How to plaster a wall. Plastering with cement-sand mortar. Spray, primer and cover. Technology of plastering with dry gypsum mixtures. How to properly plaster walls with your own hands for a beginner Plastering walls with your own hands

Today, the situation when an apartment in a new building is greeted with bare walls without any finishing or plastering is the norm. Faced with this, the owners are launching a large-scale renovation of the entire apartment. And one of the top priorities is plastering the walls. To perform this type of work, you need to know how to plaster walls and be able to use the tool.

First of all, you need to stock up on the required tools.

• We will need a steel brush to clean the surface. Brushes can vary in size and hardness.
• We will use bush hammers, trojans, and teeth to apply notches. Bush hammer - a heavy hammer with serrated ends.
• Scraper for applying plaster.
• The falcon is used for convenience; a single portion of plaster mortar is placed in it, which will then be applied to the walls.
• The solution is mixed with a plaster spatula, applied to the wall surface and rubbed.
• A trowel is convenient for leveling the solution over the surface.
• A grater is needed for grouting plaster.
• The rule is to control the evenness of the surface.
• A level or plumb line is required for control in the horizontal direction.
• Plaster mixture. We’ll talk about the best way to plaster walls later.

Rules for applying plaster

It is necessary to properly plaster the walls in three layers; remove excess mortar with a wide trapezoidal spatula

Preparation: ensure adhesion

1. Clean the surface from dust, dirt, and deposits.

2. Wet the surface with water. It is very convenient to do this from a garden sprayer, but if this is not possible, then you can use a broom.

3. If the wall is brick, deepen the seams between the bricks by about 1 cm. This is necessary for better adhesion of the mortar to the surface.

4. If the wall is concrete and is a smooth surface, we make notches on it with a notch and a hammer 15 mm long and 3 mm deep. There should be approximately 250 notches per m2. Then we clean the wall with a brush and moisten it with water.

5. If the wall is wooden, we split the boards and stuff shingles on top. You can use plywood scraps 15 mm wide and 4 mm thick and stuffed diagonally. The result should be a diagonal sheathing on the wall.

Important! Instead of shingles, you can use mesh - chain-link. It must be stuffed onto plywood strips, and not directly onto the wall; the gap between the wall and the stack should be about 3 mm.

Solution application technique

1. We collect a portion of the plaster mortar into the falcon.

2. Using a plaster spatula, remove the mortar from the falcon and throw it onto the wall. It is most convenient to pick up the solution with the angle of the spatula, moving away from you towards the middle of the falcon. The throwing motion is carried out only with the hand, and not with the whole arm. Do not wave too hard, otherwise the solution may splash.

Important! There is another method of application - spreading. We place the falcon against the wall, take a portion of the solution with a spatula and spread it on the wall. But keep in mind that throwing the solution provides better adhesion to the surface!

Spray is the first layer of plaster with the consistency of liquid sour cream. Required for wooden walls and is 10 mm. This layer is not needed for concrete and brick walls.

The soil - the second layer of dough-like consistency - evens out unevenness. The thickness is 20 mm and no more, even if the layer is applied in several stages, this limit is maximum.

Covering - the third layer is again from a solution of creamy consistency. Only this time it is necessary to approach its preparation more carefully. The thickness is 2-5 mm. The covering smoothes out all remaining imperfections in the soil.

Important! For concrete and brick walls, plaster 5 mm thick is sufficient; for wooden walls, the layer should be 25 mm or more in order to completely cover the shingles or mesh.

3. Level the plaster mortar with a trowel. We drive it both horizontally and vertically. This must be done with each layer separately. The better we level the soil, the easier and more correct we will apply the covering. We level the spray only if drops of solution hang from it.

Important! Do not forget to control the evenness of the surface as a rule. And after leveling the covering, wait until the solution dries.

4. Rub the surface with a grater.

First, we grout in a circular manner. Press the grater tightly against the wall and make circular movements counterclockwise. All irregularities will be cut off with the edges of the grater.

Then we perform the grouting at speed. It is necessary to remove circular marks left after circular grouting. We clean the grater from any remaining solution, press it to the surface and make sharp movements-swings, erasing traces.

How to plaster on beacons

If the walls have significant unevenness, protrusions or other defects, then it is necessary to perform plaster along the beacons, if, of course, you want to get a perfectly flat horizontal and vertical surface.

If the walls are made of wood, brick or other material into which nails can easily be inserted, then wooden planks or metal beacons: aluminum or steel can be used as beacons.

If the walls are made of a more durable material, then plaster or plaster is used as beacons.

We install beacons strictly according to level

Stages of work:

1. At a distance of about 15-20 cm from the corner of the room or the beginning of the wall, make a plumb line. We drive a nail at the top of the wall and hang a plumb line on it with a rope.

2. Prepare cement mortar or alabaster and throw small piles of mortar onto the wall strictly along the plumb line. It is on them that we will mount the beacons. In a vertical position, three such piles are enough.

3. Take a beacon, for example, an aluminum one. We apply it to the piles of mortar and carefully press it in so that the outer edge of the lighthouse protrudes from the wall by 15-20 mm. Be sure to check the evenness of the beacon with a level.

4. We install the second beacon at the other edge of the wall. And one more in the middle between them. The technology is the same, only now it is necessary to check the level of their relative position so that it is the same. To do this, in addition to the vertical plumb line, you can stretch the string horizontally.

Important! If the wall is very long, there should be more beacons. Approximately 1 m apart. We check the location of the beacons with a level.

5. We finally fix the beacons on the wall, covering their edges with concrete mixture. We are waiting for the solution to harden and the beacons will “sit” firmly in place.

6. Apply the plaster in the same way as already described above. We fill all the cracks and potholes.

Important! The layer of plaster should protrude 2-3 mm beyond the edges of the beacons.

7. Level the plaster using the rule. We apply it to the beacons, press down and, moving from bottom to top along the beacons, remove the excess layer of plaster.

8. If there is not enough mixture, add more to fill the voids. We continue leveling and adding until the wall is level. Then wait until the solution dries. It will take 10-12 days.

