In a mason’s trough or bucket, mix one volume of Marrakech lime with 70% water using a trowel or a mixing tip adapted to a drill.

 To carry out a tinted tadelakt:

 – Add natural pigments or oxides (approximately 5 to 15% of the volume), more or less according to the desired color (the mixture lightens while drying) and without saturating the milk.

 – Remember to weigh the dose carefully and note it down so that you can find the exact shade if you run out.

 – Mix with a whisk or the mixing tip to obtain an exact shade.

 Leave the mixture to stand for 24 to 48 hours in a cool, dry place.

 2. Prepare the substrate

 Prepare the wall during the rest period of the preparation.

 – If the support is not uniform (bricks, cob, breeze blocks…), cover it with a whitewash before applying the tadelakt.

 – Fill the cracks and the consequent holes using a filler.

 – Sand and dust to obtain spotless and smooth walls, as for any painting.

 – Moisten the surface with a sprayer the day before or a few hours before application.

 3. Make the first coat of tadelakt

 The next day, mix the preparation well so that it is homogeneous and evenly colored.

 – Using the trowel, apply the first layer of plaster 5 mm thick.

 – Even out the surface by pressing hard on the trowel.

 – Allow it to set.

 4. Apply the second layer of tadelakt

 When the first coat starts to set (your finger does not leave any trace), apply the second coat of plaster of the same thickness with the trowel.

 – Smooth the rendering well in circular movements, without pressing too hard to avoid lime laitance.

 – Let it set.

 – Tighten the tadelakt with the polishing roller by circular movements.

 – Press on cracks and fissures to fill them. When drying, if new cracks appear, run the roller over the area again.

 5. Apply the topcoat

 The next day, dilute a bit of black soap with water (about 20% for one liter).

 – Apply this solution to the wall with a flat brush and rub it in with the polishing roller in small areas and a circular motion.

 – Let dry completely before using the room, if it is a bathroom: from 48 h to several weeks according to the importance of the building site and the nature of the work (walls, showers…).

 Material to pose tadelakt on the wall

 Trowel
 Pigments
 Trowel
 Drill with mixing whip
 Trough
 Filler
 Sanding paper
 Sprayer
 Polishing roller
 Liquid black soap
 Brush