10/16/2026
The wait is OVER! The Medina project is finally ready to be shown off! 😎
This project has been a HUGE milestone for Del Toro Natural Builders as it’s our first project where we’ve completed the interior clay plaster, exterior lime plaster, AND adobe floor finishes
Let’s start with the interior!
The walls are infilled with hempcrete, which is an incredible natural building material with great moisture regulating/insulation/sound dampening properties and is also non combustible and mold/pest resistant! But what makes these walls even more special is what we finished them with!
We started by applying base coats of clay plaster made from clay that was actually harvested and processed right there on the property! That clay was then mixed with locally manufactured limestone sand, commonly referred to as “man sand,” to create our base plaster.
Once the base coats were complete, we applied my very own clay plaster finish made with recycled glass sand!
That’s right, RECYCLED GLASS! 🤯
Not only are we utilizing materials that would otherwise potentially end up in a landfill, but we’re also creating a beautiful, durable, breathable finish that works WITH the hempcrete rather than against it.
One of the greatest benefits of natural wall systems like these is their ability to help regulate indoor humidity by absorbing and releasing moisture v***r as well as being a thermal mass. Pair that with hempcrete’s insulation properties, and you’ve got a wall system designed to contribute to a much more comfortable/controlled indoor environment!
Now let’s talk about these ADOBE FLOORS!
Roughly 1,200 square feet of beautiful, handcrafted earthen flooring!
These floors are something you really have to experience firsthand to fully appreciate.
Unlike conventional concrete floors, properly finished adobe floors have a unique warmth and feel to them. The best way I can describe it is like walking on LEATHER!
They’re smooth, comfortable to stand on, and have an organic feel that’s hard to replicate with conventional flooring materials. While they’re still firm surfaces, there’s something about walking barefoot on an earthen floor that just feels right!
And the amount of work that goes into creating them is no joke! From placing and leveling thousands upon thousands of pounds of earthen material to applying the oil, every step requires patience, craftsmanship, and a whole lot of physical labor.
But here’s what I find most fascinating about this entire project…
We’re taking materials that come naturally from the EARTH and turning them into the finished surfaces of a HOME!
Clay from the property, locally sourced limestone sand, recycled glass, and natural earthen materials.
No conventional petrochemical-based plaster or flooring finishes. No need to cover these beautiful natural materials with synthetic coatings.
Just good old-fashioned building techniques combined with modern knowledge and a whole lot of hard work!
There’s something special about being inside a home finished with natural materials. Between the moisture regulating properties of the clay, the insulating/sound dampening characteristics of the hempcrete, and the earthy feel of the adobe floors, the whole space just feels inviting and what a home is supposed to feel like.
It’s like bringing the outdoors INSIDE! 🌎
And that’s what natural building is all about to me. Creating beautiful, non toxic spaces using materials that have been around for thousands of years while incorporating sustainable practices and materials that make sense for the future of the home dwellers and the earth.
I’m incredibly proud of how this project turned out, and even more grateful for the opportunity to bring it to life.
There’s SO MUCH more that went into this project than what I can fit into one post. If you guys are interested, I’ll put together some posts about the base coats of clay and what it took to get them done.
And we’re not done showing this one off just yet!
Next up is the EXTERIOR, where I’ll be showing off our traditional three coat lime plaster system over hempcrete, including the preparation, scratch coat, brown coat, veneer coat and limewash finishes!
So stay tuned! 😎