Demonstrating how to properly plaster walls, the video describes in detail the technology for installing beacons and plastering on beacons.

Afterwards, you can carry out a “finish” plastering of the walls or immediately putty them.

How to plaster slopes

The most difficult stage in plastering work is slopes, window openings and corners.

Husk - an internal angle formed by the connection of two walls or a wall and a ceiling.

Usenok is an external corner formed by two walls.

Plastering slopes is the most difficult stage

Beacons are a good help in plastering slopes. Where the walls meet the ceiling, we set a rule and fill the space under it with mortar.

Grind using a grater. We correct all defects and check the evenness of the layer using the rule.

To plaster the vertical husk to the lighthouse, we place the rule at the bottom near the floor and fill the empty space with mortar. After a while, we remove the rule; underneath it should be a perfectly even strip of solution. We are waiting for it to dry. We make the same strip at the top of the wall. These stripes will serve as horizontal beacons for us. Then we apply the plaster to the empty space and level it relative to our mortar beacons. We erase all small defects and irregularities.

In the case of studs, it is convenient to nail a perfectly flat wooden plank onto the adjacent plastered wall and secure it near the edge so that it is convenient to level the mortar along it. Apply the plaster mixture to the slope. We level the mortar using the rule if the wall is smooth. If we are plastering the slope of a window opening, then for leveling we use an angle tool to maintain the correct angle near the window frame.

After the solution dries, rub it with a grater. We check the evenness of the plaster with a level. Then remove the auxiliary strips.

How to plaster slopes: video

The best way to plaster walls

For plastering internal surfaces, it is best to choose the following mixtures: lime mortar, lime-clay, lime-clay-gypsum mortar, lime-gypsum or cement-lime mortar. If the walls are wooden, you can use a solution with the addition of gypsum. The main thing to remember is that plaster dries quickly.

To plaster external walls, use lime mortar, cement-lime or cement-clay mortar.

Cement mortars are used to repair old plaster and finish bumps.

Different mixtures are used for internal and external surfaces

Lime mortar is prepared from 1 part lime paste and 1-5 parts sand. Sand is added gradually until the solution becomes homogeneous. The solution should stick slightly to the trowel and resemble dough.

Lime-clay mortar is a mixture of 1 part liquid clay dough, 1/3 part lime dough and 3-6 parts sand. Mix the clay and lime dough, then gradually begin to add sand, continuing to stir.

Mix the cement-lime mortar from 1 part cement, 1-3 parts lime paste and 6-8 parts sand. Add sand to dry cement and mix, add milk of lime and mix. If the dough is too thick, add a little water and mix.

We prepare a lime-gypsum solution from 1 part gypsum and 3-4 parts lime. Take a container, pour water, pour a thin layer of plaster and quickly knead. The result should be a not very thick homogeneous mass. Add lime mortar to it and mix.

Cement mortar is used most often for thick layers of plaster or on external walls. Mix 1 part cement and 2-5 parts sand and, adding water, knead like dough.

If you choose the right solution for plastering walls and follow all the recommendations for application technology, this will greatly facilitate further finishing work.

One of the main types of construction work, which is used to level the surface. Regardless of whether the walls are plastered from the inside or outside, the technology of work will be approximately the same.

It is quite possible to do plastering with your own hands even without experience in such work, but it takes time, methodicality and adherence to technology if you want to get a result at the level of professional craftsmen.

Plastered walls are the basis for finishing: whether you then paint the wall, wallpaper, tile or use decorative types of plaster - for any interior solution, the final finishing will require a flat surface, which is obtained by plastering.

Types of plasters

Let's consider the best way to plaster the walls. The type of plaster composition depends on the wall material and the purpose of the room, and is called by the main binder:

• Cement-sand plaster (CSP), despite the abundance of other compositions, remains the most popular because it is universal. Indispensable for rough finishing in rooms with wet and humid operating conditions - baths, saunas, laundries, bathrooms, showers and toilets. The solution is mixed from 1 part cement and 2.5...4 parts sand, or diluted with ready-made dry construction mixtures (MCM). TsPSh is inexpensive and easy to use, since the long drying time allows you to correct flaws. Disadvantages include labor intensity, possible cracking, and long drying times.

• Lime plaster sets faster than TsPSh and can be used on different surfaces. Prepared from 1 part lime dough and 3 parts sand. To strengthen the composition, PVA glue is added. Lime plaster is easy to apply and rub, it is more plastic than cement plaster, but can crumble as a result of mechanical damage. It is also not expensive.
• The cement-lime composition sets faster and is more plastic than TsPSh, more resistant to mechanical damage than pure lime, and therefore is often used for interior decoration of apartments.
• The lime-gypsum composition is used for plastering living rooms; the solution is prepared from 1 part of dry gypsum, which is mixed with water to the consistency of batter, and 3 parts of lime mortar. The advantage of the composition is its quick setting, but it is also its biggest drawback, since it requires speed when working.

Pure river or sea sand with different grain fractions is used as a filler; for decorative compositions - crushed shell rock or marble chips, quartz sand.

Based on surface quality, the following types of plasters are distinguished:

• simple, consisting of two layers - a spray and a covering layer, with a total thickness of 10 mm, is performed in non-residential premises and for tiling;
• improved is carried out in 3–4 layers - spray, primer and coating layers, total thickness 15–20 mm, most often used in residential and office premises;
• high-quality, made in beacons, in 5 layers, 20–30 mm thick, for especially critical interiors, decorative compounds are often applied as the last layer.

For simple cement-sand plaster, in order to save money, thin-layer plasters are also made from polymer compositions.

The process of applying plaster to walls

In order for the plaster to adhere well to the wall, it is necessary to carry out high-quality preparatory work. All finishing work is carried out at positive temperatures (at least 12°C), in winter with the heating on.

Preparatory work

At the preparatory stage, it is necessary to determine the area of ​​work, the type of plaster, and the required amount of materials. Next, materials, tools, necessary equipment, devices and special clothing are purchased.

