educational sheet wattle and daub

1. WP2 Action de démonstration Libnam – mai 2014 | Nous remercions les participants et les formateurs (entreprise Junalik) à
l’action de démonstration qui a permis de construire cette fiche pédagogique et plus particulièrement Etudes et Chantiers et
son équipe des Mines de la Brutz.
1
EDUCATIONAL SHEET
Making and laying wattle and daub
WATTLEANDDAUB
PRESENTATION OF THE MATERIAL / PRESENTATION OF THE TOOL
To make wattle and daub, we need :
 Earth convenient for building
 Straw
 Sand
 Water
 A non-treated wood structure, preferably local wood
The desired functions of the tools are: sieving, mixing and applying the mix
ORGANIZATION BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION / BEFORE USE
Preparation of work area
3 working spaces have to be planned:
 A storage area
 A sieving area
 A mixing area
ORGANIZATION DURING IMPLEMENTATION / DURING USE
The implementation technique is labour
consuming.
The different spaces must be clearly identified.
Teams must shift in order not to get tired and
prevent backache
ORGANIZATION AFTER IMPLEMENTATION / AFTER USE
Clean tools and equipment. Tidy up site.
Check main coat is dry before applying top
coat.

2. WP2 Action de démonstration Libnam – mai 2014 | Nous remercions les participants et les formateurs (entreprise Junalik) à
l’action de démonstration qui a permis de construire cette fiche pédagogique et plus particulièrement Etudes et Chantiers et
son équipe des Mines de la Brutz.
2
IMPLEMENTATION / USE
Backing preparation
The timber structure in non-treated local
wood is built on a brick, blockwork plinth
(or any other material to prevent water
ingress / damp rising). The chestnut laths
are fixed on one side of the wall on which
the mix is applied.
Rafters are attached vertically every 40cm.
The laths are then nailed to the rafters
every 5cm, over the entire height on one
side and 30 cm high on the other side to
allow filling.
Remember / Pay
attention to
Complying with good
practices (level, plumbs…).
Sieving
Screening is done manually.
Prepare soil for sifting by removing stones
and breaking clods.
Remember / Pay
attention to
This work is labour
consuming.
Mixing
The mixture is made of:
 sieved soil
 barley or oat straw (not wheat - too stiff)
 sand
 water
The mixture is correct when the straw is
well incorporated into the clay and the mix
is soft and sticky.
1) materials are dry mixed (earth, sand and
then straw)
2) water is added slowly to the desired
appearance
The mix is made in the mixing machine to
obtain the desired texture
Remember / Pay
attention to
Be careful to adopt proper
movements and postures to
protect your back.
The mix must be
homogeneous and the straw
incorporated to the earth.

3. WP2 Action de démonstration Libnam – mai 2014 | Nous remercions les participants et les formateurs (entreprise Junalik) à
l’action de démonstration qui a permis de construire cette fiche pédagogique et plus particulièrement Etudes et Chantiers et
son équipe des Mines de la Brutz.
3
Applying wattle and daub
Laths are fixed entirely on one side of the
partition that will be filled with mud, and
they are fixed on the other side of the
partition as cob is filled in.
Mud balls are made with the wattle and
daub mix and then thrown into the support
(between the two chestnut laths).
You have to fill the space between the
laths located on both sides of the rafters to
cover them with mud. With the float, it is
easier to level the surplus coming out of
the lattice. This surplus is used to make the
main coat during the same stage. It can be
applied later.
The lattice is set higher as mud fills the
remaining space. The action is repeated
until the top of the wall.
Finish is done using a float. It may
sometimes be necessary to moisten it well
for smoothing the mud and get a regular
main coat.
Remember / Pay
attention to
Care must be taken not to
heap too much mud when
filling the wood frame,
otherwise the laths will get
distorted with the risk of
tearing the frame.
There must be enough mud
to hide the laths completely
under the coating (main
coat).

4. WP2 Action de démonstration Libnam – mai 2014 | Nous remercions les participants et les formateurs (entreprise Junalik) à
l’action de démonstration qui a permis de construire cette fiche pédagogique et plus particulièrement Etudes et Chantiers et
son équipe des Mines de la Brutz.
4
WATTLEANDDAUB
TOOLS
STAGE 1
Sieving
MATERIALS/TOOLS
Sieve
Shovel
STAGE 2
Mixing
MATERIALS/TOOLS
Mixing machine or
concrete mixer
Bucket
STAGE 3
Applying wattle and daub
MATERIALS/TOOLS
Trowel
Float
Hammer
Saw
Personal Protective equipment
- Safety boots
- Gloves (because of stones)
- Pay attention to body position to avoid back pain