My goodness, here it is May already!!!  How can that be?  A question I have had quite a few times is “Can I paint over American Clay?

Yes, you may paint over American Clay.  It breaks my heart that anyone would want to do that!!  However, if you put two coats of our Penetrating Sealer on the clay first, you may paint over it.  Mix the sealer 50% water and 50% sealer.  Mist it on the wall, letting it dry between coats.  What the sealer does is give a surface that will not absorb all the moisture out of any paint you apply.  Since the clay is so absorbent, it will always absorb moisture unless you seal it with the penetrating sealer.  Keep in mind; you can also put another coat of American clay over any unsealed clay, if all you want to do is change color.  If you want to add another coat to sealed clay or clay with lime, please call us before proceeding.

As a lot of you know, I am (more or less) semi-retired now.  Because of the move to our new facility, however I will pretty much be full time for a month or so.  I told Croft that it will take a pretty big scoop to get me out of here permanently!!  I’m also pretty sure the phone will have to be surgically removed from my ear!!  I really love each and every one of you, and it will be very hard for me to completely retire.  So many of you have become very good friends over the years.  Fear not, though, I will hopefully still be around for quite a while.

I hope your May has many beautiful flowers!!  Until next month, as always, Happy Claying!!

Ilene

Plum Salon and Spa in Pennsylvania Strives for Sustainability.

This beautiful spa delivers superior customer service and environmentally friendly products, all while giving customers the atmosphere they desire!

www.plumsalonandspa.com

1.  Tell us a little about your salon and your mission to sustainability.

We opened our Salon and Spa in August 2011 with a mission to provide uncompromised customer service, an amazing environment for our clients, and also to act as an educational base to provide information on hair and skin care products that not only produce amazing results, but are also environmentally friendly.  We built our salon from the ground up in a rehabilitated warehouse and made every effort to use “green” building materials throughout the construction.  For example, we used ceiling tiles and insulation with a very high recycled content, many antique furniture pieces throughout instead of buying new, and all of our stylist stations were made from older decorative vanities, some of which were over 100 years old!  Running a sustainable business is something that is very important to us.  We know it will be an ongoing process and we’ll always continue to seek out new opportunities to improve the way we run our business.  As with our day to day operations, we have taken many initial steps towards becoming a sustainable business, some of them include using CFL and LED light bulbs wherever possible, using modern, high efficiency laundry appliances to wash and dry hand towels instead of using paper towels, and of course our salon and spa products were chosen to fall in line with our mission to provide high quality, organic products.

2.  Why did you decide to use American Clay plasters as the wall covering for your salon?

We were first introduced to American Clay products by a local company in Lancaster, Pa named Fresco Green Building Supplies.  Shortly after opening Plum, we formed a partnership with Fresco owner Richard Frescatore to help introduce new ideas and products into our business.  We realized that Fresco is a leading authority in sustainable business planning and wanted to have them guide us down an effective and well informed path to sustainability.  We consider this partnership to be “Phase 2″ of our mission to sustainability and we will be contracting Fresco to conduct an official “Green Audit” of our business.  This process will have a number of initiatives that we can complete in a few months and other completion goals that may take several years to fully implement.  Through our conversations with Fresco about sustainability, one day we were touring their showroom and noticed their amazing American Clay display and instantly began conversation with Rick about how we could apply these coatings to our walls at Plum.  Through education at Fresco, we learned about the many benefits of this product on top of the fact that it just downright looks amazing!

3.  Who were the applicators and dealers involved in the project?

For our Salon wall project, of course we used Fresco Green Building Supplies to source the materials and they lined us up with their lead installer, Seth Cluley, owner of Beau Soleil Decorative Surfaces.

Seth Cluley

Seth was incredibly knowledgeable about the product and he also helped us during our ”Eco Spa Party” we held at our salon in partnership with Fresco.  During the event, he used a water bottle to demonstrate to our clients how the Clay product on the wall absorbs moisture, filters it, and then emits it back into the atmosphere with an added clay based aroma providing a very refreshing, holistic sense of relaxation.