Materials:

• adhesive primer to improve adhesion of the plaster layer to the base;
• ready-made SSS for solution or components for mixing;
• putty - for painting and wallpaper;
• beacons for high-quality plaster - metal, plastic or plasterboard for making yourself;
• perforated corners for corners and slopes;
• spider mesh;
• sanding paper.

Tools:

• bush hammer for driving uneven surfaces into concrete;
• Master OK;
• trowel;
• falcon;
• grater;
• rule;
• plumb line, cord;
• maklovitsa;
• building level.

Tool name	View	Material	Purpose
Rule		Rail with a length of 0.5 to 2 m made of metal or wood	Monitoring the correct application of the solution and leveling the surface
Trowel		Metal or wood plate with handle	Throwing mortar onto the wall
Falcon		Analogue trowel of a different size	Portion solution set
Poluterok		Wooden or plastic plate	Smoothing the mixture over the surface
Grater		Wooden or metal plate with handle	Grouting a leveled surface, creating a relief
Scraper		Metal	Surface cleaning
Bouchard		Metal hammer	Roughening
Maklovitsa		Brush	Applying primer
Plumb		Cord, weight	Definition of vertical
Level		Metal	Definition of vertical and horizontal
Square		Metal	Leveling surfaces
Corner leveler		Metal, grater type	Aligning corners, varieties - for external and internal corners
Putty knife		Metal, plastic, rubber	Surface filling, various sizes and varieties

Equipment and devices:

• drill with attachments;
• construction mixer;
• scaffolding for working at height;
• containers for solution and washing of instruments.

Working clothes - safety glasses, gloves, overalls, shoes.

Surface cleaning

Cleaning old walls involves cleaning the surface of all compounds - paint and plaster. Preparation of a new wall depends on the material (concrete, brick, gas silicate, wood). Cleaning is done mechanically or chemically.

A special chemical solution is used to wash off the paint on a large concrete surface; in individual construction, individual areas are cleaned with scrapers, then the surface is cleaned with brushes with metal teeth and dust is removed by blowing a vacuum cleaner or rinsing with water.

Preparing the walls

The washed and dried surface is primed with an adhesive solution using or manually using a paint brush. Before spraying, the wall is moistened.

Surfaces that poorly absorb moisture - plasterboard, chipboard, fiberboard, OSB - are dusted and primed before plastering to increase adhesion.

Installation of beacons

Performing high-quality plaster is possible without, but it requires a trained, confident hand. If you do not have experience, then plastering along beacons will give the best results.

Beacons are used from galvanized metal, plastic or home-made moisture-resistant plasterboard. Metal ones are durable, but can rust, and rust can seep to the surface, leaving red spots.

Plastic ones do not have this drawback, but are made from expensive material, and therefore this is not a cheap pleasure. An economical option is to use a jigsaw to cut strips of moisture-resistant plasterboard to the required thickness of the plaster layer, but installing them is more difficult.

The finished beacons are attached to self-tapping screws, checking the vertical and horizontal levels. carried out from the left corner of the room, the first fastening is at a distance of 320 cm from the ceiling and the corner of the wall. The second is to install the beacon on the opposite side of the wall, then pull the cords along the lower and upper edges of the beacon and install intermediate ones along them, in increments of 10–15 cm less than the length of the rule.

Preparation of the solution

Proper preparation of the solution is a troublesome task; to get the best result there are a few simple rules:

• for better adhesion, you can add a little PVA glue to the cement-sand and lime mortar;
• for lime mortar it is better to use lime paste, since extinguishing lime yourself is unsafe;
• The binder is introduced into the solution in a thin stream with continuous stirring.

Stages of preparing the mixture for plaster

Various manufacturers produce dry mixtures in bags of different sizes, which eliminate the need to independently sift out sand and measure out the binder and filler in the required proportions, for example, rotband from Knauf.

Splash

Spray - the initial layer, obtained by throwing the solution onto the wall with a trowel. The solution should lie like a cake. The curled edges of a portion of the spray indicate a lack of water in the solution, while dripping down indicates an excess of moisture. Then the applied solution is spread over the surface with a grater.

Spraying is carried out with grips up to 1 m high and wide; after 20–30 minutes, excess solution is removed, usually using zigzag movements, supported by beacons.

For thin-layer plasters and smooth surfaces with good adhesion (gas silicate, foam concrete), spraying is not required.

Priming

Primer is the second layer, applied in the same way, but in a layer of no more than 1.5 mm. After 2 hours, use a trowel to bring the surface to perfect evenness, then moisten the wall with water and smooth it again with a trowel.

Covering

Covering is a finishing layer of plaster; it is not needed for subsequent cladding or cladding. The coating is applied in a layer of 1–2 mm, after the solution has set, the surface is rubbed with a falcon in a circular motion, scattered, then vertically and horizontally.

Difficult to remove areas

The corners of the room and the ceiling require special attention. Sections of walls along the borders of adjacent surfaces are plastered last and leveled using a right-angle trowel or a special tool.

The wall behind the battery, if there is not enough space to work, can be puttied and leveled with a short rule in one pass.

After the plaster has matured for 3–4 weeks, depending on the composition used, the finishing coating is performed - wallpapering, painting, cladding or applying a decorative composition.

Plastering external walls

Plaster has long been used to protect external walls from bad weather. For plastering external walls, solutions with different binders are used:

• cement;
• acrylic;
• silicone;
• silicate;
• lime.

Previously popular compositions based on clay and lime, the advantage of which were availability and low price, have now practically ceased to be used due to fragility and instability to mechanical damage.

Work is carried out at positive temperatures, including in winter; manufacturers of ready-made compounds require temperatures above 5°C, in the absence of sun, strong wind and precipitation.

Types of facade plaster

There are many types of facade plaster:

• protective;
• adhesive compositions for insulation systems;
• decorative, which can be structural, textured, terrazite.

The compositions can be ready-to-use from dry mixtures and construction preparation; the latter are more difficult to prepare and require precise dosing of ingredients. Solutions can be tinted or untinted, for subsequent painting with façade paints.

