Tadelakt is the product, but even more so it’s the “Process”. Tadelakt is a word derived from Arabic meaning to knead or massage. It is a traditional Moroccan plaster technique used for wet environments such as Turkish Baths.

Tadelakt is still a Lime based Plaster, but needs to be finished and sealed in its own unique way. The application of Tadelakt varies slightly in Morocco, sometimes it is applied in one thick coat and sometimes in two coats. We prefer the two coat method. As the second coat starts to set, the surface is flattened with a river stone, which compresses the aggregate and closes the pores.

While the Tadelakt still contains moisture an olive soap or a black olive soap (savon noir) is applied and stoned into the surface. The soap chemically reacts with the Lime Plaster and provides the Tadelakt with its waterproof qualities. The Tadelakt will gain its bonding strength within the first ten days and be fully set after approximately thirty days.