Tadelakt – Horta das Canas

What is Tadelakt?

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Tadelakt is Lime. With intensive handwork …and skillfull application it creates a solid, smooth and …waterresistent finish. It’s a natural product.

The lime powder (originaly from Marrakech) is mixed with natural pigments. After carefull measuring, mixing and adding the right amount of water – it becomes a lime paste ready to apply and create tadelakt! The lime paste is applied in minimum 2 thin layers. The last layer, when reached the right density is polished with a special stone. All together 1 area of application will take 6 – 12 hours. One person can do 4-8 m2 of tadelakt a day.

Tadelakt was first discovered in Marocco, Marrakech. The lime dug and burned from that area was special. This special mix of natural elements found in the limestone, together with skillfull application turned the lime into a very beautiful and water resistent finish layer!! Inicialy it may have been used to waterproof water reservoirs but it soon became a fancy solution for the famous hammams.

Recently Tadelakt and its popularity has grown immensly. Disadvantages that came with the original lime from marrakech, gave rise to various Ecological building companies within Europe now providing even better quality of Tadelakt and the tools with whom one applies.

Tadelakt now is a material used in both conventional and ecological building. Its both decorative and functional. Its often used featuring small surfaces like chimneys, doorways, decorative borders and for artistic effects. And more and more tadelakt becomes a usefull product for entire bathrooms, spa’s, hammam, kitchens and more.

Tadelakt is a very shapeable material: Sinks, bathtubs, all kind of forms can be finished with Tadelakt. The natural pigments can create numerous colors.

Tadelakt is handwork. Application is done with a lot of care and skill. We can organise Tadelakt planning, design and execution for areas both big and small.