How to Insulate Metal Buildings With Clay Slips
In today's ecologically minded society, people seek ways to cut down on heating and cooling energy usage and lower costs. One of the first steps, is to insulate the exterior walls of an existing building. Metal buildings, with their high heat transfer rates, present special challenges. One way to insulate them is to apply clay slip. Clay slip consists of clay earth suspended in water. Most often, clay slip is used in straw bale building or adobe construction. You can apply the clay to either the inside or the outside, but an exterior coat requires the protection of a wide roof overhang to prevent deterioration. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Wheat
- Large pot
- Stove top or campfire
- Paint roller
- Hay bales
- Tarp
- Clay
- Coarse sand
- Leaf mulcher
- Trowel
Instructions
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Adhesion Coat
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1
Mix water and flour in the ratio of 2:1 and stir it, until it forms a thick paste.
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2
Boil one more part water. Add the flour paste to the boiling water. Turn down the heat and simmer it, until thick.
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3
Apply the adhesive over the metal walls with a roller. Cover all metal that you want to coat with clay. Don't smooth the coat: You want it to be rough to catch the next layer. Make only what you will use immediately.
Fiber Coat
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4
Chop hay by running it through a leaf mulcher.
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5
Assemble hay bales into a circle and cover them with a waterproof tarp to create a mixing bowl.
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6
Place clay in the center of your mixing bowl. Add water to the clay, until it forms a thin paste and then add the coarse sand and hay. Mix the clay, coarse sand and chopped hay in a 1:1:1 ratio.
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7
Take off your shoes, roll up your pants and stomp on the clay and fiber mixture, until it's thoroughly mixed. Pull the tarp from one side, over the top of the clay mix, rolling your clay slip off the bottom, before dropping the tarp back over the hay bales. Repeat in the other direction. Continue mixing with your bare feet, to mix-up the bottom material.
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8
Let the clay slip rest overnight. Apply the clay slip with a trowel or by hand, onto the adhesive covered walls. Allow it to dry for several days.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Add a topcoat of clay plaster for a smoother finish.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
