There is really no need to varnish clay plaster walls — it all depends on your lifestyle and your specific needs.
If you want completely natural and vapor-permeable walls, don’t use any varnish. Simply read our recommendations on how to clean and repair natural walls — trust us, they can stay beautiful and clean for many years.

If you need durable, wet-washable walls — for example, in high-traffic areas or commercial spaces — be sure to varnish the surfaces with Mr. Clay Varnish No. 1.
You can find more information about varnishing HERE

They differ in their base colors: one is light sand–colored, and the other is warm white. When tinted with the same pigments, the resulting shades are very similar. The biggest difference is that Light Sand 13 dries more slowly during application and creates slightly more shading, which is why it is currently the most popular mixture for finishing large wall and ceiling areas.

White decorative clay plaster is an excellent choice if you need a white base, softer shading, or if you’ll be doing highly compressed decorative techniques. But in most cases, both mixtures can be used for almost any technique.

Clay plaster “breathes” — it absorbs and releases moisture, which makes it very beneficial for maintaining a healthy indoor microclimate. If the surface is not varnished, it remains slightly more sensitive to mechanical impact, but it does not crumble or smear. An occasional loose marble grain falling off is completely normal for a natural product.

If the surface feels noticeably dusty or smudgy when touched, it means something was not done quite correctly during the finishing process. In that case, you can try a few additional steps: brush off the loose marble grains with a dry brush or clean palm, or thoroughly moisten the wall and compress the entire surface using a stainless-steel trowel to harden it.

Of course, you can always varnish the wall to fully stabilize the clay plaster if vapor-permeability is not essential for your wall finish.

Yes, most people choose to finish all the walls and ceilings in their home with clay plaster. The result is incredibly beautiful and cozy! The walls create soft, warm shading — just enough to add charm, but not so much that it becomes overwhelming. You’ll never get tired of it. On the contrary — as our clients say, you’ll want to come home just because of your walls and won’t be able to look at flat-painted ones anymore! :)

You cannot use clay plaster or this varnish in the shower area, near the bathtub, or in any zone with frequent direct water contact and high steam concentration. These areas are not suitable for clay plaster or its varnish.

In the bathroom in general:
For other walls, ceilings, or areas near freestanding bathtubs or sinks — where there is no long-standing water and no intense hot steam — clay plaster can be used. In bathrooms, we recommend varnishing clay-plastered walls for practicality. If you know you will be careful and protect the surface, varnishing is not strictly necessary.

Ceilings do not need to be varnished.

Because clay mixtures are natural and contain no chemical substances that form a film, clay plaster remains vapor-permeable and “breathable.”

Such walls should not be heavily scrubbed with water, as the cleaned area will definitely remain visible. However, we have discovered some very effective methods for cleaning clay plaster, and considering that it is a fully natural, matte, and very beautiful material, its durability and usability are quite good — in many cases comparable to matte paints.

You can find more information about cleaning and repairing dents HERE.

If you are looking for more durable wall surfaces, clay plaster can be varnished with Varnish No. 1, making the walls wet-wipeable.