Essential Natural Plasters: A Guide to Materials, Recipes, and Use

Create Beautiful, Durable Finishes with Natural Plasters That Last for Generations
Part of the Sustainable Building Essentials Series, Essential Natural Plasters is the definitive hands-on guide to working with clay, lime, and gypsum plasters for healthy, high-performance interior and exterior finishes. Learn how to create breathable, low-impact surfaces that regulate moisture naturally and deliver timeless beauty.

What You'll Learn

• Healthy, High-Performance Finishes: Use breathable plaster systems that manage moisture, improve indoor air quality, and contribute to long-lasting buildings.
• Materials and Recipes That Work: Source site soils, sands, fibers, and binders, and learn proven recipes for clay, lime, gypsum, and specialty plasters.
• Interior and Exterior Applications: Apply plasters in dry and wet environments, including durable exterior finishes and specialty plasters such as tadelakt for bathrooms.
• Substrate Preparation Made Clear: Prepare surfaces ranging from straw bale and cob to lath and drywall for reliable adhesion and durability.
• Step-by-Step Techniques: Learn how to set up a safe, efficient worksite and master mixing, testing, tinting, repairing, and applying plasters with confidence.
• Expert Recipes and Real-World Insight: Access coveted plaster formulas and techniques from leading practitioners across North America and Europe.

Richly illustrated and deeply researched, this guide functions as both a practical how-to manual and a trusted reference for ongoing projects. It is ideal for owner-builders, natural builders, designers, and professionals seeking beautiful, durable, and low-impact finishes.

Written by Michael Henry and Tina Therrien, respected practitioners with decades of hands-on experience, Essential Natural Plasters distills hard-won knowledge, experimentation, and best practices into a clear, accessible resource.

Explore the full Sustainable Building Essentials Series for highly illustrated, step-by-step guidance on natural materials, resilient construction methods, and high-performance building systems.

Michael Henry has researched plasters and plastered his way across Ontario for the past decade, plastering for Camel's Back Construction and Straworks. Michael he lives in Peterborough, Ontario.

Tina Therrien started plastering in 1997 as part of Camel's Back Construction, the first straw bale building company in Ontario. Tina lives in a modest timber frame home with her spouse, daughter, their flock of chickens, and their slowly expanding gardens. She lives in Low, Quebec.