[Greenbuilding] adobe walls

[Vadurro, Rob, EMNRD]

In NM, we have Code requiring a tiled shower floor "pan" to have a
waterproof membrane installed and extended to at least 12" up all the
walls around it. If I were you, I would extend the membrane to cover the
shower side of the adobe all the way up to the ceiling. We have many
examples here of adobe being slowly eaten out from the inside, and the
stucco becoming the structural element of the wall! You only have one
shot at this, and you could have a very bad day if you don't get it
right.

 

Rob Vadurro AIA, LEED AP

Park Architect

New Mexico State Parks

P.O. Box 1147

Santa Fe, NM 87505

505-476-3383

505-476-3361 (fax)

 

Halima,

 

water goes where it wants. If it gets into the tiled adobe walls, I'm
not sure how it would get out. I would think that you could leave the
adobe walls untiled and have them absorb and release moisture slowly and
safely. I don't have experience with adobe so I can't comment from
experience. Unless it's a direct water exposure the adobe should take it
from a material property perspective. I'm leary to trap soft squishy mud
inside tiles.

 

Stephen

 

Stephen Collette BBEC, LEED AP

Principal

Your Healthy House - Indoor Environmental Testing & Building Consulting
www.yourhealthyhouse.ca stephen at yourhealthyhouse.ca

705.652.5159

> 

> Message: 2

> Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:38:03 -0700 (PDT)

> From: najib brimah <atelier12003 at yahoo.com>

> Subject: [Greenbuilding] bathroom tiles in adobe buildings

> To: greenbuilding at listserv.repp.org

> Message-ID: <210959.32689.qm at web65709.mail.ac4.yahoo.com>

> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

> 

> Hi everyone

> 

> Am thinking of having a shower cubicle in something I intend to build,


> which will be separated from the wc area by a low wall, about 

> shoulder-high. The building will be of unstabilised adobes. What I am 

> wondering is if with all the moisture expected in a bathroom, will a 

> wall like this, tiled on both sides and on top, be a breathing wall 

> that will survive well without crumbling at some point? The whole of 

> the inside of this shower/wc space will be tiled but my thinking is 

> that since the tiling for the other walls will be on one side alone 

> (opposite sides of these are external walls or walls of bedrooms) the 

> adobes will not be sandwiched between two sets of tiling. Am I right 

> in being worried about this sandwich effect?  What suggestions do any 

> of you have for the bathroom? - inexpensive solutions I mean!

> 

> Halima P Brimah

 



Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail, including all attachments is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited unless specifically provided under the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender and destroy all copies of this message. -- This email has been scanned by the Sybari - Antigen Email System.