Stucco walls by own hands

Well plastered walls always look very aesthetically and neatly, but in order to achieve such results it is necessary to do enough laborious work.

The wall plaster can be done by yourself if the novice master thoroughly studies the then the , how this process is carried out, understands that it is necessary to solve it and will understand the basics of the technology of such work.

However, to perform the plastering of walls qualitatively, not only theoretical knowledge is important, but even though the would have a small practice in this work. Therefore, if there is no experience in plastering "manipulations", you need to first try your hand at a small section of the wall. By doing this training, you can at least slightly "stuff your hand" in the outline of solution and in its leveling.

This experience is useful not only for owners of private houses, but also for owners of apartments in high-rise buildings, as, unfortunately, even in panel houses, walls, often , need enough enough alignment.

material for plastering

The plaster mixture for wall finishing is chosen depending on what the walls of the building are built from. In addition, the conditions are taken into account, where the will be performed - inside or outside the building.

Brick walls

• The walls removed from the bricks are usually plastered with with -based cement mixes, sometimes - with a small addition of lime for giving additional ductility. Lime is added and if the work is carried out in a room with high humidity or outside the building.

• On the brick walls, a layer of plaster is applied, which should not exceed 30 mm. In this case, it should be taken into account that if the thickness of the coating is more than 20 mm, the plaster on the wall must be secured with a net-mesh for reinforcement and retention of the mixture on the surface of the .
• To mix a cement-based mortar, it is necessary to take the ingredients, based on the proportions of 1 part cement and 3 ÷ 4 parts sifted clean sand. These starting materials are mixed with water to a thick consistency, but it is also taken into account that the mixture must be plastic.
• If a cement-lime mixture is produced, it will take 1 part of cement, 1 ÷ 2 lime test and 5 ÷ 7 parts of sand. First, sand is mixed with cement, then lime is added to the dry mix diluted to the consistency of milk, and all together is mixed until uniform. When getting too dense, a small amount of water is allowed( although not welcomed).
• If the is clad with bricks on walls, it will be harder to plaster it because it has a smooth surface. It is likely that the mixture will roll off the wall or even fall off pieces - sometimes in such a situation does not help even the reinforcing mesh. Therefore, for such a surface, special professional primer compositions and a properly selected reinforcing mesh are needed. This job is best entrusted to qualified specialists who know which materials will be optimal for a particular surface, and have a good knowledge of the technology of applying them to "complex" surfaces.

Concrete wall

• If the concrete surface is smooth, then its must be prepared with a primer with the addition of quartz impregnations that will give the wall the reliable required for to retain the plaster roughness. In the cement mortar for the wall is added gypsum powder, which significantly enhances the adhesion of the mixture to the wall.

• In addition, for such surface is often used lime-plaster solution, where the proportions 3 ÷ 4 parts lime and 1 part gypsum are applicable. Proce ssp and the preparation of such a mixture takes place in the following order: gypsum is quickly mixed with water - the mass should not be thick, lime solution is poured into , and then all is mixed until uniform.
• If the concrete wall has roughness, then it will not require complicated preparation, special approach or special formulations, since is suitable for using radiant cement or gypsum plaster solutions. Nevertheless, is recommended to impregnate with with a deep penetration primer Concrete contact before applying the plaster to the wall.

Foam concrete walls

• Walls from foam concrete blocks before plastering must necessarily be treated with a primer-impregnation deep penetration .If necessary, reinforcing fiberglass mesh - "serpian" - is fixed to the wall.
• For such walls use as plaster solutions, and cement ones.

Choosing the compositions for leveling the walls, you need to approach this issue with all responsibility. It is necessary for comfortable work on plastering, for good adhesion of solutions to the wall and for the quality of the task - the longest life of the plastered walls.

It should be noted that at present a very large number of finished mixtures on different bases and intended for different surfaces are represented in building stores. This is very convenient - when preparing the formulations it will not be necessary to rack your brains with the determination and proportioning of its ingredients , as it will be enough just to dilute the mixture with water in the consistency indicated on the package.