Preparatory work

Preparatory work is similar to work for internal plastering:

• calculation of material requirements;
• purchase of materials, tools and equipment;
• preparation of the wall surface.

We will not dwell on the first two points in detail; they are described above.

Preparing a brick wall

Prepare the brick wall: remove any remaining mortar, dust and dirt, open the masonry seams for better adhesion to the new plaster layer, wash and prime with adhesive primer.

Instead of jointing, for better adhesion, you can make notches along the wall or secure a plaster mesh, which is desirable in case of poor preservation of the masonry.

If plastering of a new wall is planned, then brick laying should be done in a waste area. Before starting work, clean the wall from dust and dirt, stains of mortar and oils, rinse and prime.

How to prepare a concrete wall

Preparing smooth concrete walls, especially prefabricated panels, involves cutting indentations for better adhesion or installing plaster mesh. The metal one is mounted on the wall using plates and anchors in a checkerboard pattern with a step of 600x600 mm in width and height.

Preparation of lightweight concrete bases

The laying of walls made of cellular blocks - gas silicate, expanded clay, foam block or cinder block is leveled exactly, and therefore the surface of walls made of large-sized blocks is smooth and does not require thick-layer plaster for finishing.

Lightweight concrete is a porous material with excellent adhesion; before plastering, such walls are cleaned of dirt, mortar stains, oils and primed with an adhesive primer.

Preparing a wooden wall

Before plastering, it is necessary to protect the walls from fire and pests, and to water-repellently impregnate the wall with a special compound to prevent the wood from absorbing moisture from the solution.

Then the surface of the walls is protected with kraft paper or special membrane films, on top of which a plaster mesh is attached using a stapler or wooden shingles crosswise at an angle of 45°.

Methods of applying plaster

If thin-layer plaster is performed without using a plaster mesh, the work is done in one pass: the prepared solution is applied to the wall with a trowel, leveled with a trowel and a rule, then using a plastic trowel we apply the required texture. The depth of the texture depends on the size of the sand grains and the force of pressure on the grater, the texture pattern depends on the direction of movement of the grater:

• The bark beetle requires up and down movements;
• rain is obtained by moving at an angle;
• The lamb is given in a circular motion with a grater;
• performed using a special roller.

Thick-layer plasters are applied to the wall in a similar way to interior work.

Insulation of walls using plaster systems

To attach insulation boards made of polystyrene foam (expanded polystyrene), extruded polystyrene foam (penoplex) or mineral boards, cement-based adhesives with plasticizing additives are used.

Work order:

1. Insulation boards are attached to the prepared surface with a fixed starting profile using an adhesive composition.
2. After the mixture has hardened, the slabs are additionally drilled with dowel screws.
3. The same adhesive composition is applied to the surface of the slabs in a layer of 3–4 mm, into which the reinforcing mesh is embedded using a spatula.
4. The wall is plastered a second time.
5. The finishing coating is carried out - decorative plaster or painting.

How to plaster slopes

The slopes have some expansion; obtuse angles of the slopes are formed with a wooden strip of the required size or with special beacons. To create an even obtuse angle between the wall and the slope, it is better to use a special metal tool - the type of falcon.

Painting

Both exterior and interior walls are often painted as a finishing touch. For exterior work, frost-resistant paint is used, resistant to UV radiation and bad weather with a durability of at least 10 years. For exterior decoration, it is undesirable to use bright colors and rich shades of blue, since this pigment fades most quickly under sunlight.

Painting is done manually or mechanically - with a spray gun. Mechanized painting gives better results - it goes on smoother and costs less.

Interior painting is done in the same way.

Approximate prices for plastering work

Prices for plastering work depend on the type and quality of the wall material, the composition of the mortar, the type of plaster, the method of application and the class of the performer.

Average prices in Moscow for plaster (in rubles/m2):

• layer up to 30 mm - 380;
• layer over 30 mm - 420;
• slopes in m/p - 440;
• decorative plaster - from 620;
• Venetian plaster (first layer) - from 1320, (second layer) - from 540.

Higher-class specialists ask for prices above this price; prices below this should raise caution.

Conclusion

Plastering yourself requires a steady hand, time and consistency. There is nothing supernatural in the work, but if you doubt your abilities, it is better to hire professionals.

When doing a major renovation of an apartment, office or house, you will definitely encounter the need for plastering work. This process is very labor-intensive and requires professional skills. Therefore, it would be better to entrust this work to specialists. But if, in order to save your renovation budget, you decide to finish the walls yourself, then before mixing the solution, read the complete guide to plastering walls with your own hands given in our article.

Plastering walls can be done in several ways.

1. In the plane, using the rule (without beacons). This option is suitable if the walls are generally quite smooth, without drops or strong deviations.
2. Alignment of walls according to beacons. The second method is suitable if the walls have significant deviations and unevenness.

Requirements for plaster

The basic requirements for the quality of plastering work are set out in SNiP III-21-73. It is especially important to know them if you decide not to do the work yourself, but to hire workers. The quality of work is divided into 3 parts: for simple, improved and high-quality plaster.

1. With simple plaster, vertical deviations are allowed no more than 3 mm per 1 m, but no more than 15 mm over the entire height of the room. Thus, the maximum wall deviation for ceilings of 2.5 m is 7.5 mm. Smooth unevenness is acceptable for every 4 square meters. m. - no more than 3 pieces. Their height or depth should not exceed 5 mm. Horizontally, the maximum deviation is 3 mm per 1 m.
2. SNIP for improved plaster requires stricter compliance with tolerances. Vertically - no more than 2 mm per 1 m, but no more than 10 mm over the entire height of the room. The presence of smooth irregularities is acceptable - no more than 2 pieces. for 4 sq. m., less than 3 mm deep. For each meter horizontally, a deviation of no more than 2 mm is permissible.
3. The most stringent requirements in SNIP are specified for high-quality plaster. Vertical deviations should be less than 1 mm per 1 m, but not more than 5 mm per room height. The maximum allowed presence of 2 irregularities per 4 square meters. m., less than 2 mm deep. At 1 m horizontally, a deviation of no more than 1 mm is permissible.

