First, a good clay is selected. It should be free of stones and have the least possible amount of sand. If the clay has much sand, the adobe will be very brittle.
An excavation then is made in the ground. Here the clay is kneaded, and sufficient water is added to make a firm clay mud. Then hay, straw, pine needles or the hair of animals is mixed in. This serves as a bond to tie the mixture together. Care is exercised so that the material added to the clay mud does not exceed 20 percent of the final product.
Wooden molds are used to form the adobe bricks. These molds are called garrillas. The size mold that is most commonly used in Mexico is 15-3/4 inches long, 12 inches wide and about three inches thick.
To prevent the adobe bricks from sticking to them, the molds are moistened. Then the prepared mixture is poured into the molds. The mixture is soft and easy to manage. It is pressed and manipulated with the hands to fill out the corners of the mold.
The brick is not left in the mold to dry. Rather, as soon as the brick is firm enough, the mold is taken off and the brick is left to lie on the ground. Until they harden sufficiently the bricks are allowed to lie flat on the ground. Then they are placed on edge so that their drying is more rapid and complete. The drying takes from two to three weeks. These dried adobe bricks are now ready for use in building a house.
An excavation then is made in the ground. Here the clay is kneaded, and sufficient water is added to make a firm clay mud. Then hay, straw, pine needles or the hair of animals is mixed in. This serves as a bond to tie the mixture together. Care is exercised so that the material added to the clay mud does not exceed 20 percent of the final product.
Wooden molds are used to form the adobe bricks. These molds are called garrillas. The size mold that is most commonly used in Mexico is 15-3/4 inches long, 12 inches wide and about three inches thick.
To prevent the adobe bricks from sticking to them, the molds are moistened. Then the prepared mixture is poured into the molds. The mixture is soft and easy to manage. It is pressed and manipulated with the hands to fill out the corners of the mold.
The brick is not left in the mold to dry. Rather, as soon as the brick is firm enough, the mold is taken off and the brick is left to lie on the ground. Until they harden sufficiently the bricks are allowed to lie flat on the ground. Then they are placed on edge so that their drying is more rapid and complete. The drying takes from two to three weeks. These dried adobe bricks are now ready for use in building a house.
