Green Friendly Wall Finish, we have a long way to go...

Traditional wall finishes consist of building materials like plaster and stucco.  Historically, plaster was used on the inside of the home and stucco used on the outside.  The two are made from the same base materials:  lime, sand, and water.   Sometime over the years lime was replaced with cement to add durability.  Plaster and stucco continued to reform through the years improving durability and workability.  Now a days, stucco and plaster in their traditional forms are rarely used on the interior or exterior of the home.  Modern versions of these materials are available in products like Liquid Stucco, which is described as a specially formulated acrylic medium texture finish.   And on the interior of the home, products like Homax Wall Texture have replaced traditional plaster products.  Homax products are typically comprised of things like calcium carbonate (limetone) and mica.  These products or their predecessors wouldn't be considered eco-friendly or sustainable by modern standards.

There are also alternative wall finish products available like American Clay.   American Clay is made in Albuquerque, NM and is described as a natural clay plaster product that is non-toxic an sustainable.   This wall finish is 100% natural with no VOCs, it absorbs odors and is durable and mold resistant.  The current cost of this product when compared to standard wall texture and paint can make it quite difficult to justify.  An American Clay starter kit that  covers a 500 sq ft space costs a whopping $750.  To give you some perspective, that amount of wall texture and paint would probably be under $50.   In theory, this product would be a great eco-friendly alternative.  But since the components of American Clay are vaguely described as a proprietary blend of aggregate, clays, and preservatives: we're not exactly sure about their claim of sustainability.    American Clay having no VOCs is certainly an advantage over the competition, but the cost of this product would likely need to be far more effective to have mass appeal.

All in all, interior and exterior wall finishing products have a long way to go to become eco-friendly and cost effective.  Our hope is that there are eco-friendly manufacturers out there working on products that focus on utilizing recycled components rather than aggregates or acrylics.    Just like every other area of building materials, we feel it's just a matter of time!!