Making and Applying the Cladding

Preparation

To prepare for the mud cladding, we wrapped three quarters of the dome in chicken wire. This would provide something for the mud to grip onto. We used cable ties to attach two layers of chicken wire to the aluminium frame – one external layer, and one internal. We thought the mud was likely to press through the first layer, so a second layer would provide additional support.

We chose to clad just half of the frame. This meant we were able to see all the internal elements, which was particularly important when it came to testing. It also made for easy access during the cladding process.

Mixing the Cladding

As mentioned earlier:

“To make the mixture, we will need 2 parts clay-rich soil to 1 part sand. We will estimate the amount of water and straw we need. All components can be sourced from parts of Julian’s farm. We have found a particularly rich deposit of clay, so will most likely use less than the 2:1 ratio suggests.”

After gathering all the components, we started to mix up the cladding. Having watched a video about the process (shown in our previous post, Sourcing Materials: Cladding [07/06/11]), we decided to make the mixture on a tarp. This allowed us to pick up one edge of the tarp and fold the mix over itself, making sure everything was thoroughly combined.

To start with, we blended the clay-rich soil and sand. Stomping on the mix helped break down any lumps into finer grains. This was also a good opportunity to remove any impurities such as rocks or grass.

Next, we created a well and poured in a small amount of water. Using shovels, we turned the mixture over itself, then ‘chopped’ through it with the edge of the shovel. After a few minutes of shovelling the mix, we stamped it down. It was really important to use the tarp to fold the mix over every now and then to ensure all parts were properly combined. We repeated this process a number of times until the mixture was a nice consistency – it was malleable but also held its shape, even when thrown to the ground.

We then started to add some straw. This required a similar process to the one we used to blend in the water – we stamped the straw into the mix, then used the tarp to fold it over itself. We repeated these steps until we were satisfied that the straw was thoroughly dispersed.

Applying the Cladding

Instead of just slapping the mud on, we rolled up handfuls of the mix and threw them on the ground to make cakes. This made it much easier to press the mud onto the chicken wire.

Instead of making the cakes all the same size, it was more useful to have varying widths. Larger cakes were better for areas over the aluminium frame, whereas smaller ones were more valuable in the areas between struts.

To help the cakes adhere to the chicken wire, they needed to be massaged and pressed in. It was easy to apply too much pressure, pushing the mud too far into the wire. We resolved this by having someone inside the dome press gently outwards against the mud, while the person outside massaged it in.

To avoid gaps between the mud cakes, we overlapped them and tried to smooth them into each other.

It seemed obvious to start from the ground up. As we worked our way up the frame, it became easier to fix the mud cakes. This was partly due to us gaining experience as we went, but was mainly because the more horizontal each cake was, the more gravity would hold it in place.

We left a triangular opening at the front of the dome as our window. To divert water around the opening, we formed the mud into a ridge around the edges.

Archive of Photos - Cladding