listen up ,repairing old daub panels?

[robgil]

any tips guys? my daub is full of holes. i have tried new daub but its cracking and falling off the wall. does any body have a recipe for daub?
i found this mix on tinternet, 4 lime putty , 1 - 1.5 sharp sand and 1 slurried cow dung.
i am not a fan of cow dung , and i also think cow dung was not intentionally mixed with daub , it was more a by product of the mixing process. way back in the day cow dung was much more valuable as a compost and the binding agent in daub is straw isnt it?
anyhow , i am using just straw and clay in my daub with a little pea chalk aggregate , should i use a shovel or two of sharp sand?

 

[Penners]

i also think cow dung was not intentionally mixed with daub

As I understand it the dung helps with binding and to reduce cracking.

Are you using enough straw (or hay or hair)? It's important for reinforcing and binding the mixture.

And are you ensuring that you're getting a good key on the wattle, by making sure that the daub oozes right through the gaps?




Why do I have "listen up"? Insofar as I am able, I usually try to listen at the full 360 degrees.

 

[Penners]

Rob, the link below is useful. Scroll down to the bit headed "Repair To Daub".

http://www.buildingconservation.com/articles/wattleanddaub/wattleanddaub.htm

 

[robgil]

thanks Penners , this is interesting

A useful tip is to mix one part daub with one part of a good coarse lime mortar to achieve a better-behaved material.

as i can see where repairs like this have been made in the past.
most of the damage to my daub is on the surface and where it looks as though nails have been pulled out and taken a chunk of daub with them , craters etc. I have used a mix of chalk and lime putty and hair to repair some of the damage and it has worked a treat , i know its not daub but it also looks like a repair and it is reversible as its quite a soft material so from a conservation point of view i think i am in the clear with it..
I will try to modify my daub mix though and experiment with it until i get it right as there is a lot of damaged daub panels in the house that need repairing.

 

[robgil]

this is interesting , they seem to be using cloth to hold the mix together so when they mix it they also squeeze out any excess moisture.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fl-SNrIVljk

 

[Carol]

I have just returned from our hols in Virginia and had an interesting chat with the builders at the Jamestown site on this subject. They are reconstructing the fort and buildings of the early 17thC first site of settlement using trad methods and I am slightly embarrassed to admit we asked rather detailed questions as to their authenticity! They are using local clay and lime but said they were not keen on dung as it was messy, smelly and unhygienic. I laughed and they then said they had not found evidence of dung in the existing remains and suspected the settlers used the available dung for the more vital job of crop fertilising. They were keen to show us the timber work, done in native woods and all nicely pegged and were appalled to hear we actually live in an an oak framed, daub panelled 15thC structure "Why isn't it in a museum?"
They were daubing in 35 degrees of heat which probably explains why they have to redo regularly. Will try to find and attach a photo.

 

[LadyArowana]

They were keen to show us the timber work, done in native woods and all nicely pegged and were appalled to hear we actually live in an an oak framed, daub panelled 15thC structure "Why isn't it in a museum?"

I got a similar reaction from the son of a Singaporean friend when I said our house was well over 200 years old, he clearly felt sorry for me that we couldn't afford a new place. His reaction when I explained that the bathrooms were of course later modifications was priceless :lol: .

 

[worms]

i am not a fan of cow dung

they were not keen on dung as it was messy, smelly and unhygienic

I really don't see why people are so against cow dung!

I know I have posted this before (to a certain amount of derision!) but I still think that used cattle-bedding would have been an easily available ready-mix of dung and straw. The urine and trampling would help transform the straw into a much more flexible and less brittle component, due to the effect of urea on lignin. Also the dung from housed cattle contains a lot of additional short-fibre material which might help with the binding properties.

As to the relative values of different uses of agricultural by-products, I think in most cultures, housing comes fairly far up the priority list.