07/25/2026
So why are we lime washing these CEBs (Compressed Earth Blocks)?
The answer is that the surface is extremely dusty and sandy.
So why is the surface so dusty and sandy?
Long story short (well… I attempted to make it short, but it’s not 😂), the person making the blocks was supposed to stabilize them with lime. Unfortunately, he underbid the job and tried to save money by skimping on the lime, which resulted in non-stabilized blocks. On top of that, the blocks were made with too much water.
Now take those misfortunes and add masons with no experience in historic/natural wall systems installing them, while also mixing the mortar with far too much water and not enough clay or lime. Ultimately, what you end up with is a less-than-desirable substrate that is highly susceptible to water.
With this being the case, the homeowners attempted to protect the walls by applying a clay/lime scratch coat of plaster. However, with the weather conditions over the last 6–7 months, that attempt simply wasn’t enough. The result was catastrophic failure and the complete removal of the plaster, leaving behind the dusty, sandy surface you see today.
This is why we’re lime washing the walls to stabilize the surface of the blocks, mitigate the dust, create a better bond for the plaster, and help make both the blocks and the mortar less susceptible to water damage. We can now spray the wall with water and watch it run down the surface without washing it away, which is a huge victory.
After the lime wash, casing bead and Fibalath are mechanically attached to the wall using galvanized 1-inch crown, 1½-inch leg staples, along with Tapcons and galvanized washers. This way, the plaster doesn’t have to rely solely on its bond to the lime wash and the blocks to stay attached. I’ll be posting pictures of that process next week.
Pictures of the Medina project including the interior clay plasters with earthen floors and the exterior three-coat hydraulic lime plaster system will be posted at the end of August to allow them time to finish the exterior grading and patio work.
Thank you to everyone who follows and supports me through this journey. And to all of my fellow historic and natural builders in the community, keep it up! If none of us give up or give in, we won’t just change the way people build or the environments they live in. We’ll change a culture and a mindset… and that has the potential to change the world. 🌎💪
