First Mud

Yep I know, too long between posts. Something we know far too well seeing as we really, really want to get this project moving. However as is often the case for the owner builder that works full time the  opportunities to get stuck into it can be a scarce commodity.

We have managed to get a little bit done recently with the first of the earthen render going on to a wall in a bit of a haphazard way today. Some of this was due to the inevitable learning curve (ever noticed how the curve always goes up hill?) and some of it was due to a glitch in the render pump controls I think. Then a partial blockage in the delivery line which lead us to think the old fling on by hand method has still got something going for it. Still progress albeit uphill was made and I found frequent expletives helped in the end.
I'm not sure we should have started right next to the front entrance door but there you go once the mud is on the straw there's no turning back.
Not too much to tell just yet it will be interesting to see how things go over the next couple of days (weekend) if I get to do a bit more. Oh while I remember the mud is 2 parts fine washed sand and 1 part kaolin clay in this case with about 1 part water or a little less. I still intend to trial a couple of different sand types but we have a truck load of the fine stuff to play with right now.

                                     Man eating wall!Well neither of us were that hungry so I just stuffed handfulls of straw into as many holes as I could find.

So there is the first of the earthern render in the render pump. The consistency is kind of apparent.

Recalcitrant pump receiving encouragment.

Mud on the wall after working into the straw a bit by hand. No point trying to put on a thick coat as it just slumps.