Plaster Drying

4.  What colors/finish of American Clay were used?

Since we already had a grey painted wall at the other end of the Salon, we decided to go with a similarly matched color named “Wild Horse Smoke” and a Porcelina finish to help balance out our space with grey accent walls at either end.  Our salon has a very glamorous look with many chandeliers and decorative ornate decor, so we knew the Porcelina product would look amazing with its satin-smooth, marble like appearance.  The finished product has a glimmer to it that truly looks incredible!

5.  How do you feel about the final result?

We could not be any happier with the finished product!….it absolutely exceeded our expectations and added such an amazing touch of color, texture and richness to our salon!  Our clients comment on it on a regular basis and we can’t wait to use this product on other walls throughout our Salon and Spa.  We currently are planning a decorative American Clay finish for our wall behind our fireplace in the spa.  We also know that if we ever do any home renovation projects, American Clay will be first on our list for wall coverings!  We would love to re-do our bathroom with this product.  Maybe we’ll plan a summer project for this year!

On the Green Road airstream will visit the American Clay Headquarters in Albuquerque, NM on Saturday, May 26th, 2012!

Come take a look at this sustainable RV, learn more about being energy efficient, and explore the many benefits of sustainability.  Take a tour inside this energy efficient RV which includes American Clay plastered walls, and visit with the Cece and Brenda who live a greener life everyday.

Where:  American Clay Enterprises, LLC.  8724 Alameda Park Drive, NE, Suite F, Albuquerque, NM 87113.

When:  Saturday, May 26th, 11:00am-1:00pm

This is one event you don’t want to miss!

On the Green Road – Come out to visit Cece Reinhardt and Brenda Daugherty, and their amazing green RV. They are driving towards sustainability one mile at a time, living on less and living more purposefully. Their goal was to green an Airstream, turn a used diesel truck into a veggie oil machine and hit the road in complete “off the grid” style.  Their quest to live outside the lines and explore what it means to be sustainable, comfortable and bold has led them here.  Come see their home and learn how they’ve turned sustainability into a way of life. You can also read their story at www.greenrvlife.com.

Photos courtesy of www.greenrvlife.com

Students in elementary school class receive a lesson on the Zambian culture using American Clay Earth Plasters.

Tell us a little about yourself, the school, and the class you teach.

I am currently a graduate student in the MAT Art Education program at Columbia College in Chicago.  For my elementary student teaching experience I am working at Alcott Elementary School with the resident art teacher, Ingrid Swenson.  Alcott is a Pre K through 8th Grade school in the Chicago Public School system.  The students at Alcott are lucky enough to have a robust fine arts program: music, drama and visual arts!

What made you decide to use American Clay plasters?

I decided to use American Clay plasters because the natural finish best matched the clay plasters I saw in Zambia.  I also decided to use American clay plasters because when I called to inquire about the safety of the materials, the representative at American Clay was very helpful and supportive of our art project.  Croft gave me advice for how to execute the project in the art room and how to safely use the materials with children.  He also was so kind to donate a bag of plaster for the project!

What was the lesson for using American Clay plasters?

My first grade class has been studying Zambian culture all year.  I am a returned Peace Corps volunteer who served for two years in Zambia.  Because of this wonderful connection between my experience and the first grade special project, I decided to do an art lesson inspired by Zambian house decoration.  The first grade students learned how Zambians build traditional huts by plastering burnt mud bricks with clay plaster and also how they decorate the plaster with designs.  During the lesson we talked about smooth and rough textures as well as different types of lines (wavy, straight, zig zag and dotted).  The students completed the project by painting line designs on top of their clay plaster squares using charcoal based paint.

How did your class feel about the lesson you we’re giving them using American Clay plasters?

