I love plaster!  I love the fluid motion of the application process and I love the dance that is created when I trowel the mud on the wall.  I view a large open wall as a giant canvas screaming for the warming and softening plaster material.

During the Lucky’s warehouse project, Furbish company worked to incorporate as many natural products, green technologies, and recycled materials into the renovation of this historic building for the creation of environmental office spaces.

I was in charge of the application of the natural clay plaster on the lobby dry wall and the exterior of the cement block elevator shafts on the three floors of the building.  The clay plaster we used is called Alleeze Plaster, and we made the plaster from:

• Water
• Pulverized Kaolin Clay
• Mica Dust
• Fine Silica Sand
• Wheat Gluten
• Borax

When fine masonry sand is omitted a fine porcelain material is made and can be applied as the last coat and burnished.

Alleeze plaster has a similar consistency to dry wall mud compound, and It can be applied to dry wall after a primer coat of low/no VOC paint with fine sand is applied. It adheres to cement block beautifully.  You can create wetter or dryer mixes depending on the application needed and experience no weakening or lessened functionality of the material.  When this plaster dries and sets up, it is as hard as a rock and sticks to the under lying material like a doberman pincer. The porcelain finish can be troweled, sponged, brushed on, or any other creative way to achieve a unique finish.  This material is very forgiving, and can be washed and blended, being easily manipulated.

I have enjoyed working with this material from start to finish, and to repair damage when it has occurred.  Here is a slide presentation of the patch work and refinishing after the solar tank on the roof over flowed and spilled water down the elevator shaft.