Aligning walls with beacons

It is in this way that significant unevenness in the wall can be removed. Beacon profiles will serve as a limiter so that the work is completed perfectly evenly with a tolerance of 1 mm/sq.m.

Cost of work

The price for plastering work starts from 600 rubles. per sq. m. Let's calculate how much you can save if you don't hire workers.

First of all, you need to buy a hammer drill and a 2 m long bubble level. All other consumables will be listed below. 6,000 rubles will be enough for all these accessories, so you will save after leveling one wall of 15 square meters. m.

If you need to level walls with an area of ​​90 square meters. m., then the savings will be at least 30,000 rubles! You will have the entire tool forever, and if you already have it, then it would be a sin not to use it. If we plaster the walls ourselves, we will definitely be confident in their quality.

Choosing a mixture for plaster

To better understand the process of leveling walls, look at the following on plaster:

• The last stage is grouting the plaster. To make this easier, it is better to start grouting before the solution dries. To do this, you need to dilute the plaster in small portions to a thinner consistency. Before grouting, moisten a small area of ​​the wall about 1 square meter.
• Apply the solution to the malka and spread it in a thin layer. Then level this square with a hammer at a 45 degree angle, using strong pressure.
• Continue smoothing the square until the solution stops accumulating on the flour, while removing any excess. The surface should be flat and smooth.
• Repeat these steps, but smooth each new square overlapping the previous one. Try to work without breaks, being distracted only by mixing the solution.

Note! If you are laying tiles, the minimum layer of plaster should be 10 mm. In addition, there is no need to grout, since for maximum adhesion of the tiles to the wall it will be necessary to create artificial unevenness.

The result of the work is shown in the photo:

Plastering facades

Plastering external walls (facades) using lighthouses uses almost the same technology as indoors. The main thing here is to observe the temperature regime. The temperature outside should be above zero.

For facades, a mixture based on cement and sand is usually used. For greater durability, you can attach a metal mesh to the facade and plaster over it. It is especially important to use a mesh if the walls of the house are made of sand-lime brick.

We have looked in detail at how to properly plaster walls using beacons. Now you can do this work yourself without any problems. Don't be discouraged if you don't succeed the first time, everything comes with experience, and you will definitely learn how to make the walls perfectly even. We also recommend that you read our article about.

Hello dear friends. Why buy the services of a professional plasterer if their cost is twice or even three times more expensive than consumables? You can do the repairs yourself, even if you are new to this area.

Quick plastering of walls is much easier than it seems - you just have to start. Plastering walls takes about 2-3 days (per 14 m2). The leveling time also depends on the thickness of the applied layer, the experience of the technician and the area of ​​the room. Here you will receive clear step-by-step instructions with practical tips and recommendations for each stage.

There are many ways to apply decorative plaster

Before starting work, select an application method that corresponds to further plans. So far, existing methods of plastering walls are divided into two categories:

1. Dry - sheathing with plasterboard;

“Dry plaster” is used if there are no future plans for covering the walls with heavy materials (stone, porcelain stoneware, tiles). The cost is two times cheaper than wet.

2. Wet plaster - for leveling it is necessary to apply mixtures based on cement or gypsum.

The dry plastering method is conditional - in practice, walls are covered with plasterboard, so let’s look at the classic second method and how it’s done.

Required tools and materials

• Bags of plaster.
• Beacons 6 mm.
• Impact drill or hammer drill.
• Hammer.
• Grinder or metal scissors.
• Crosshead screwdriver.
• Plastic dowels.
• An adapter with SDS+ to ½, and for a hammer drill there is also a quick-release drill chuck for mixing the solution without an attachment.
• Drill bits for hammer drills (6 mm are most often used).
• Self-tapping screws for wood (rare pitch, black).

Dowels, drills, and screws are selected depending on how the surface needs to be plastered - they should not be short

• Level 2 m.
• Plumb.
• Aluminum rule (2.5 m for placing beacons/checking, 2 m for applying plaster).
• Putty knife.
• Steel smoother.
• Mixer attachment.
• Wide brush/roller and tray.
• Bucket.
• Roulette.
• Primer.
• Cotton gloves.

Preparing the premises

Now that the necessary tools are available, your room is prepared. If it was residential, you need to take things out, the furniture is placed in the center of the room and covered with film. The floor is also covered with a layer of sawdust or film. To prevent water from accidentally getting on the wires, they are insulated.

During the cleaning process, the old coating is removed down to the base. The whitewash can be spread with paste and, after drying, removed with a spatula. The wallpaper is wetted and removed with a metal brush or scraper. Detected cracks are sealed with a repair mixture. “Serpyanka” or “serpyanka” tape is attached to the cracks.

The walls are tapped with a hammer to check for hidden defects. A dull sound indicates poor adhesion quality of old plaster. It is beaten off, the voids are filled by hammering nails or reinforcing mesh. If there is fungus, the wall is treated with a special antifungal agent, then a primer is applied.

The process of applying plaster to a brick, stone or concrete wall with a chisel or an old ax is done by beating it to a depth of 1 cm by making notches. A wooden wall needs to be pre-covered with painted and dried metal mesh. You can use upholstery with shingles in the form of a mesh, which is secured with nails driven halfway and then bent.

Surface primer

Before you start plastering the walls, you need to prime them. This is necessary to increase adhesion, or in other words, the adhesion of the wall surface to the mortar. As you understand, we will use a primer for this.

It can be regular or deep penetration. Deep penetration soil is used in cases where the wall has a well-absorbed base. This could be, for example, a wall made of aerated concrete or sand-lime brick.

Don’t forget to mix the primer thoroughly before starting work, and treat highly absorbent surfaces twice.

Walls whose surfaces are poorly absorbent and smooth are usually primed with a mixture such as Betonkontakt. A direct example of such a wall is a wall made of concrete.