There was plenty of excitement in the art room during the two day lesson. The students were thrilled to learn more about Zambia, have a hands-on experience to connect with their learning, and also to learn about an alternative building and art making material.  Some students squealed when first touching the clay and others were eager to get their hands dirty! We had several follow up inquiries about the project from parents, after hearing about it from their children. That is always a good sign of student engagement!

The photo above is Keli Campbell plastering the walls in Zambia with her women’s group.
To make the squares, she glued sand on to Masonite boards, following Croft’s suggestion, then smeared a thin coat of the Enjarre plaster on top. The charcoal paint was made from ash, flour, water and ground up charcoal.  In Zambia they make a similar charcoal concoction using corn meal.  They also use locally sourced clay for plastering their houses, usually gray, yellow or red.

Recent Building Project at Arizona State University Health Services Building in Tempe, AZ, Focuses On Sustainability and the Use of Healthier Materials to Benefit the Students and Staff.

American Clay Earth Plasters was selected to meet ASU goal of sustainability for their wall covering that gives the superior benefits of a healthier atmosphere and increased reparability, all made to last at least 50 years.

By: Stacy Caldwell, American Clay Enterprises, LLC

This is one sustainable renovation – built with energy efficient materials, timeless design, and healthy alternatives!   Located in Tempe, Arizona, this renovation is the Health Services building on the Arizona State University Tempe campus.  The new health center consists of innovative materials that contribute to a healthier environment, increase energy efficiency, and provide sustainability for the future.  The ASU Health Services building will be completed in March 2012.

The use of sustainable design has been increasing among renovations and projects around the globe.  Using materials that increase healthy air quality and energy efficiency is a benefit today, as well as in the future.  The ASU Health Services building aims to provide students with the highest quality medical services in an environment where they can relax and experience the comfort provided by materials designed to support better health.

According to the sustainable design review for ASU renovations,   “ASU is committed to advancing sustainable design through new construction or renovations of the campus.”  The new health center focuses on creating an inviting and healthy space that complements the historic campus and provides students with a functional space to receive health care.  The use of healthier alternative building materials in this project creates an atmosphere free of chemicals, toxic substances and particles in the air that can contribute to allergies, asthma, and other health concerns. An important goal for this project is to have patients who are satisfied that they receive care from a facility that strives to create a healthier atmosphere.

With the help of Okland Construction and Division Nine Contracting, the new health center contains renewable resources with high recycled content.  In addition, the indoor spaces provide zero carbon emissions with zero volatile organic compounds.   For the walls of the health center, the interior designer from Orcutt Winslow, Amy Garcia, selected American Clay Earth Plasters from the American Clay Showroom of Construction Solutions Company in Scottsdale, AZ.  American Clay Earth Plasters met perfectly with ASU’s intent to provide a healthier, sustainable solution to creating naturally beautiful interior walls.  Some of the benefits of using American Clay Earth Plasters are reparability and breathability.  With breathable walls, humidity levels remain at an optimal level and mold growth is precluded.  Thus, ASU has achieved an interior space that includes an easy-to-repair natural wall covering that should last 50 years – all at a reasonable cost!  Dr. Jo M. Knatz, section chief of women’s health at ASU, has already seen an improvement in the way students feel as they enter a newly renovated building, “I can say that coming into a new building and not being accosted with all the new smells was terrific.  We have many students with asthma, and they have appreciated coming in and not having a reaction, different from their experiences with new apartment complexes, for example. There is natural warmth to the clay, and as a consumer, I love it.”

The interior spaces of the building are now renovated to have low embodied energy and emit no harmful chemicals into the air, allowing the area to achieve optimum air quality. Along with enhancing the interior environment, outside renovations feature efficient landscaping designed to reduce irrigation and reuse water, recycled content such as salvaging bricks and concrete for use as exterior paving, sanctuary gardens to support wellness, and retained citrus trees for improved landscaping.

