The Mock Up-Room - Application of Plaster (Shikkui)

Apologies for the long delay in getting this uploaded! There has been a fair bit of other stuff going on that needed my full attention so this was put on the back-burner.
Anyway, this is the second video in the Mock-Up Room series titled: 'The Mock-Up Room - Application of Plaster (Shikkui)'
The third and last video in the Mock-Up Room series will be uploaded at a later date once editing is completed.
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The walls in the Mock-Up Room have been prepared and now we are applying Shikkui.
Well, if we were skilled plasterers and had all the time in the world, we would be!
Shikkui, or traditional Japanese Plaster, is made mainly out of hydrated lime and calcium carbonate and is often combined with natural fibres and seaweed glue. It has high deodorising and dehumidifying properties, essential for the hot and humid Japanese summers.
Making and applying Shikkui successfully takes a reasonably high level of knowledge and skill, something that I and my volunteers do not have the time to acquire.
So, what do we do? We move with the times and use a modern alternative product and application method!
After researching and testing various products, I have decided to go with a silicone-based product that can be applied directly from it's container without mixing and by hand, without the use of a trowel - fantastic!
Despite it's ease of application the product has similar properties to Shikkui, with deodorizing and dehumidifying properties. It also has the advantage of not being susceptible to cracking, which is common with traditional Shikkui if it hasn't been perfectly prepared and applied following precise timing and compression.
As can be seen here, novices can create a perfectly acceptable finish on walls. If you want a more traditional, silky-smooth appearance then you would need to spend time practicing applying the product with a trowel.
That being said however, I am more than happy with the texture that we have applied by hand. It has a very three-dimensional, stucco-like aspect to it, with depth and shadows created by the light.
Multiple coats are not 'required' but it depends really on preference, and of course the colour of the substrate. Darker surfaces may require multiple coats for a clean finish.
Drying time of this product ranges from three hours in summer to six hours in winter. I found the effective working time of the product to be around one hour (in Spring) and around thirty minutes when I used it later in a very hot and humid summer!
The ongoing philosophy of this project is to not hide the history of the place behind any new work whenever possible. I want imperfections and any signs of previous materials and workmanship to remain, although everything will be cleaned, and repairs carried out where required. Nothing will ever really look new in this property!
Note how rustic the finished surface looks! You can see the remains of some really hard Shikkui (that was difficult to remove without damaging the wall) under the new stuff, together with the rough, pock-marked middle layer of the earthen wall beneath.
I'll do a bit of research and will probably replace the light switches and sockets that you see here with replicas of those used at the time the house was built in 1908. (These existing ones are probably around 30 to 50 years old!)
With electricity being used by general consumers, in Tokyo at least, since 1887, uniquely Japanese style switches, sockets, and light fittings would have been in use by 1908, so I definitely want to use items that at least look like they're of the period to try and replicate the same sort of atmosphere in my house that they had back then.
I reckon in looks OK but what do you think? Let me know in the comments, or you can wait until you've watched the next and last video of the Mock-Up Room series where the room is virtually complete, with the addition of the refurbished Shoji windows!
Please support me in preserving Kominka at:
www.gofundme.com/f/save-beautiful-old-japanese-folk-houses
#kominka #japan #diy #abandoned #traditional #japanese #house #folk #culture #vintage #architecture #plaster #shikkui #building #tsuchikabe #mud #earthen #wall #akiya

[@treasurechest1993]

What a great experience for the girls. Hope they are proud of their efforts. Are you going to consider using the building as a homestay? It looks like it once was.

[@kominkadreaming]

Yes, they absolutely loved it and are definitely proud of their hard work.
Initially I'm hoping to just live in the place but I'm thinking about homestays or other accommodation options as well as intimate dining.
I would also like to use one of the Kura as an art studio/gallery and cafè.
Huge dreams but no 💰 😕