Before starting priming work, the surface of the wall must be cleaned of old plaster, if any, of saw blades, stains, and, in short, of any dirt. The walls must be clean before priming. Plastering walls with your own hands can be done only after the soil on the surface has completely dried.

Wet plastering technology

The technology includes the following stages of wall plastering:

• Spray is the initial layer necessary for adhesion of the finish and surface. The solution for application should have a thick consistency. The applied layer will be 9 mm thick for a wooden surface and 5 mm for brick walls.
• Primer - after the spray has hardened, a layer of a thicker consistency is applied, the surface is leveled and rubbed.
• Covering - after the soil has dried, it is moistened and a finishing layer of a solution with sifted sand is applied.

If this technology is violated, after 6-8 months the plaster will begin to peel off and crack.

Basic techniques for preparing plaster mixture

The most popular hand-prepared solutions are:

1. cement: 1/3 cement/sand;
2. limestone: 3/1 sand/lime;
3. cement-lime: 1/5/1 cement/sand/lime;
4. gypsum-lime: 1/3 alabaster/lime paste.

Stages of preparing the mixture for plaster

When doing plastering work with your own hands, you must remember that the prepared solution must be used within 30-60 minutes, otherwise it will disappear. The proportions for preparing the finished mixture are taken from the manufacturer’s packaging. First, water is poured into the container, then up to 1 kg of plaster mixture is added, everything is mixed. Then the entire mass of the mixture is added and mixed with a mixer until the lumps disappear. After 5 minutes, mix again. The consistency is brought to the desired level of density immediately, because during finishing work it is strictly prohibited to add the plaster mixture or water.

Using cement mortar

If you prepare the solution yourself, you must remember that if you put more cement than necessary, the plaster will harden faster and you may not have time to level it. The solution is applied with a spatula or trowel, leveled with a rule or a trowel, and smoothed with a grater. For beginners, a spatula and grater will do just fine. Throwing the plaster mixture onto the wall is done with a staple to create ideal adhesion of the mortar particles to the top surface. Professionals use a “falcon” - a platform tool with a handle at the bottom.

We plaster the surface of the wall gradually - after finishing a small area (1 m2), it is leveled with a trowel using circular movements counterclockwise. Excess material is removed into a container, and the voids, on the contrary, are filled with a solution from it. After 7-8 hours you can apply the next layer. If the excess is not removed 12 hours after application, the hardened layer will be difficult to level. Corners are made by attaching edged boards to self-tapping screws.

Using gypsum mortar

So, let's briefly look at how to plaster walls with gypsum plaster with your own hands. Alabaster compositions, or gypsum mixtures, are less durable, but are applied just as easily as cement ones. You need to be careful when diluting and applying such a solution - any dirt particles that get into the container or onto the tool will reduce the hardening time.

Prepare according to the mixture manufacturer's instructions and apply with a spatula. Drying time 2-3 hours. The excess is removed within an hour. Corners are made using reinforced corners. Solutions of this type do not interact well with paint.

Plastering on beacons

Lighthouse finishing is done to match tiles, non-woven lining, and wallpaper. To plaster walls with your own hands, you need to have certain skills and knowledge, otherwise you will not pull out the wall straight. The technique of execution is better learned by observing the work of an experienced master (possibly on video). The instructions “how to properly plaster walls with your own hands” will serve as a kind of “cheat sheet” for the first time.

To level the walls using metal profiles, first, at a distance of 20 cm from the end of the wall,.

• Next, using a level, the curvature of the surface is determined.
• Along the rule, plaster tubercles are applied to the walls at intervals of 20–30 cm.
• The desired level is formed by pressing down with a rule.
• The solution fixes the position of the beacons.
• If the area is large, ropes are pulled to determine the location of the beacons.
• When the solution fixing the beacons hardens, the gaps are plastered together.
• The plaster is leveled by following the rules along the beacons.

Now you know how to plaster walls with your own hands and it will not be difficult for you to complete all the listed work yourself. And now a few final secrets:

After a careful assessment of the condition, a decision is made - whether major repairs and plastering of the walls are needed or whether the corners and the most noticeable irregularities can be straightened.

If the ceiling tiles are laid evenly, you can create a plaster ceiling. Before work, it is cleaned of old material, primed and plastered. Otherwise, it will be more profitable to create a suspended or stretch ceiling.

The most practical and reliable way to level walls is to plaster them. The process for a beginner is not easy physically and technically. But having learned the theoretical basics and reinforced them with practice, it is not difficult to learn how to plaster yourself, choosing a material that is convenient to work with.

Plaster mortars – how to select the right material?

Plaster mixtures can be decorative or basic. We won’t touch on the first ones – that’s a completely different story. We will talk about solutions intended for leveling surfaces, in our case wall surfaces. Walls come in varying degrees of curvature, built from building materials with different characteristics. They are plastered inside and out under different temperature conditions. All these factors are taken into account when choosing a suitable solution and its characteristics (ratio of components, consistency).

For work inside a heated room, any of the existing materials are suitable. The choice of mixture depends on the intended purpose of the room. In living rooms, it is better to use “warm” gypsum solutions, the mixtures for the preparation of which are sold in packaged form (usually 30 kg bags). If you want to save money and work a little more, you can start preparing lime mortar for these purposes. This material is slightly inferior to gypsum in thermal insulation capabilities, but is much stronger and ultimately cheaper. If there is a significant consumption of material, the use of lime mortar will provide significant savings.

Inside the housing there are rooms with a humid microclimate - a bathroom, a toilet, and partly a kitchen. Here the walls are traditionally tiled (it is possible that in the kitchen there is only an apron). To do this, you need an impeccable wall surface, which can be quite realistically done with plaster mortar. But there is a nuance. Gypsum plaster is not suitable for laying tiles. It has low strength (the complex of tiles plus tile adhesive has a decent weight). The second “cons” factor is that the components of the gypsum mixture and the tile adhesive do not work well together; after some time, the polymer-cement material will begin to peel off. The solution is to plaster the walls for laying tiles with a clean cement-sand mortar.

