Visited a 150 year old farmhouse in Vermont and saw liners made of parged clay... is that stuff actually safe?

2 comments

2 Comments

Parged clay liners have been around for centuries" is exactly right, but let's be real about what "safe" actually means here. That stuff is basically just clay and sand mixed together, so it's not going to give off toxic fumes or anything. The bigger question is whether it's holding up structurally - clay can crack, absorb moisture, and start falling apart over time. If it's in good shape without big gaps or crumbling bits, you're probably fine for a historic property. Just don't expect it to pass a modern code inspection like new bricks and mortar would.

sandra6931mo ago

Charles brings up a good point about the cracking and moisture, but I gotta ask - did you actually get a look at how thick that clay layer is? A thin skim coat thats only an inch thick is way different than a solid 4 or 5 inch parged wall built to last. Also, was the farmhouse still in use or just sitting there as a museum piece? A working stove with a clay liner thats seen a hundred years of fires might have some hidden weak spots from all that heating and cooling.