With more than two decades of experience in the plaster and stucco business, spanning three continents, Jan Herwig knows plaster.
Jan’s a depth of knowledge in plaster and stucco application, the myriad of plaster techniques in use and design considerations is rivalled by few.
He got his start in the plaster business in Germany in 1993, when he enrolled in a German trade school, eventually getting his bachelor’s and master’s degree in Ornamental-Architectural Plaster and Restoration of Heritage Buildings.
There was a strong practical component to the program, and Jan found he really enjoyed the variety of the work and challenges that come at him every day. He also enjoys the creative aspect of the work, and being able to see the progress on his creations at the end of each work day.
Jan was able to gain a great deal of creative experience when he worked on the movie sets of Enemy at the Gates and also on The Pianist. The work he did on those sets was mainly in plaster, and varied from creating simulated damage to recreating other materials.
He worked with companies around Germany restoring historical buildings. Germany has strict heritage building laws, and it was often difficult to create exact replicas. Often the interior and exterior plaster and stucco work had to be recreated from photos, using plaster formulations from that era. Modern materials were not allowed!
Before coming to Canada, Jan also gained experience with modern drywall on the inside of buildings, and outside using modern techniques such as acrylic stucco and E.I.F.S. (exterior insulation finishing system) which was founded in Europe and is becoming quite common now in Alberta.
After moving to Canada and meeting his wife Yasmin, Jan found opportunities to work in India, where he continued his work in the plaster and stucco business, working with architects, doing product research, project management, project supervision and quality control.
While there he gained an increased appreciation for the use of natural products such as bamboo, contributing to his interest in sustainable, non-polluting building products that continues to this day. After moving back to Canada, Jan continued his exceptional plaster and stucco work.
