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Wattle and Daub Construction

Background:

  • Wattle and daub can be found in many parts of the world, with some structures many hundreds of years old.
  • This method is already in widespread use around the country. However due to the lack of timber treating and poor or lack of proper damp proofing and the absence of a masonry base wall, this method is not nearly as durable as it should be when these simple improvements are incorporated.

Benefits:

  • With simple improvements this system can be made much more durable and socially acceptable.
  • The existing skills and resources are commonly available to the informal sector, and just need education and supply of lime.
  • Allow for the use of readily available building rubble and alien vegetation, favouring labour cost over material cost.

Technical information:

  • Stone, earth clumps or rubble is sourced from recycling dumps and placed in a timber frame work.
  • The walls are plastered using clay and lime based plasters.
  • A good foundation & footing i.e. stone, brick etc is used.
  • Boron treated or bio-dynamically harvested timbers are used.
  • Local saplings are nailed or bound to upright poles forming frame work for the wall structure.

Company Track record and examples of work:

  • Stanford valley Conference Centre workshop, 2006

 

We offer a number of construction & info manuals on our website on natural building technologies which specifically refer to the South African context. The info manual "A LIME DUNG PLASTER RECIPE" has recently been added to the collection.   Click here for more information.

All our manuals are also now available as E-Book downloads. Click here for the E-Books.