Tadelakt and walls
The polished lime plaster of Marrakech, what it can and cannot do, and simpler ways to get the same warmth.
Tadelakt is a lime plaster from the Marrakech region, pressed and polished with a stone, then treated with black soap. It gives soft walls without joints and with a gentle shine, in bathrooms, hammams and living rooms.
In short
- Tadelakt repels water but is not waterproof like a tile. It suits bathrooms if a specialist does it and it is looked after.
- It is cleaned with diluted black soap, never with acid or abrasive products.
- Fine hairline cracks are part of the material.
- Lime wash and lime-based paints give a similar soft, cloudy wall for much less.
What it is
Lime from the Marrakech plateau is mixed with water and pigment, applied in thin coats, tightened with a trowel, then polished with a hard, smooth stone. Black olive soap is worked in at the end: it reacts with the lime and closes the surface. The work is slow and is done by a craftsman, the maâlem.
Where to use it
- Bathroom walls, around a basin, a bath surround: yes.
- Inside a shower used every day: possible, but it needs perfect work, good ventilation and regular care with soap. Many people put zellige in the shower and tadelakt on the other walls.
- Living room, bedroom, hall, a fireplace surround, niches and shelves built into the wall: ideal.
- Kitchen worktops: not advised. Lemon, vinegar and knives mark it.
- It needs a sound, rigid base. On plasterboard it needs a suitable primer and reinforcement: ask the craftsman.
Looking after tadelakt
- Wipe splashes, and do not let water stand in corners or on ledges.
- Clean with a soft sponge and black soap diluted in warm water. Rinse and dry.
- Once or twice a year, wash the surface with black soap, leave it a few minutes and polish with a soft cloth. This renews the protection.
- No bleach, no limescale remover, no scouring pad, no steam cleaner.
- Shampoo and hair dye stain: rinse them off at once.
- A craftsman can polish a dull or stained patch again. Small repairs are possible, but the colour rarely matches exactly.
Simpler ways to get the look
- Lime wash
- Lime and pigment brushed on in several thin coats. Matt, cloudy, and it lets the wall breathe. Inexpensive, and you can do it yourself on mineral walls.
- Lime-based paint
- Ready mixed and easier to apply than lime wash, on most primed walls.
- Polished plaster or microcement
- Without joints, and tougher in wet rooms. A different material with a similar smooth look.
- Tadelakt-effect paint
- A decorative paint. It gives the colour and some movement, not the depth or the resistance to water.
Colours that work
Traditional tadelakt colours come from earth pigments: Marrakech ochre and pink, terracotta, sand, grey, deep red. One strong wall, in a niche or behind a bench, is often enough; keep the others pale.
Mistakes to avoid
- Expecting tadelakt in a shower to need no care.
- Cleaning it like tiles, with anti-limescale spray.
- Hiring a general plasterer who has never done it.
- Rushing the work: each coat needs its drying time.