Tudor houses were typically made of timber (wood) and wattle and daub. Wattle is the intertwined sticks that are placed in a wall between posts, and daub is a mixture of clay, sand, and dung that is smeared (daubed) into and over the wattle to make the wall. The wooden timbers were often coated with black tar to help protect them from rotting. Tudor homes can also be found with stucco, stone, and wooden cladding. Stucco was often utilized on more modest Tudor homes built before the rise in popularity of brick and stone cladding. The exterior wall cladding of Tudor homes can be made of brick, stone, wood, or stucco. The cladding is largely decorative and is known for its high-quality craftsmanship and durability.