We are making fast progress. Interior plaster, window framing and installation are done. We are currently working on exterior plaster, and we expect to finish it within less than a week. We are sponging our plaster to give a smoother finish than sprayed plaster yet coarser than a burnished finish. Frost usually forms during the early hours of dawn, which may crack our plaster. We found that plastering no later than 3 pm and covering our work with a tarp has effectively prevented any cracks from forming.
It’s important to soak the dome before plastering since stabilized earth, like any cement containing mix, doesn’t adhere well to dry surfaces and may dry before it cures when applied to a dry surface. Since cementitious mixes don’t strongly attach to plastic, we removed all the bags to ensure proper adherence of plaster to the dome. Note that the earth-bags serve no structural purpose after the superadobe is cured and set. All exterior plaster should be sloped in a manner that helps shed water away from the dome, hence preventing water from pooling or percolating into the dome. Below are some pictures of the plastered greenhouse, buttresses, and dome.
