How to Make a Wattle House

Timber with wattle and daub creates the traditional Tudor look.

Wattle and daub buildings have been found as early as the ninth century. In Medieval Europe, timber frames were combined with wattle and daub to create distinctive Tudor buildings, some as all as two stories. In North America, Native Americans used wattle and daub to fashion winter or year-round structures. The beauty of wattle and daub construction is that a variety of materials can be used. Construction with local materials makes wattle and daub a versatile building project.

Things You'll Need

• Saplings 2 inch diameter, 10-12 feet long, about 30
• Shovel or post hole digger
• Level
• Ladder
• Straight branches or stakes
• Saw
• Willow withies or vine
• Clay
• Sand
• Water
• Straw
• Candle
• Matches
• Sandpaper
• Whitewash or white paint
• Paintbrush

Instructions

Building the Structure

1. Strip the bark off the saplings. Cut the bark in 1-inch intervals. Peel and pull the strips of bark from the sapling. Set aside.

2. Clear a square of earth 8 feet by 8 feet. Dig holes in the corner of the square about a foot deep and only a little bit wider than the sapling. Insert the widest part of the sapling and fill the hole with dirt. Stamp the dirt firmly in place to strengthen these corner posts. Use the level to make sure the posts are straight.

3. Dig a hole about a foot deep and several inches wide in the center of three sides. Place a sapling in each hole as straight as possible and tamp the earth around each of these new center posts. On the final side, dig holes and place two saplings 3 feet apart. These will become the doorposts. Allow the saplings to settle into place at least 24 hours.

4. Soak the strips of bark in water. This makes them flexible.

5. Tie a sapling horizontally to all the posts about 4 feet from the ground with the bark strips. Repeat on all four sides. Tie four more saplings, one on each side, to all of the posts at 8 feet.

6. Saw off any saplings that are taller or hang over the edges of the wall so they are even with the top of the wall. Cut the sapling that crosses the door frame at 4 feet on either side of the frame. This creates a free and open door. Make sure that the ends are firmly lashed to the door frame.

7. Tie three saplings together to form a triangle. The bottom of the triangle measures ten feet to allow a 1-foot overhang on either side of the structure. The exact measurements of the triangle will depend on the desired pitch of the roof. If you are planning a thatched roof, you will want a steeper pitch to allow rainwater to quickly run off the bundled grass. A roof with wooden or bark shingles can have less of a pitch, since the shingles overlap and prevent rain from leaking into the house. If you choose a 45 degree pitch, the saplings will be 10 feet on the bottom with two 7 foot sides that meet at the top. Repeat to make a second triangle.

8. Tie one triangle to the top sapling on the wall with the door. Tie the other triangle to the top sapling of the wall opposite the door. Tie a single sapling to the apex of the triangles, connecting them and creating a ridgepole for the roof.

9. Pound the branches or stakes into the ground every 6 inches. If the branches do not reach the top of the wall, tie a second piece to the stake and attach firmly to the sapling at the top of the wall. Repeat all the way around the building with the exception of the door frame.

10. Tie branches every 6 inches across the triangles on either end of the building. Saw off any branches that extend beyond the roof line.

11. Weave willow withies or vine over and under the stakes all the way around the building. Weave the withies as close as possible, pushing them together with your hands. Weave all the way up the roof triangles

Finishing the Building

1. Mix the clay, sand and water. The exact ratio depends on whether you chose a dry clay mix, or have harvested clay from a nearby riverbank. As a general rule of thumb, there should be four parts clay to one part sand with enough water to give the entire mixture the consistency of smooth oatmeal.

2. Chop the straw into 1-inch pieces. Mix the straw into the clay mixture. Add water to the mixture if it becomes too thick to mix.

3. Smooth the mixture on the wall with your hands. Press the clay into the woven strips on both the inside and outside of the structure. Allow the clay to dry. Depending on the relative humidity of your area, this may take several days to a week or more.

4. Light the candle. Hold the candle so that the flame runs along the wall. This heats the clay and burns any straw that might be sticking out of the clay.

5. Sand the clay smooth inside and out.

6. Paint the inside and outer walls with a simple lime whitewash or white paint.

7. Thatch or shingle the roof as desired.

Tips & Warnings

• Use native materials as much as possible for an authentic feel.

• Use great care when burning the daub. It is best to do this early, while all of the wood is still green.

References

• Tony Graham: Wattle and Daud: Craft, Conservation and Wiltshire Case Study
• Native Languages: Native american Homes
• Auroville: Regina's Moern Mud House