Tadelakt - Traditional Moroccan Lime Plaster

We now carry Tadelakt, imported from the UK! Shop

Tadelakt is an ancient plaster finish with roots in Morocco, where its combination of lime soap plaster and application technique has been used for centuries to provide waterproof finishes and to beautify homes. Its popularity has begun to spread beyond its Middle Eastern origins as people across the globe are discovering not only the practical and environmental benefits of Tadelakt, but also the ways in which it can breathe new life into a home.

Best Uses

Bold. Tadelakt excels as a finish across large surfaces, such as interior walls, kitchens, fireplaces, seats, shelves, vanity units, washstands, baths, pools, spas, shower cubicles, wet rooms and steam rooms. You can use Tadelakt on floors as well, but we recommended it for use only in areas where you will not wear hard shoes, as grit and small stones can easily scratch the surface.

Colour. You can colour the product with natural earth pigments or with synthetic pigments to offer a broader range of choices. You then polish the surfaces to a shiny finish, with a slight variation in colour. Due to its unique composition, Tadelakt will develop both a patina and very fine cracks with time, which only serve to add to the exotic appeal of this ancient finish.

Style. Tadelakt provides a stylish alternative to traditional tiles in bathrooms, and the water-resistant plaster is applied seamlessly with no grout lines. The uniform application allows the creation of bespoke features while maintaining a timeless appeal.

Waterproofing. Tadelakt creates waterproof features through both its inherent properties and its application technique. Rubbing olive oil soap into the surface of the product chemically reacts with the lime to form calcium stearate, which results in a surface that resists both water and scratches and is also hard and durable.

Application Instructions

You can apply the best Tadelakt Moroccan plaster yourself using a range of specialised tools. You apply the plaster using trowels of varying shapes that serve different purposes depending on the type of surface, space, or area to which you are applying it. Tadelakt’s soft character makes it easy to mould into smooth, round shapes with no seams left behind. You can also colour the plaster by adding a variety of pigments, with red being the more traditional choice.

Tadelakt application is labour-intensive but immensely rewarding. It involves applying the lime plaster in many thin coats to an underlying surface, such as a stone wall, using various trowels depending on the surface and desired shape. Once you have applied the layers, you develop the characteristically smooth and polished look by using a polishing stone. The final step is to seal the plaster and make it waterproof by applying an olive oil soap solution. You can reapply this solution every few years to ensure the Tadelakt finish remains sealed.