Wattle (construction)

Evidence of wattle construction was found at Woodcutts Settlement from the British Iron Age, and the Roman Vitruvius wrote about wattles in his book on architecture, De architectura, but the technique goes back to Neolithic times. ==Technique==

The construction of wattles starts with the uprights (staves), which are set into a frame or placed into the ground. Starting at the bottom, flexible saplings or branches, called withies, are woven in and out of the uprights (staves). Traditionally, willow shoots were used for wattle fence withies, as willow provides a hardy and fast-growing wood that can also be stored and then soaked to restore their flexibility. However, other woods like alder, hazel, maple, or birch, or water sprouts from pear and apple trees may also be used. Withies must be flexible, so spring wood or freshly-cut saplings work better than fallen branches or late summer wood. Withies must be long enough to be woven between at least three of the upright posts (staves) to achieve tension and retain the fence shape. After a layer of withies is woven between the staves, they are pushed down and the process is repeated, sometimes with staggering the start point of the withies. Wattle fences typically last up to 10 years, depending on the climate and the wood used. ==Wattle and daub==

Wattles forms the basis of wattle and daub, a composite building material used for making walls, in which wattle is daubed with a sticky material usually made of some combination of wet soil, clay, sand, animal dung and straw. Wattle and daub has been used for at least 6,000 years, and is still an important construction material in many parts of the world. The technique is similar to modern lath and plaster, a common building material for wall and ceiling surfaces, in which a series of nailed wooden strips are covered with plaster smoothed into a flat surface. Many historic buildings include wattle and daub construction, mostly as infill panels in timber frame construction. ==See also==