More great work by Abbelkader

Abbelkader has recently been working on a house owned by Louis Macintosh - Dar Mernissi - and once again the reports on his work are glowing. Here is an excerpt from Louis' blog:

So how's the work going? Well slow but sure is the order of the day awaiting zellige to finish two bathrooms and then Abbelkader with the boys sweeps into full tadelakt mode to give it the finising sheen. They have finished the menzeh bathroom in a beautiful biscuit colour and I have the raised sink and funky taps as in the photo ready to be plumbed in. Apparently they leave the tadelakt for fifteen days then give it a high polish to seal it completely should look great. Surprised at the number of visitors I have had recently purely to look at the tadelakt, not to see me, there has been Aussie Pete and Karen, Pizza Mike, Fred and Thierry from Laroussa and John and Jenny. I dont think anyone has seen Abbelkader's tadelakt before as he has his own style and i think he will be in great demand. His plasterwork is already renowned throughout the medina so there will be another string to his bow now.

Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb renovation

Before and after - The Abbelkader touch.

Before

The central courtyard of Riad Zany was a major piece of work for Abbelkader and one for which he developed the special sand coloured plaster. The previous colour had been a the white limewash so popular in the early twentieth century. As the house was far older it was decided to take it back to its "roots" - hence the choice of a natural sand from local sand. The final effect is a warm and inviting space without the harsh glare of white plaster.


After


Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb renovation

The master of fine detail

Abbelkader's attention to the small details is superb. Corners, cornices and unusual architectural features are all treated to close attention and creative thinking.

Here he is seen working with a very special plaster created for the restoration of Riad Zany from a mixture of plaster and very fine Fez sand that has been sifted with great care. The fine particles in suspension colour the water that is then added to the mixture, producing a finish that is truly in keeping with the heritage values of the Medina.

Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb renovation

Moroccan Plaster - an introduction

Abbelkader demonstrates various colour examples
Abbelkader is the most impressive craftsman in plaster restoration in the Fez Medina. He is an expert in all types of plaster work from detailed carving either new or restored, Tadelakt and medluk. His use of traditional lime based plaster is important as lime plasters offer advantages over cement based mortars and pure gypsum plasters for the internal plastering of traditional properties, especially when decorated with a traditional limewash. Their porosity allows the structure to "breathe". They can accommodate general movement better and their self-healing nature reduces cracking problems. they can reduce condensation problems.

Tadelakt is a Moroccan render technique in which a special lime render is applied and compressed (polished) with stones. The surface is then polished many times with natural olive oil soap (sabon beldi) which results in a compact shiny surface. This technique is not only used for exterior and interior walls but also for floors, bathtubs, showers, and table surfaces.


Medluk: According to David Amster's informative site A House in Fez, "...the outer walls of houses were finished with medluk, made of extremely fine sand, lime (jeer), egg white, and sabon beldi (traditional soft soap made from olive by-products). Medluk develops a beautiful marbled effect over time. Simple geometric patterns are sometimes pressed or carved into the medluk. In Marrakech this mixture is called tadlakt, which is slightly finer and shinier due to the difference in the sand and lime from the two cities. These days tadlakt is often colored and has become very fashionable on interior walls. Good examples of new medluk are the inner walls of the Nejjarine Museum, and the outside walls of Dar Adiyel and the Bou Inania Medersa. The bathrooms in many recent maison d'hotes in Fez are done in tadlakt."

What a difference good plaster can make!

A Riad Zany salon - before

A Riad Zany salon - After

Another major piece of work recently completed by Abellkader was the plaster work on Dar Settash, a technically demanding project due to the amount of fine carved plaster work. The results featured in a British TV program and brought admiration from across the UK.

Dar Settash

Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb renovation