If you choose or manufacture the plaster yourself, the following tables can be used:

Table 1. Main characteristics of the finished plaster mixes

Index	Standards for grades	Test methods
Clamping solution LS 10/90	Leveling mortar LS 35/95	Loose solution LS50/50	Clamping solution LS 65/35	Finishing mortar Fine Coat LS 50/50	Putty Thermonite	Putty for blocks
Recommended layer thickness in mm	3 ÷ 5	5 ÷ 15	5 ÷ 15	5 ÷ 15	3 ÷ 10	2 ÷ 10	3 ÷ 10	TU item 1.2.
Recommended water flow l / 25 kg	3,5 ÷ 4	3,5 ÷ 4	3,5 ÷ 4	3,5 ÷ 4	4 ÷ 5	5,5 ÷ 6	6 ÷ 7	Spec. TU 1.2.
Estimated compressive strength in MPa not less than	16	8	4	2	4	6	20	GOST 5802-86
Estimated bending strength in MPa not less than	2	2	1	1	1	3	3	GOST 5802-86
Adhesion to the substrate in MPa not less than	0.5	0.3	0.3	1	0.3	0.3	1	0.5	GOST 5802-86
Average density of the solution kg / m3	1900	1900	1900	1900	1900	1900	1900	GOST 8735-88
PH	12 ÷ 13	12 ÷ 13	12 ÷ 13	12 ÷ 13	12 ÷ 13	12 ÷ 13	12 ÷ 13	Spec. TU. 1.2

Table 2. Recommended proportions for some plaster formulations

Wall surface characteristics	Composition of solution
Calcareous( with sand, gypsum, cement)	Complex( cement, sand, gypsum, lime)	Cement-sand	Lime-plaster
In rooms with normal humidity
Brick, concrete, stone	1: 4;3: 1;2: 1	1: 1: 6	1: 0,3: 4 *	-
Wooden	-	-	-	1: 1 ÷ 1,5 ÷ 2 ÷ 2,5
For rooms with high humidity and forExterior works
Brick, concrete, stone	-	1: 1: 4	1: 3	-
Wooden	1: 1: 6	1: 4	-
* Note - 0.3 lime is added to the cement slurry for ductility.
Note: the mobility of the mortar must be at the mechanized application of 60 ÷ 80 mm, when manually applied 70 ÷ 80 mm

Preparatory works

Before starting the plastering work, it is necessary to carry out preparatory measures for cleaning the walls from old finishing materials. This is done to ensure that the plaster is well laid down and held on the wall surface - with it should be removed all, to the bottom. The walls, laid out from different materials, require an individual approach to their cleaning.

If, after cleaning the walls, cracks appear on them, they must be sealed, otherwise the plaster laid on top of them can crack at the same place.

Fixing cracks

The detected cracks should be fixed necessarily , and this process is carried out in different ways, depending on the width and prevalence of the existing defects.

• If the width of crack divergence is small, but is obvious , that it goes to the depth of the wall, the first one is that needs to make - expand it its , and free access to the narrow part in the thickness of the material.

Further, the resulting clearance must be cleaned with dust using brushes and copiously treated with a primer.

After drying of the penetrating compound, the crack is filled with putty on a cement or gypsum basis with a spatula, in a level with the wall surface.

• If the crack is very narrow and is not deep , then you can seal with its sealant or silicone. They fill the gap with the help of a thin nozzle attached to the balloon with the composition, which is directed into the depth of the crack.

• For fixing very wide slots, assembly foam is often used, which can fill gaps, even without waiting for the primer to dry completely.

After full polymerization of the foam, its surpluses that protruded beyond the wall surface level are cut off, and then it is possible to proceed to the following processes for preparation for plastering works.

Preparation of a brick wall

• If an old layer of old plaster has already been applied on the brick walls, for its needs to be soaked with water using a sponge, by wetting it several times - so it will be easier to lag behind the surface.

• Then, using a spatula with a thickness of a metal working surface of 1.5-2 mm, and a hammer, the plaster layer should be carefully removed.

For this, one of the sections of the wall is first taped with a hammer. Then, through the cracks that appear, the plaster that has peeled off from the impacts is picked up by the spatula. If necessary, tap it with a hammer, separating the plaster layers from the wall.

