Before opening up the existing cabin indoor space to the new porch extension I wanted to get the extension as close to finished as possible. For the interior walls I opted for a lathe and plaster finish. The technique consists of fastening thin strips of wood to the studs and and then applying an earthen or lime plaster over it.
I opted for this approach because it would match the earthen plaster finish we applied over the light clay straw walls in the rest of the cabin. You may wonder why I decided not to use light clay straw in the walls of the extension.
First, there was a time component. Light Clay Straw (LCS) takes at least 6 weeks to dry to cure to the point where you can plaster over it. When the weather is cooler it can take even longer. So I started work on the extension in November and since we have a busy spring coming up I wanted to finish the project before the end of winter. Fitting in a 2+ month drying period just wasn’t feasible.
Second, there was the space component. Light clay straw has lower heat resistance (R-value) then conventional insulation so light clay straw walls have to be 4-6 inches thicker then a conventional stud framed wall. A lot of the extension design is focused on a board game table I want to build and everyone knows when it comes to board game tables real estate is precious. In addition to a killer board game table I also wanted to fit in a love seat and a wood stove. So, I went conventional and got the room to be about 6 inches wider then it would have been otherwise.
Another/An interesting aspect of this part of the build was that I had to tear out a portion of the existing light clay straw wall. The walls are about six years old and I was curious to see how they were holding up internally. I’ve received a few comments over the years dismissing the durability of LCS conjecturing that it will rot or become habitat for insects or rodents. Upon inspection I found that it was fine. Another cool aspect about LCS is that since it’s just sand, clay and straw I broke up what I removed and used it as mulch.
Here’s a video recap of finishing out the interior:
I remember putting that window in. Glad the screws were easy to remove.
Really, really nice work. Now your cabin is bigger and still feels like a cabin! Great job, Aaron!