permaculture

[Scott & Arina Pittman <pci@permaculture-inst.org>]

At 12:25 PM 11/2/98 -0800, John Schinnerer wrote:
>Aloha,
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From:        Akiva Werbalowsky [SMTP:akivaw@hotmail.com]
>> 
>       >We have planned a big stucco party (community>"barn-raising"-style) 
> for 
>       >November 20,21 here at the Cal Poly Permaculture Center in San Luis 
>       >Obispo, California.

        
>       >I am looking for any solid info regarding use of manure as a 
> stucco,and 
>       >other strategies which minimize inputs such as cement. How about lime
as a coating to shed water?

-snip-

I worked on an adobe mosque in Abiquiui, NM some years ago with Hassan Fathy
who was an avid advocate of using manure in both the bricks and the plaster.
Not only does it provide mechanical strength because of fiber but also forms
a chemical bond with the clay through some interaction with the acid in the
manure.  He would only use horse or burro manure because of the acid and
longer fiber content.  You might check out his book "Architecture for the
Poor" or his second book which title I have forgotten.

An old hispanic method of waterproofing plaster was to soak prickly pears
(apuntia) in water for several weeks until it dissolves and use the jell
from the cacti in your plaster mix.  This has worked for hundreds of years
in Mexico and in border states of the U.S.
Scott Pittman

Permaculture Institute
PO Box 3702, Pojoaque, NM 87501  US
*********
Ingenio Patet Campus