• On the cleaned wall, it is necessary to walk with the iron or with the grinder with the appropriate nozzle.
• Further, the seams between the bricks need a bit to deepen the - by 5 ÷ 7 mm so that the plaster goes into them and from this the gets the best grip with the wall.
• After that, the wall is cleaned with a soft brush , and then - wet sponge.
• The final preparatory stage is to coat the wall with a deep penetration primer in two layers. The second layer is applied after the is completely dry.

How to prepare a concrete wall

A smooth concrete wall is easier to clean of plaster or whitewash than brick, because on it the plaster usually keeps worse.

• You can get a whitewash with a sponge and clean the with brush and then rinse the wall surface thoroughly.
• If you do not want to dilute the dampness, you can do it differently: first cover the whitewash with a thick layer of paste and allow it to dry, and then clean off the whitewash or thin layer of plaster with a hard spatula.

• It is recommended to make shallow notches on the cleaned surface. It should be noted that this process - is not from light , therefore will have to make considerable efforts. But ignore it - not follows.
• It is possible to replace the incision with a simpler - method by priming the wall with a deep penetration structure with the addition of fine quartz fine sand to it. But sometimes this method may not work, so it's best to experiment on a small section of the wall, applying primer to the and waiting for it to dry completely. Next, on the wall you need to hold your hand by checking the for its roughness. If it is palpable, then plaster will stick to it well. But the sand should not fall off the wall at the same time.

Preparation of a wooden wall

• It is quite easy to clean an old plaster from a wooden surface. The wall is taped with a hammer, and the plaster itself flies to the floor, so it is recommended to lay the plastic film under the wall in advance. Then, after removing the plaster, the film, together with the chipped construction waste, can be immediately taken out of the room, the does not stretch the for a long time and the does not deliver the dirt to the whole house.
• In order for the plaster to hold well on the wooden surface, on is filled with thin rails - so-called shingles. They are stuffed on the wall diagonally with nails. The shingle will not only keep the plaster solution well, but also serve as beacons when it is leveled on the surface.

• If after cleaning of of wall from old plaster it was found out that on the surface of is fixed with an old shingle, its must be removed, because during long operation insects could get into it, or it could rot and is unreliable is kept on the wall .In addition, the old tree can very often produce an unpleasant odor, which can easily leak into the room through a layer of new plaster.
• Do not forget that before fill crate , the wall it is necessary to cover the antiseptic compositions to protect the wood from mildew or the appearance of colonies of harmful insects.
• If crates selected shingles, after the completion of its installation, wall still just need to cover the wood preservative.
• Sometimes for , the is used instead of shingles with a metal mesh-netting. Its is fixed not to the most wooden wall, but to racks, which are gaskets between the mesh and the wall. Their thickness should be not less than 3 mm.
• It is possible to proceed with further work on leveling the walls with plaster only after the wall has dried well.

Setting of beacons

To achieve an ideal wall evenness by plastering, it is necessary to set landmarks, so-called beacons, which are exhibited at the construction level.

The role of beacons is usually performed by metal guides which is fixed to the wall with a gypsum solution - , it quickly sets and holds the metal profile in the position in which the was set by its level.

• beacons mounted at a distance of about half a meter apart, with the expectation , when aligned to a solution generally passed around the two adjacent profiles located beacons.

The ideal vertical profile is controlled with a plumb line.

• If there is only a short level in the set of tools, then you can use a long bar that is attached to the guide, before the gypsum solution has completely dried. To the middle of it put a level and along it one or the other side of the guide is gently squeezed its bar.

After preparing the walls for applying plaster, you can proceed to the preparation of the mortar.

Preparation of solution for plaster

The process plastering often carried out in three stages overlaid solution in three layers.

• The first layer of - is a toss on the wall of a sufficiently thick plaster solution.

The process can be carried out using a trowel or simply by hand, but in this case it is necessary to put on thick rubber gloves.

- On brick and concrete walls, the mortar is thrown just over the fixed beacons - is approximately 5 mm.

- On wooden walls with crate thickness should be about 8 ÷ 9 mm.

• The second layer is called a primer. For him, a solution is prepared that has a dough-like consistency. It is applied with a trowel or a wide spatula, and its thickness should be about 7 ÷ 8 mm.
• The third, finishing layer called is a coating. It should be made from fine-grained sand without large impregnations. The solution for the finishing coat should have a creamy consistency.