The classic mortar, prepared on the basis of sand and cement, is quite applicable in living rooms. Previously, they tried not to do this - such plaster does not retain heat, and there were no technologies for external insulation of buildings at that time. If the house has sufficient facade thermal insulation to prevent the walls from freezing in winter and warming up in summer, nothing prevents you from using a regular cement-sand mortar for plastering the walls throughout the house. What's the point of this? Firstly, savings. Secondly, a solid wall on which a boiler, a hundred-liter boiler, the top of a kitchen unit, etc. can be hung without problems.

Regarding external plastering. Nowadays this leveling method is used less and less, mainly for technical and utility buildings. Conventional wall plaster is being replaced by more advanced technologies that combine insulation and finishing at the same time, and are easy to work with with your own hands. If there is a need to level the wall from the street, the choice of materials is small. Only cement-sand plaster without any additives of gypsum, lime or clay will withstand all weather tests at any temperature.

In addition, when working outdoors, it is important to choose the right weather conditions. It is necessary to work with a solution based on sand and cement in a temperature range of 10-20 degrees, so the optimal period is the off-season. We are not talking about winter; in summer the solution will quickly lose moisture, which will lead to cracking and local peeling from the base surface. The result is low strength and a greatly reduced service life of the plaster layer.

Properties of working surfaces - rules for their preparation

You can plaster a wall made of any building material, even wood, but for this the base must be properly prepared. The degree and nature of surface preparation depend on the solution used. Sometimes what is good for a gypsum mixture is bad for a cement-sand mixture, and vice versa. Let's consider preparing several options for building material/plaster mortar complexes.

An ideal surface for cement-sand and lime mortar. If this is a new building, and there were no previous layers of plaster on the surface, before plastering, only moisten the surface generously so that the hygroscopic brick does not absorb moisture so intensely. You cannot prime the wall. Heavy mixtures based on sand and cement will not stick to such a surface - they will simply slide off after covering. If there is old plaster on a brick wall, it must be removed. The process of removing old layers is labor-intensive and unpleasant, but there is no way around it. A hammer drill with a chisel attachment will help in this matter. After cleaning the wall, everything is simple - sweep away the dust, moisten and plaster. For lime mortar, the preparation is the same.

When using gypsum mixtures on a brick wall, the preparatory measures are approximately the same, with the difference that the surface will need to be thoroughly primed, soaking deeply and abundantly. Gypsum solutions lose moisture much faster than cement-based mixtures. If the base absorbs water abundantly, it will not stick, and if this happens, it will not last long.

A concrete wall is not the best surface for plastering, especially if it is smooth. Lightweight plaster mortars adhere better to concrete after proper preparation. “Sticking” heavy cement-sand mortar can be problematic. But everything is possible after proper preparation. Before applying the gypsum solution, the concrete wall is primed with a special compound Concrete contact. In order for heavy plaster to stick reliably and last for a long time, the concrete surface needs to be “damaged” a little - notches are made on the wall using a hammer drill. The more there are, the better - the solution will go into the recesses, and this will significantly increase its adhesion to the concrete. The second measure, which will improve the adhesion of the mixture to concrete, is to completely treat the surface with a liquid saturated cement solution (you can add a little fine sand).

Another equally problematic surface is wood. Once upon a time there were much more wooden walls and partitions, and they were all plastered. What did you do for this? They stuffed shingles onto a wooden surface - thin slats made of the same material, which lay crosswise, and created a kind of reinforcement. Moreover, even ceilings were plastered using this base. Nowadays there is less and less need to plaster on wooden surfaces - technology has moved forward. But if necessary, shingles will help solve the problem.

Porous concrete (aerated concrete, foam blocks) is becoming increasingly popular as a building material for building walls. Building with lightweight blocks is a pleasure. However, when trying to plaster such a wall, many people encounter difficulties - the solutions do not stick. How to get out of the situation? Let’s make a reservation right away – heavy sand/cement mixtures are not suitable here. In order for gypsum mortars to stick and hold securely, the surface of the porous wall must first be completely puttied to “scrape off” (thinly and with force) with some kind of polymer-cement glue. Whether a tiled one or one on which aerated concrete blocks were laid is suitable - it doesn’t matter. Then, when the glue sets, the surface is primed, and everything is ready - gypsum plaster will stick no worse than to brick.

We prepare mixtures and tools - so that everything is at hand

Leveling walls with plaster mortars requires the use of a specific set of tools. One of the main devices, without which plastering with any material is indispensable, is the rule - a long trapezoidal aluminum strip at the end. The rules are issued in various lengths from 1.5 to 3 m. When leveling wall surfaces, a one and a half meter strip is used, a maximum of two meters if plastering is done using light gypsum mortars.

Then there are the differences. When working with lime and cement-sand mixtures, use a trowel, which is needed to cover the material. A plaster trowel differs from a masonry trowel - the tool has a larger semicircular working part with a sharp end. Rub the plastered surface with a float. Previously they used wooden graters, now they use tools made of hard polystyrene. No other tools are needed when working with such plaster compositions.

To work with gypsum solutions, in addition to the rule, you will need a set of spatulas - the main one, 100 mm wide, and an auxiliary one with a working blade of about half a meter. When covering the material, for convenience, use a smaller auxiliary tool (30-35 cm). A trowel is not used for working with gypsum plaster - applying the material with its help is extremely inconvenient.

Now about the tool for preparing solutions. With gypsum mixtures everything is simple - the solution is mixed in a bucket (it is convenient to use a plastic container that has been cleared of water-based paint) with a construction mixer. This can be a specialized tool or a drill with an appropriate attachment. For small volumes, a drill is sufficient. It is better to mix sand/cement solutions in a concrete mixer. If this device is not available, you will have to prepare the material manually. A rectangular tub with low sides is used as a container. To mix the components of the mixture, use a shovel or an ordinary hoe.

Manual kneading requires significant energy and physical strength. Plastering with heavy mortars is also labor-intensive, so it is advisable to involve an assistant - it will be difficult to do it alone.

