The-Artistic-Garden's Blog

Hypertufa & Concrete Projects Tip
How to Make Embedded Items Stay Stuck!

I received an email from Julie asking me:

Hi, my friend and I made our first hypertufa batches the other night, using a couple of your recipes, and want to make more.

My question: I want to put some glass stones and other things like nails on the outside of some pots and balls but am afraid they will fall out. If I put a binder in the mix will that keep the stones etc. attached?

Thanks for all your help! Julie

My reply:

Hi Julie:
Thank you for contacting me and I can answer your question – you don’t really have to add a binder into the recipe. Most crafters don’t. They just push/squish their chosen objects into the wet hypertufa or concrete.

Most embellishments – stones, marbles, mirror pieces, etc. – will stay “stuck”. But nothing is 100% fool-proof, so if some do end up falling out, use a little silicone caulk (or epoxy glue suitable for your project – i.e. glass and concrete) to stick them back. Just make sure you do give each item a good “push” into the wet ‘tufa or concrete.

That’s all there is to it. Good luck!!

~~~

And hey everyone … check out this idea for your next hypertufa or concrete project!

I found this great project the other day while I was surfing around online, and I would encourage you to read Kathy Cano-Murillo’s instructions for her concrete coasters project.

She explains how to glue pictures onto the back of clear glass pebbles before embedding them into wet concrete. How cool! And how easy!

This crafty idea CERTAINLY can be used to embellish larger garden art items, like hypertufa or concrete troughs, spheres … whatever! But I love her coaster idea. As a matter of fact … I always encourage new crafters to mix up small batches of ‘tufa or ‘crete recipes, in order to get the hang of working with the stuff – to make sure they are getting the ratios of ingredients right, how long it takes to cure, things like that.

Kathy’s project would certainly be a great one to try with hypertufa, too. You could make coasters, or perhaps small garden plaques. That way, if you are trying a small test batch because you’re new to working with hypertufa (or concrete) … if you had success then you’d have a nifty item to put in your garden, or something to give away as a gift.

Anyway … making sure your embellishments stay stuck really isn’t a major concern. So go ahead, and try adding something fun or whimsical to your next garden art project!

Can Hypertufa Really Be Used As A Top Coat
On A Vertical Wall?

I recevied an email from Donna asking me a simple question:

Can hypertufa be used to face a vertical wall?

My reply:

Hi Donna:
Thanks for asking me about this, and yes! You sure can use hypertufa to face a wall. This would certainly be a very doable hypertufa project that shouldn’t require too much “skill” – meaning this won’t require an advanced ‘tufa technique.

But, I need to know more in order to make sure about a few things … such as what is the wall made from? Brick, or concrete blocks? Or something else?? Are these walls outside in your garden, or inside a home or other structure?? (For now I will assume you mean a garden wall.)

Reason I ask is depending on the material of the wall’s surface, it might change the ingredients in the hypertufa recipe and/or application method. But if your wall is made from bricks or concrete blocks, from my research (I’ve never faced a wall with hypertufa) you will definitely want to wet down the wall’s surface; apply a liberal coating of a bonding agent to the surface; and use a hypertufa recipe that also has bonding agent added to it.

I can assure you that wetting down the wall surface is important, just like it is important when adding more hypertufa to an already cured area of ‘tufa. Wetting the surface is an important step.

This is bare-bones information, but without knowing all the particulars, this info should get you pointed in the right direction. Does this help you?

~~~

Donna replied:

Thanks for the answer, Claudia. I’ll try to clarify my question a little but I like your answer.

We’re building a new house with an enclosed atrium. The walls haven’t actually been built yet but the contractor wants to face it with a concrete material like Hardyplank and then put some kind of stucco material over that to make it look like a rock cliff.

I want to allow plants to grow on the wall and thought a hypertufa “stucco” would work better than a plain concrete stucco. The contractor is concerned about the hypertufa being as durable as conventional concrete in this instance.

In your opinion would we use the hypertufa just like conventional concrete – over a expanded metal base used as the “support”?

