Putty for the ceiling: which one to choose?

Putty is a material intended for the final alignment of walls and ceilings. The quality of the obtained surface equally depends on the experience of the master and on the characteristics of the material. To find out which putty is better for the ceiling, you need to take into account its condition and decide on the final result. There is no one “right” putty mixture for the ceiling, the type of material is selected in accordance with specific conditions.

What should be the putty for the ceiling?

The choice of putty for the ceiling must be taken with all responsibility, because the ceiling is an open space and all defects in decoration are immediately evident. Puttying shelves is more difficult than walls, but properly selected material will help facilitate work.

Requirements for putty mixture for the ceiling:

• homogeneity of the structure, the absence of individual large particles;
• not too high hardening speed, allowing to have time to level the surface;
• softness and elasticity, providing ease of application;
• lack of tendency to cracking and shedding after hardening;
• durability and long service life.

Types of putty

Different putty mixtures differ from each other in their composition, purpose, operating conditions, size of fractions.

In composition

Depending on the main component used in the manufacture of putty mixtures, gypsum, cement and acrylic putties are distinguished.

• Gypsum putty copes well with filling cracks. It is suitable only for dry rooms, but with its help it is possible to prepare the ceiling in the room for applying a smooth thin-layer coating.

• Cement putty is suitable for the ceiling in the bathroom or toilet, because it is intended for wet rooms. It evens out large depressions well, but it is difficult to grind, so it can be used as an intermediate layer before applying a textured decorative material.
• Polymer putty allows you to achieve a perfectly smooth surface, so for the final alignment of the ceiling, experts recommend it. Since this type of material is applied in a very thin layer, it requires prior alignment of the ceiling with starting putty mixture. The advantage of the polymer composition is the low setting speed, which allows even an inexperienced home master to work with it.

By appointment

Depending on at what stage of work the putty mixture is used, it can be starting, finishing or universal.

• Starting putty mixtures are used for preliminary alignment of the ceiling, which has significant irregularities (more than 0.5 cm). They can be cement or gypsum based. For good adhesion to the ceiling, the starting mixture should have larger fractions - up to 0.6 mm.

• Finishing putty mixtures have a fine-grained structure (fraction size - up to 0.3 mm) and a softer consistency, are easier to apply and can be ground well. They well eliminate minor defects and fix the first layer.

• Universal putty mixtures combine the properties of starting and finishing compositions, or rather, are somewhere in between. They are used for surfaces without major flaws.

Dry and ready mixes

Putty is available in the form of a dry powder or paste-like mixture, ready to use. The advantages of dry putty mixture are lower price and low temperature requirements during storage. For solution preparation dry material is poured into a container of water and mixed with a construction mixer. It is very important to strictly observe the proportions recommended by the manufacturer.

Ready putty is more expensive than dry mix, but its price is justified by excellent characteristics. It has a high plasticity, slowly grasps, so it is well suited for beginners. The finished mixture is made on an acrylic or vinyl basis using very fine fractions (less than 0.1 mm).

Attention! Ready putty mixtures do not tolerate transportation and storage at low temperatures.

Final goal

The choice of putty depends on the type of final coating under which the ceiling is leveled.

• Putting a putty mixture for painting is considered the most difficult option, since it requires an ideal surface. Any flaws will be clearly visible under the paint layer, so the material for leveling the ceiling should be of the highest quality. It is best to choose a finishing putty from a well-known manufacturer. The main requirements are softness and ductility.

• Putty for wallpaper does not require a professional level of skill and is less demanding on the material. In this case, the main thing is to eliminate large irregularities, it is not necessary to achieve maximum smoothness.

• When preparing the ceiling for decorative plaster, just like under wallpaper, it is not necessary to achieve mirror smoothness, it is enough to make the surface as even as possible. Strong compositions based on cement or gypsum, starting and universal, are suitable.

Additional components

The quality and properties of the putty for the ceiling will also depend on the various additives present in the mixture in addition to the main binders. Therefore, before choosing a putty, carefully study the composition. Additives that improve the properties of the material include:

• plasticizers - provide plasticity and ductility of putty during work;
• hardening and setting agents for the mixture;
• pigments - give the material a certain shade;
• oligomers provide moisture resistance, strength and high drying speed;
• water repellents - allow using the material in rooms with constant high humidity.

Proven putty brands

In stores you will find a huge number of putties of various brands. If you want to be sure of quality when buying material, then it is better to choose products from well-known manufacturers that value their reputation. The price of such mixtures is higher, but they have a higher covering ability and are several times more durable than cheap analogues.

Masters recommend time-tested putties from Knauf, Henkel (Ceresit trademark) and Weber-Vetonit. Well-established brands such as PUFAS, Bolars, Volma and Osnovit. Typically, the price of a putty mixture is directly proportional to its strength and durability, so the savings in the purchase of this material is not justified.