As the use of energy efficient materials increases among renovations such as the ASU Health Services building, trends for sustainability continue to rise.   According to an article by Green Building Services, “There is an increase in demand for sustainable materials and more investments by organizations have been made to use healthier alternatives for buildings.  Standards have been set to become green and eco friendly and these trends are likely to increase during 2012.”  Other trends include green IT, sustainable training, and sustainable districts.

Arizona State University is one of many universities at the forefront in embracing sustainability trends.  Commercial projects around the globe are catching on to the idea of using more energy efficient, earth-friendly materials, and are renovating to include materials that provide sustainability.  Those that use healthier alternatives to build or renovate, ultimately feel satisfied about creating a comfortable space for others.  The benefit of sustainability, comfort, and better health simply cannot be matched by anything else – it’s a priceless feeling!

Earth Day 2012:

Earth Day 2012: American Clay is a featured interior finish for GreenPod Development!! GreenPod Development, based in Port Townsend, WA, will have a model residential pod (i.e. modular home unit) available for tours during Earth Day Week. Gail Miller of Artisan Plastering | Painting, a premier applicator in the Northwest Region, has a unique collaboration with GreenPod to provide clay wall finishes as a standard option in the custom pods. The model pod will be trailered and temporarily located in Seattle during this week in Green Depot’s (formerly Ecohaus) parking lot located at 4121 1st Ave South in the SODO neighborhood. Special dates: Tuesday 4/24 and Saturday 4/28, Gail will be on site for conversation and information about American Clay. Green Depot will be offering free demonstrations of American Clay inside the store during this week; check their website for a schedule.

National Dream Home Show 2012:

American Clay Earth Plasters were one of the many beautiful displays at the National Home Show in Toronto.  The home show, which took place March 16th- 25th, featured a variety of sustainable home options.  This 60th annual dream home show, featured green living innovations and eco-friendly products for the home.  To read more about the home show, click here.  Below are some pictures from the home show, courtesy of The Lime Plaster Company.

Camp Clay, Spring/Summer 2012:

CAMP CLAY
CLASS INFORMATION

Dates: April 14th, June 2nd, August 26th

Time: 1-3 pm

Price: $40

Location: Sage Artistry Studios, Seattle, WA www.campclay.com

Workshop Description:

DIYers: Want to learn natural wall finishes AND improve the health and beauty of your home?

Artists: Want to explore this medium and push your works to new levels?

Camp Clay Goals:

• HAVE FUN!
• Understand the material properties and benefits of clay plasters.
• Learn proper substrate preparation
• Develop tooling skills and application methods

For more information go to www.campclay.com.

To register, email Sherri Gamble at Sherri@sagewall.com

Happy Spring to everyone!!  I can’t believe March is over. 

The questions that have been repeated lately are…

“Can I put American Clay over wallpaper, and how do I prepare my wall for the clay?”

First, wallpaper must be removed along with as much glue as you can get off.  If the drywall gets damaged, anything deeper than a 1/16^th of an inch needs to be mudded and one of the primers we recommend applied to all drywall mud or any exposed drywall where any of the paper was torn.  If you choose, you can add our Primer Sand to the primer you use, and then apply your Loma.  If you don’t use sanded primer, you will need to add either Up and EZ! or Mud Glue to the Loma base coat in order for it to adhere.

As for substrate preparation, I am attaching a flow chart that should be easy to follow.  Once again, you MUST prime any new drywall and taped areas with one of the primers on the list.  If you decide to use sand in your primer, it needs to be either our Primer Sand, or a faceted sand such as marble sand.  Ideal size is #70.  However, any size between #50 and 100 will work.  Regular playground sand or sand you buy at Home Depot is too round and does not give enough “tooth” for the clay to adhere.  I cannot stress enough how important proper preparation of your wall is to get an application you will be pleased with for years to come!!  If you have any questions please let us know.

Last month I promised I would attach a picture of one way to recycle the cotton bags.  His name is Clay, believe it or not!!  He belongs to Heith and Angela England.  Heith is our dealer and applicator in Hood River Oregon.  What American Clay color do YOU think he looks like?

