Plaster · Maui, Hawaii
A seamless, stone-polished lime plaster with no grout lines — tadelakt brings a soft, sculptural, spa-like surface to showers, tubs and vanity walls, installed by a licensed Maui crew.
Plaster · Maui, Hawaii
A seamless, stone-polished lime plaster with no grout lines — tadelakt brings a soft, sculptural, spa-like surface to showers, tubs and vanity walls, installed by a licensed Maui crew.
Tadelakt comes from Morocco, where it has long been used to line bathhouses, fountains and water vessels. It is a lime plaster that is troweled on, compacted, and then polished by hand with smooth stones. Near the end of the process the surface is treated with a natural olive-oil soap. The soap reacts with the lime to form a water-repellent layer, and the repeated stone polishing tightens the surface into a dense, satin-to-glossy skin.
The finished surface has a gentle, hand-made undulation and a depth of color that tile and paint cannot imitate. Because it is continuous, it can wrap curves, niches, benches and arches without a single joint, which is why designers like it for sculpted showers and freestanding tub surrounds.
Tadelakt is not the right answer for every bathroom. It asks for some care and is softer than porcelain. For high-abuse rental bathrooms or clients who want a zero-maintenance surface, conventional shower tile may be the better choice, and we will tell you so honestly.
The plaster is only as good as what sits behind it. A tadelakt shower still needs a properly built wet-area assembly: a stable, crack-resistant substrate, correct slopes to the drain, and careful detailing at the valve, niche, bench and curb. We build that foundation first so the plaster is a finish on a sound system rather than the only thing keeping water out of your walls.
Thickness, compaction and polishing time matter just as much. Tadelakt cannot be rushed — each stage has to be done when the plaster is at the right moisture, which in Maui's humidity can vary from day to day and from coast to Upcountry. That is part of why it is an artisan finish and why we schedule it with room to do it properly.
Clean it with mild, pH-neutral or natural soap and a soft cloth, and squeegee or wipe down after showering in hard-water areas. Avoid acidic cleaners, bleach and abrasive pads, which can attack the lime. Every so often the surface can be refreshed with a soap treatment to renew its water repellency. We walk you through care when the job is done.
Tadelakt pairs naturally with the rest of a lime-finished home. Many clients carry Santa Barbara smooth lime or Venetian plaster through the bedroom and hallway, and use honed stone for the shower floor or vanity top.
Properly compacted, polished and soap-treated tadelakt is highly water-resistant and has been used in wet areas for generations. We still build the shower with a sound substrate and correct drainage behind it, so the plaster is not working alone.
It can, but floors take the most wear and need extra care. Many clients choose a stone or tile floor with tadelakt walls. We will talk through the trade-offs for your shower.
Like any plaster, it can develop fine hairline cracks if the structure behind it moves. Building on a stable, well-prepared substrate is the best prevention, and small cracks can often be repaired and re-polished.
Tadelakt is tinted with mineral pigments, from natural lime white to earth tones and deeper colors. We make samples so you can see the color and sheen before work begins.
It depends on scope, including shower size, shape, niches and benches, and the substrate work required. We provide a free on-site estimate with a written, itemized quote.