About the preparation of solutions. Here again there are no problems with ready-made gypsum mixtures. You read the instructions on the package and do as it says - there is no need to invent anything. The preparation of cement-sand and lime plaster materials requires compliance with proportions. The sand/cement solution has a simple formula: the ratio of the binder component to the filler is 1:3. Water is added gradually as you mix (if the mixture is prepared by hand). The result should be a semi-liquid mass that sticks to the trowel without dripping.

Lime mortar has a more complex composition and preparation. The classic formula of such a mixture looks like this: cement - 1, slaked lime - 2, sand - 6 (in volumetric parts). The solution is prepared as follows. Sand and cement are mixed. Lime paste diluted to a liquid consistency is added to the resulting mixture. All components are thoroughly mixed until a homogeneous mass is obtained that has the consistency of sour cream. Sand used for preparing plastering materials must be sifted (sieve mesh - up to 7 mm).

Quality of trains - with or without beacons

Is it possible to properly plaster a wall without installing guides? It is possible, but it all depends on the quality requirements, the skills of the performer and the material used. You can prepare a not very crooked wall for wallpapering with gypsum mortar without beacons. There is no need to install guides if the wall is being plastered from the inside in a barn or other outbuilding (beauty does not play a role here). Again, an experienced master with a good eye and muscle sensations will plaster without guides no worse than using beacons. If you need high-quality plaster (vertical and with acceptable curvature), but do not have the necessary skills, it is better to install beacons, which will make it much easier to level the wall.

Plaster beacons are sold in construction stores. These are galvanized metal strips with a T-shape at the end. The protrusion of the product can be 0.5 and 1 cm in height. The choice of protrusion height depends on the minimum plaster layer. The pitch of the guides (the required number of beacons depends on this) depends on the material used and the width of the rule. For heavy mortars, the step is made smaller - 0.8 -1 m. When plastering with light lime and gypsum mixtures, the distance is increased to 1.3 when using the 1.5 m rule. Experienced craftsmen who work with the two-meter rule increase the beacon step to 1. 7 m.

The installation diagram for guides on a solid wall surface (without window and door openings) is as follows. The outer planks are mounted 20 cm from adjacent walls. Between them are the rest, evenly, with a given step. If there are openings, additional elements are installed along their edges, regardless of the location of the remaining beacons.

There are several ways to install plaster guides. Some are more complicated, but more accurate, others are simpler to perform, but allow for error. Whatever technology for installing beacons is carried out, they strive for the following final result - the guide strips are installed vertically, firmly fixed, located in the same plane, which indicates the minimum plaster layer in the places of greatest protrusion of the base surface. The planks are fixed with mortars: gypsum plaster mixtures are more often used, less often polymer-cement adhesives, for example, tile adhesives. The easiest way to set up beacons is this way (you need to work with an assistant):

1. 1. Using a rule and a bubble building level, we “probe” the surface - we determine the areas of greatest curvature, the most significant protrusions of the relief. This allows you to put together a picture in your head, which will help determine how far the beacons should be extended relative to the base wall.
2. 2. Install the outer beacons. The solution is prepared and applied vertically in slides 20 cm from the adjacent wall. We also do it on the opposite side.
3. 3. Under the control of the level and rules, we gradually press the planks into the applied solution. Remove the excess mixture that is squeezed out with a spatula. As you plant the beacons on both sides, together with an assistant, pull the thread between the guides, determining the minimum layer of plaster in the places of maximum protrusion of the relief. Having reached the required position of the slats, let the solution set.
4. 4. When the outer beacons are sufficiently fixed with the set mixture, at the bottom and at the top between the guides we pull guidelines (strong thread or fishing line), according to which we mount intermediate guides using the same technology.

When the solution fixing the planks has set, we proceed directly to plastering.

We plaster ourselves - the process has begun

If the surface does not have significant curvature (up to 3 cm), plastering is done in one pass. When there are significant depressions, you first need to fill them with a solution - make a cape. This is true for all types of mixtures. Such a layer is applied so that it is then possible to plaster completely.

The technique of applying material to the surface varies. For heavy mixtures, you need to develop a skill - the solution is thrown onto the surface with a specific movement using a trowel. The hand should move up and slightly towards the wall, and at the end of the movement the solution flies off the tool and sticks tangentially from bottom to top to the surface. Applying the solution starts from the very bottom and gradually moves to the top. In this case, it is important that the piles of mortar lie as tightly as possible, but do not fall on top of each other - if this happens, the material falls off the wall, sometimes pulling other areas of the applied material along with it. If the skill is acquired and the solution can be placed on the surface, we proceed directly to the plaster.

1. 1. We fill the gap between the beacons about a meter from the floor, tighten the solution using the rule - we install the tool on the planks at the very bottom and gradually raise it. At the same time, we do not tear the rule away from the beacons, making quick movements with the instrument to the left/right.
2. 2. If the solution is thick, it is advisable to perform the previous movement again in order to more thoroughly remove excess material. Having passed the area as a rule, you will see that the solution is not continuous - there will be indentations of different shapes and sizes. We fill them additionally with the solution and again remove the excess using the rule. We do this until there are depressions on the surface no more than 1.5-2 cm in diameter - we will fill them when grouting the plaster coating.
3. 3. We continue to pour the solution further, repeating the manipulations described above, until the gap between the beacons is completely filled with the mixture used. We set the rule aside or give it to an assistant to wash.
4. 4. Take a grater and begin to grout the plaster. We start again from the bottom, where the solution has tightened. We make circular movements, holding the grater on the surface over its entire area - you cannot tilt it. During the grouting process, the bumps are erased and the holes are filled. The result is a smooth, uniform surface suitable for any subsequent finishing.

Plastering with gypsum mixtures is approximately the same, with the difference that a spatula is used to apply the solution, and the surface is not rubbed down after setting. Instead of grouting, the plastered surface is again covered with a thin layer of gypsum plaster, using a wide spatula for this.