Tadelakt or Tadellakt is a bright, nearly waterproof lime plaster

Lime plaster

Lime plaster is type of plaster composed of hydrated lime, sand and water. Lime plaster is similar to Lime mortar, the main difference is the based on use rather than composition. Traditional lime plaster contains also horse hair to reinforce plaster....

 which can be used on the inside of buildings and on the outside. It is the traditional coating of the palaces, hammams and bathrooms of the riad

Riad (Morocco)

A riad is a traditional Moroccan house or palace with an interior garden or courtyard. The word riad comes from the Arabian term for garden, "ryad". The ancient Roman city of Volubilis provides a reference for the beginnings of riad architecture during the rule of the Idrisid Dynasty...

s in Morocco

Morocco

Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...

. Its traditional application includes being polished with a river stone and treated with a soft soap to acquire its final appearance and water resistance. Tadelakt has a luxurious, soft aspect with undulations due to the work of the artisans who finish it; in certain installations, it is suitable for making bathtubs, showers, and washbasins and confers great decorative capacities. Traditionally, tadelakt is produced with the lime of the area of Marrakech

Marrakech

Marrakech or Marrakesh , known as the "Ochre city", is the most important former imperial city in Morocco's history...

. Tadelakt is a Berber

Berber languages

The Berber languages are a family of languages indigenous to North Africa, spoken from Siwa Oasis in Egypt to Morocco , and south to the countries of the Sahara Desert...

 word meaning to rub.

The restoration of the riad

Riad (Morocco)

A riad is a traditional Moroccan house or palace with an interior garden or courtyard. The word riad comes from the Arabian term for garden, "ryad". The ancient Roman city of Volubilis provides a reference for the beginnings of riad architecture during the rule of the Idrisid Dynasty...

s of Morocco has focused attention on this ancient technique.

Expanded definition

Tadelakt generally refers to any lime plaster applied according to the principles and techniques of Moroccan tadelakt, but using the lime bodies available in places other than Marrakech.

Defining Materials

The basic characteristics of a tadelakt plaster are these:

1. It is a lime plaster. It does not include Portland cement.
2. It may include fine marble or limestone sand, but not other aggregates.
3. It has been compressed when plastic, eliminating all voids.
4. It has been mechanically polished, using stones or abrasives that are harder than the plaster finish, to provide a smooth, sometimes shiny, finish.
5. It has been treated with a natural soap (often "black" or olive oil soap) to speed carbonation of the surface and render the surface more water-resistant.

Defining techniques

Basically the plaster powder has to be blended with water for 12 to 15 hours prior of the pigment mix. The walls where the plaster paste will be applied are prepared with cement. A simple machine then spits the plaster to the wall. After the first paste coat on the wall, there are two smoothing techniques, one made with a normal wooden shovel, and afterward one made with a small, smooth stone that eliminates surface imperfections.

See also

• Stucco
  Stucco
  Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
  
  
• Zellige
  Zellige
  Zellige, zillij or zellij is terra cotta tilework covered with enamel in the form of chips set into plaster. It is one of the main characteristics of the Moroccan architecture...
  
  
• Earthen plaster
  Earthen plaster
  Earthen plaster is a blend of clay, fine aggregate, and fiber. Other common additives include pigments, lime, casein, prickly pear cactus juice , manure, and linseed oil. Earthen plaster is usually applied to masonry, cob, or straw bale interiors or exteriors as a wall finish...
  
  
• Polished plaster
  Polished plaster
  Polished plaster is a term for the finish of some plasters and for the description of new and updated forms of traditional Italian plaster finishes....
  
  
• Plasterwork
  Plasterwork
  Plasterwork refers to construction or ornamentation done with plaster, such as a layer of plaster on an interior wall or plaster decorative moldings on ceilings or walls. This is also sometimes called pargeting...
  
  
• Moroccan style
  Moroccan style
  Moroccan style is a new trend in decoration which takes its roots from Moorish architecture, it has been made popular by the vogue of Riads renovation in Marrakech. Its becoming popular in some circles in UK and the USA. Riad Laksiba notably formed part of a reality TV program following a family...
  
  

External links

• What is the price of Tadelakt?
• Some examples of tadelakt
• Educational video showing Tadelakt preparation
• Tadelakt application in a modern home
• Tadelakt application on columns
• Blog showing Tadelakt used for exterior cladding
• Tadelakt Tierrafino Stone
• Tadelakt in Sweden (Swedish)
• https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.159931894076794.38315.100001799541182#!/pages/Tadelakt-New-York-City/185171791523029?sk=wall
• Tadelakt New York City
• Tadelakt New York