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 HFH (Day 7) – Tuesday, February 21, 2012

This particular day was a blend of working on the site and making a visit to a local women’s cooperative.

In the morning, we started the process of plastering the walls on the inside of the house.  It was a complicated but physically satisfying job and one of the jobs that I loved.  In plastering, there are numerous steps, the first of which is to throw water at the walls and put a thin layer of cement on the walls.  Following this, a mortar mix is made and thrown at the walls.  Yes, we are throwing dirt.  The water / cement application allows the mortar to stick.  Once a thick layer of mortar is applied, it needs to be smoothed out.  There is an art to making the walls smooth and I have to say that I found my calling.  Good bye psychology and hello masonry!   🙂   Along with several other HFH members who were also drawn to this task, we managed to create walls that were as smooth as drywall.  I was really impressed with the process.  It is amazing at the feelings of pride and satisfaction one experiences in working with one’s hands.   We managed to complete 2 of the 3 rooms on the inside.  Our team also started the process of mapping our and preparing an area in front of the house for a cement patio.  The completion on inside plastering, onset of plastering the outside, and completion of the patio were to be completed on Days 7 and 8. Continue reading →