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Introducing CDB’s Sand Wall
December 13th, 2008
A wall finish that looks like a west-coast beach!
Cost-Comparable to standard painting, this finish is quick, easy and dramatic. The colour of the sand is the colour of the wall, creating a completely natural surface. A scrumptious look that Just makes you want to press your face right up to it.
Hard and durable, this finish makes an excellent feature-wall and adds subtle texture and interest. It can be done over standard wall surfaces.
Best of all, it is completely non-toxic free of volatile organic compounds, and goes on with absolutely no odor whatsoever.
More Clay-based plasters
All natural clay based plasters use old school pigments to provide earthy tones such as this plaster mixed with Iron Oxide. Straw is added to the plaster to create an unforgettable texture.
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All Woman Building Crew Show Off Their Skills!
December 2nd, 2008
The Mudgirls Natural Building Collective may be best known for taking natural building to an extreme with their commitment to local materials. They have been building homes and studios using a building material called cob. Cob is a sculptable mix of sand, clay, straw and water, and creates strong and charming buildings.
The Mudgirls have been building with cob and other alternative building materials on the gulf islands and remote areas of Vancouver Island for the past three years, including building walls with Wattle and Daub, an ancient building practice that is currently being revived.
They have been exploring the world of natural building and have been travelling all over western BC to work on some very unique properties. Some of the properties they have travelled to to build on include farms, quirky restaurants, people living off the grid, retreat centres and b&bs. Some of these clients have been building small cabins in order to rent out and gain income from their property.
There is definitely room for natural building to find a place in the urban environment as well with eco- renovations being the newest techniques the mudgirls are exploring.
“There is definitely some confusion in the world regarding the popular term green . Our goal is to strip away some of the green washing out there and show people what they can do with the materials in their own backyards.” says one fiesty mudgirl.
The Mudgirls, are hosting a project showcase on Dec. 6 at the & Loan Gallery. The public is invited to come and check out samples of the types of natural finishes that can be applied to drywall, or other common wall surfaces.
The Dec. 6th event will showcase a variety of natural plasters and paints. Expect to see examples of the creative side of these practical plasters, whose consistency lends itself to sculptural raised-releif. There will also be samples of clay-based natural pigment paint, which can be applied directly to natural or conventional walls for a finished but earthy look with no volatile organic compounds.
Also on display will be samples of the building technique known as wattle and daub, and a some fresh cob for visitors to see and feel. The event will be open between 12 p.m. and 5 p.m., and the & Loan Gallery is located at 33 Victoria Crescent in downtown Nanaimo.
check us out at www.mudgirls.ca
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Volatile Organic Compounds 101
September 17th, 2008
VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compounds. When talking about Volatile Organic Compounds in paint, this means that certain chemicals in the paint will become vapors when exposed to air. This becomes that paint smell that is noticed by everyone and bothers some individual.
Not just paint can emit volatile organic compounds. Carpets, laminated wood furnishings and almost all plastics emit some vapours. This is why off-gassing new carpets is so important before installing in your house.
The harmful compounds become even more of a problem in inadequately ventilated interiors. This can lead to what is being called sick building syndrome. The conventional style of building today is very much concerned with sealing the building envelope. This is done with vapour barriers to ensure that no moisture can get in and also so heating systems become more efficient because less warm air is lost through drafts.
The downside to this is that you are essentially sealing yourself in with a range of irritating chemicals, such as formaldehyde in carpets and laminated furniture. Without allowing a building to breath, there is nowhere for these vapours to go. Offices are notorious for this. The office smell that has become so familiar to office workers is a mixture of volatile organic compounds trapped in poorly ventilated spaces.
This is where the term green building differs slightly from natural building. Where green building is primarily (and fairly) concerned with efficient use of heating resources. Natural building methods utilize the safest materials to improve building air quality.
In terms of paint, latex paint certainly emits VOCs. Paints labelled “zero VOC” is missing certain chemicals, usually related to drying times, as a consequence zero VOC paint will often dry at a different rate than standard paint. Also a paint can only be zero VOC if white. Pigments will add compounds to the paint. Low VOC usually refers to a pigmented paint.
The difference when using paints that are considered zero or low VOC is that there is a distict lack of irritating odor when painting and during the drying time, although once dry, there is no noticeable difference in appearance between standard and low VOC paints. They are generally more expensive than a standard paint but certainly worthwhile for use in interior painting for individuals who are ill, pregnant, chemical sensitive, or just generally concerned with their interior air quality.
To learn more about this subject, I would recommend this article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volatile_Organic_Chemicals
