Which clay finish is yours?
Five Original plasters and three Forté plasters. Here is how to pick, by look, feel, room and budget.
The first question is always the same: which finish is right for my wall? After nearly two decades of troweling them, the honest answer is that each one earns its place. The trick is matching the finish to the room, the light and the way you live.
Loma: the workhorse original
Loma is where every American Clay wall starts, because it is always the base coat. As a finish, it dries to a soft, even, matte surface that can be worked into nearly unlimited textures, from quiet and flat to bold, sculpted relief. It is the most forgiving to apply and the most economical: a 50 pound bag covers about 180 square feet per coat.
Porcelina: the polished one
Porcelina is super smooth, built on kaolin clay, and takes a gentle polish as it is compressed under the trowel. The result reads like Venetian plaster at a fraction of the cost, with no acrylics, lime or cement in the mix. Coverage is about 225 to 250 square feet per coat, so it goes further than most people expect.
Marittimo: the one with the seashells
Marittimo carries a real seashell aggregate, ground fine, which gives the surface a faceted, softly sparkling quality and extra hardness. It covers about 160 square feet per coat and brings a natural sheen no pigment can fake.
And then there is Forté
Forté is American Clay fortified: the same natural material, pre-mixed with a breathable binder and strengthened for real life. It comes as Forté Base, Forté Finish and Forté White, and Forté Finish is the strongest plaster American Clay makes. It is the line we expect to lead with on busy homes and commercial walls. There are also two Original plasters we have not covered here: Lomalina, which sits between Loma and Porcelina, and Enjarre, the only single-coat product in the range.
The honest trade-offs
Loma hides wall imperfections best and repairs most invisibly. Porcelina demands better wall prep, because a polished surface tells the truth about what is under it. Marittimo costs more per square foot but shrugs off traffic. All of them are natural and carry zero VOCs, so there is no wrong answer on health.
One thing none of them do: wet areas. Clay is a dry-area finish, so showers, backsplashes and range hoods get Venetian plaster instead. We would rather tell you that up front than fix it later.
Still torn? Order sample boards and live with them in your own light for a few days. The wall will tell you.
See them in your own light.
Colour cards lie a little. Sample boards do not. We will get some to you.