Have a beautiful spring, and as always until next month…………….HAPPY CLAYING!!

Ilene

Click here for the substrate preparation flow chart

This is a stunning project built with passion and hard work!

Who was involved with the application of the project and where did you receive the product from?

Our company, The Lime Plaster Co. (www.naturallimeplaster.ca), was responsible for the full application of American Clay on this particular project, a new construction custom home. We had a 4-person crew on the job who all worked extremely well together to form an efficient team with a great work flow. Due to the size of the job (17,000+ square feet of combined wall & ceiling space) there were some challenging spots which included timber apex areas, stairways, cubby holes, etc., and we were fortunate to have an experienced crew that took these challenges head-on with a positive attitude and focus.

The clay, colors and lime putty were provided by Sustain (sustainecostore.com) an eco-building store out of Hunstville, Ontario. Owners of Sustain, Celine and Jonathan, were a great help with the project. We have been fortunate enough to work with them since on other American Clay projects with great success.

What American Clay plaster and colors were used?

The majority of the project (approximately 12,000 square feet) was done in a custom color that was created by American Clay from matching Benjamin Moore’s ‘Elmira White’ that the client had specified.  The custom color consists of American Clay’s Sugarloaf White, Acacia, and Chacolatte.  The remainder of the home was completed with American Clay’s ‘Chacolatte’. Straw was added to this mix and was finished in a three-step skip trowel look. It was nice to work with the clients who knew exactly what they wanted in terms of texture and color.

Tell us a little about where the project is located.

The custom home is located a little south of the City of Hamilton up here in Southern Ontario, Canada. It is a lovely part of the province with vast fields which make for an impressive backdrop for this project.

Why did the clients decide to use American Clay plasters on the walls?

The clients had seen a booth down at the World of Concrete trade show some time ago and liked American Clay so much so that they decided they wanted it throughout their entire home.

How do you feel about the overall finished project?

An interesting (and perhaps my favorite) thing about this installation was the fact that the client specifically called for a system without ANY additives, hardeners or sealers. In essence, this is as natural as you can get. The potential challenge of a completely natural system like this arises in high traffic areas, narrow corridors, etc. I know, from my experience in the plaster trade that there is always a way around these challenges which lead us to use a gauged base coat of Enjarre. By gauged I mean adding lime putty to the Enjarre base coat and then applying a Loma finish which was well compressed without the addition of any additives. Adding the lime to the base coat worked like a dream. With the passing of time this application becomes stronger with the added bonus of using a thicker base coat to give you flatter walls. In 17,000 square feet we have had only one vertical hairline crack about a foot long which was caused by movement in the stud framing behind the wall. The Lime Plaster Co. have applied approximately 90,000 square feet of American Clay to date with great success and many satisfied clients. The beauty of this material is that you can offer a unique and individual look to suit each individual client.

I loved this project. Not just because we got to put so much Clay Plaster on the walls but also because the clients really knew what they wanted and were also very open to new ideas. It was great to cover every inch of drywall too – not a single brushstroke of paint was applied to this beautiful custom build. We have been applying clay to our walls in Europe for centuries and back home (in the UK) we are so used to seeing natural materials on our walls and ceilings which is why I feel a real connection to clay plaster projects like these. As always, it was a great pleasure to use American Clay plasters and we’re looking forward to some great upcoming projects in 2012.

The Color Quest: American Clay Photo Contest has come to a close and the winner is…

This month, I wanted to talk a little about our new bags.  We are using plastic bags for now until we find a better alternative.

The new plastic bags and the old cloth bags are still recyclable.  The plastic ones that are not torn we can re-use.  Any of the cloth bags we will take back, or can be made into something neat such as curtains, pillow covers, aprons, etc.  Also, I wanted to include a cute picture  but my computer is down, so I’ll let you see it next month!

Please see the attached letter here which explains how to send us back the recycled bags and a reward system for doing so.

Until next month, Happy Claying!

Ilene