Working with adobe clay
Adobe clay has been used in construction in the Southwest United States for centuries. Adobe is an incredibly durable building material, and some of the oldest buildings on the planet are made of adobe. As durable as it is, adobe clay is not natural. It must be manufactured.
Instructions
Make Adobe Clay
1. Choose the type of soil you will use when making adobe. Three types of are used to make adobe: Loamy sand is 85 percent sand and 15 percent clay. Sandy loam is 70 percent sand, 20 percent clay and 10 percent silt. The final choice is sandy clay loam, which is 70 percent sand and 30 percent clay. Any of these soil types make excellent adobe. Choose one based on what is readily available in your area.
2. Check with the U.S. Geological Survey to see where the best sources for soil are in your area. Every state has an office for the geological survey. At worst, they will be able to tell you where to buy the soil you need. At best, they can direct you to a location where you can go dig the soil yourself and make the adobe clay on the spot. Locate the local office for the geological survey by visiting their website (see Resources).
3. Dig a hole to make the adobe clay in. Use a shovel to dig a hole 2-feet deep and as big around as you are comfortable working with. Ideally you will be digging the hole in a place that has the proper soil mixture so you can gather ingredients at the same time you build the mixing pit.
4. Saturate the mixing pit with water. After digging a hole, keep it soaked with water for 12 hours before mixing the adobe clay. It is important for the entire inner surface of the hole to be saturated before the clay-making process begins.
5. Pour your soil mixture into the mixing pit and begin to slowly add water to the mix. Stir the soil and water combination with a gardening hoe to mix everything together. Only add small amounts of water at a time, until your mixture begins to take on a thick clay-like consistency.
6. Begin adding hay, straw or grass to the mixture as you continue mixing with the gardening hoe. Studies show the straw does not add to the structural strength of the adobe, but it is traditional to add it to the mixture. If you have difficulty adding the straw, try adding a small amount of water to the mixture to thin the consistency of the soil a little. Once you have finished mixing these ingredients, you have made adobe clay that is ready to be shaped into bricks or spread onto a wall.