Thanks again for your help. Donna

~~~

I answered back:

Hi Donna:

The contractor is concerned about the hypertufa being as durable as conventional concrete in this instance. In your opinion would we use the hypertufa just like conventional concrete – over a expanded metal base used as the “support”?

Hypertufa being durable? Well, if it is mixed up in proper proportions and cured correctly, and if you’ve added reinforcing poly fibers (as one example) … heck! It is incredibly durable & most likely would last for goodness knows how many eons!

Plus, now that I understand that the hypertufa is going to be applied to the INTERIOR walls of your atrium (I’m jealous … an antrium! You lucky duck!!) the walls are protected from the “abuse” of the outside elements. That in itself should prove to help add to the longevity of the hypertufa.

If you’ve not yet looked at, or downloaded a copy of this very thorough stain and colorant chart that is on my website, please do so – it will be an immense help to you: Hypertufa & Concrete Stains Chart. You’ll see the link to open the chart about 1/2 way down the page.

About coloration: think carefully about the desired COLOR you want when you’re done. Peat moss is already “dark” by itself, and then you’ll have the grey portland cement. You really might want to use white portland with a colorant to lighten up the walls in your atrium. And be aware that the peat moss is going to be visible.

Also remember that the peat moss is meant to decompose over time, so that ultimately you replicate real Tufa rock. That’s the whole idea of people making things with a hypertufa recipe. But decomposition happens for objects like troughs or planters that are outside in a garden 24/7. In your situation, the hypertufa is not going to be affected by “normal” outdoor weather and seasonal conditions.

However, maybe over many years the peat moss will decompose in the planter pockets you’ll be fashioning – because when you water the plants, the water will cause the ‘tufa to slowly decompose … the peat moss in the walls might not. Unless you can hose them down?? Are you having a brick or pebble based floor with floor drains so that watering your plants and having to be “careful” with puddles isn’t an issue??

See where I’m going with this? I don’t see why a hypertufa recipe couldn’t be used. BUT!! I have NEVER done this myself; nor do I personally know anyone who has done this, so that I could pick their brain for you!! I say this to protect myself with the suggestions I’ve given you. Your common sense and more research into the best recipe; proper sub-surface for application; thickness of hypertufa to be applied … all that is up to you.

If I were you I’d experiment on practice boards with a few recipes using grey and white portland cement; maybe different colorants, etc. and let it cure so you really know what the final outcome will be color-wise! I’d hate to think you get the room done, and about a week later when the walls are getting dry, you say “Egad … I really don’t like what this looks like!!”

This is one of the more unusual hypertufa projects I’ve been asked about, but it should prove to be a wonderful addition to your home. I’d say “Go for it!”

Good luck!

Is Hypertufa Waterproof?
Can It Be Exposed To Water 24/7?

Ken emailed and asked:

Is hypertufa a good choice for construction material for a waterfall? Is it waterproof enough to withstand the constant exposure to water?

Because of it’s easy use, I would like to build the spillways out of hypertufa. Please advise.

My reply:
Hello Ken:
Thank you for contacting me and I can tell you that hypertufa may not be the “best” choice for the spillways. I am not saying don’t use it, but be very aware that the peat moss in ‘tufa is meant to decompose, leaving the pits and crevices and tiny HOLES that is inherent in real Tufa rock.

So …. what if a hole or crevice ends up in not the best spot, and you have a leakage problem on-up-the-road? Think about that. Perhaps using a concrete recipe would do you better in the long run.

But! It doesn’t mean not to use it. I am just telling you of a potential issue to consider. I am aware of people using hypertufa for spillways, however I have NO knowledge of how long their project held up.

If your recipe is properly concocted, and you allow the spillways to cure properly before subjecting them to 24/7 water exposure, you should have no problems. But of course everything hinges upon your attention to details and level of expertise for a project like this.

You might also want to apply a good quality water-proofing sealant … again making sure everything has cured and dried properly before sealing and letting the water flow.

**And don’t forget about the alkalinity issues that can adversely affect (kill) pond fish and plants. Again … cure it properly. I have written an article that will give you more information on this issue: Hypertufa Curing tips for Ponds & Waterfalls.

Good luck!

Finding A Store That Sells Perlite Is Not Too Difficult

I received an email from Gabriella asking:

Hi Claudia, I was wondering if your Hypertufa How-To eBook includes sources for supplies? I am having a hard time finding perlite. Thanks, Gabriella

My reply:
Hi Gabriella:
Thanks for contacting me – I can help steer you in the right driection to find perlite.

Perlite is not hard to find if you know where to look. I will assume you live in the USA or Canada. You can find perlite in the indoor gardening area of Home Depot, Lowe’s or even Wal-Mart, as example.

It is usually sold in a smallish-sized bag for around $4.00 per bag (I bought a bag last year–can’t remember the exact price.)

You should also be able to find it in any gardening store that sells potting soils, etc. And you can also find a number of online sources, just search for “buy perlite online”.

But, for those folks who are looking for vermiculite … well that stuff is getting tougher or almost impossible to find. The reason? The contaminant ASBESTOS is sometimes found in vermiculite and we all know that back in the early 1990’s the health hazards of inhaling asbestos became a hot topic and very much talked about publically.

The vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana supplied about 80% of the world’s supply and in 1990 guess what? You got it … they got shut down because of all the health risks attributed to asbestos. As a matter of fact, sadly many of the Libby town residents suffered “vermiculite-related” illnesses due to living within the vicinity of the mining operations and inhaling the asbestos.

So … stick with perlite in your hypertufa recipes and you’ll be fine!

And yes, my Hypertufa eBook does discuss how to find some of the harder-to-find supplies and it has a lot more information on all aspects of working with ‘tufa.

I hope this helps you and if you have any more questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Hi, Thanks for the reply. Do you know where I can find larger bags of the perlite? I live in Wisconsin. Thanks

My reply:
Hi again Gabriella:
I suggest you Google “perlite” and you’ll get lots of search options. Plus, by performing the search yourself, you will get suppliers’ ads that are targeted to your area and/or to Wisconsin. There might be a local supplier where you can get larger quantities.

It looks like there are many online suppliers, of course what they charge is the big question!

Good luck!