Tadelakt

Tadelakt is a traditional Moroccan plastering technique for finishing waterproof surfaces. Historically, tadelakt has been spread only in one region of Morocco - around the city of Marrakech. This is because the naturally occurring lime there has very special properties. Nature has provided the residents there with essentially a ready-made plaster mixture, which was burned and extinguished and used for plastering. By polishing with a special stone, it became a surface with a very high density, which corresponds to today's high-quality concrete surface. The special shiny surface of Tadelakt looks charming and attractive. The technique, where it is compacted with a small stone, creates a slightly wavy, cloudy and naturally shiny surface. Working with tadelakt requires above-average craft skills. Plaster is applied to the surface in two layers, approx. 2mm thick. After solidification, it is smoothed with a Venetian trowel and compacted and polished by making small circular movements with the stone. The right moment for polishing depends on the substrate and humidity. After at least 24 hours, the surface is covered with olive oil soap and polished again with a stone. The result is a light silk matt with a glossy and waterproof surface. The dry mixture is a natural white color, we tint tadelakt with Kreidezeit powder pigments and make personal color samples.