Question about patching old adobe walls in the South Valley

I finally got around to fixing some cracks in my old adobe wall last fall, using a modern pre-mixed stucco patch from the hardware store. I figured new stuff had to be better, right? Well, after the first real rain this spring, the new patches looked fine but the original adobe right next to them started to crumble a bit. I talked to an older guy at Garcia's hardware, and he said the new material was too hard and didn't let the wall breathe like the old mud and straw mix. It basically pushed the moisture into the softer, original stuff and caused damage. I had to chip out my 'repair' and learn to make a proper mud plaster. Has anyone else run into this with older homes around here? What mix do you use?

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3 Comments

amyk927mo ago

Wait, you used the stuff from the hardware store? That's exactly what happened to my uncle's place over in Los Lunas. He had the same problem, the wall just fell apart right next to his repair. It's crazy that the new patch can actually wreck the old wall. That guy at Garcia's knows his stuff. You really do have to use the soft mud mix or you'll just make it worse. I learned to use just the local dirt, some sand, and a lot of straw, nothing fancy.

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murphy.val6mo ago

Actually the straw can be tricky if it's not cut right, long pieces make weak spots. Garcia told me to chop it under two inches and mix it wet for a few days first. Makes a huge difference in how it bonds.

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harper_thompson137mo ago

Honestly @amyk92 is right, that pre-mixed stuff is way too hard. I had to learn the hard way too. Tbh I just use dirt from my yard, a little sand, and a bunch of straw, and it holds up way better.

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