You can purchase mixes for each layer of plaster in ready-made form, where all the components are provided, which promote good adhesion and strength of the solidified mass.

If the solution is made on its own, then the following recipes are most often used for their manufacture:

• Cement-lime composition: 1 part lime, 1 part of cement and5 parts of sand.
• Cement solution: 3 parts of sand and 1 part of cement.
• Mortar based on lime: 1 part lime and 3 parts sand.
• Gypsum-lime composition: 3 parts kneaded to a dough-like state of lime and 1 part dry gypsum powder.

There are nuances that must be taken into account before mixing the mortar:

• Cement-based plaster must be used within one hour after of its kneading, otherwise it will lose its plasticity and will not adhere well to the wall surface. Therefore, it is necessary to mix only the amount of solution that can be guaranteed is applied to for this period of time .

• . The gypsum-based solutions seize and harden extremely quickly, so they are kneaded just before applying to the wall and in small amounts. It is also necessary to equalize such solutions immediately, since the thinner the application layer, the faster it will dry up.
• When using ready mixes before filling them with water, it is necessary to study the instructions on the packaging, as these materials have different setting and drying time.

Mixing solutions is as follows:

• First, in the tank , where the solution will be mixed, water is poured. Then in it is filled with 6 ÷ 8 trowels of a dry mix and it is well mixed by means of an electric drill with a special nozzle-mixer.
• The is then gradually added to the with a dry mix and mixed to the desired consistency. The solution should be homogeneous and plastic.
• Next, the resulting solution is left on the for a couple of minutes of , and then is blended with the once. If necessary, it adds a little water or a dry plaster mixture, depending on the resulting and required density.

Another I would like to remind you that the mixture needs to be prepared as much as the master will be able to use for 25-30 minutes - if the mixture produced on the gypsum base, and for 40-60 minutes - if on cement.

After the solution has been mixed, you must immediately go to the first stage of applying the plaster to the wall.

Technique for plastering

As mentioned above, the is most often performed in three stages by the .They should be considered in detail in order to know how to act correctly.

• The first stage, "sketching" or "splashing", is performed using a trowel.

Begin to pour the solution from the bottom of the wall, gradually being understood up. Throw plaster slides to rise above the guides to 8 ÷ 10 mm.

The mortar can be said to be poured on the wall with a small swing, with effort, to get a good grip on the wall.

rule

Having sketched the plaster in height from the floor to 1000 ÷ 1200 mm, its is aligned with the rule. It is installed on the , the controllers and slowly lift up the , pressing the solution and distributing the plaster between the guides to smoothly move left to right.

• The next stage of the - is the application of the primer layer. This p is produced after setting the first layer solution, sketched and aligned.

Due to the plasticity of the composition, it can be applied with a wide spatula.

The mortar is taken with the average width of the spatula from the of the and transferred to a wide spatula, and then applied to the wall and spread evenly over it. When applying the mixture, it is necessary to align all the bands remaining from the trowel by using the surface.

The same layer should hide the emerging strips of guides.

• The third, finishing layer is designed to make the surface perfectly smooth. It should be thin, no more than 1,5 ÷ 2 mm. It is superimposed on another wet second layer, and if it has already dried, it can be moistened with a wet roller.

. The finishing layer must be made as level as possible, with smoothing of all strips and alignment of with not covered with a spatula. In order not to miss any flaws on the surface, the wall along the tangent is highlighted with a bulb when the top lighting is off.

• After drying finishing coat, go to the surface troweling using a plastic or wooden grater .This process ss pr is circled in a circular motion, counter-clockwise. Thus a grater is densely pressed to the plastered surface.

• Further, on the same grater a felt material or felt is fixed and the process of final surface grinding begins.

Before deciding on the purchase of a large number of materials for plastering walls, it is probably worth first to buy a few kilograms of the finished plaster mixture at the construction shop and to carry out the whole process on a small section of the wall or on a piece of plywood. If all passes successfully, you can proceed to large-scale work on the walls of the room.

And, by tradition, at the end of the publication - a video with a master class on plastering the wall.

Video: how to properly plaster brick wall