How to work with plaster correctly. How to quickly learn how to plaster walls at home in a new building or an old house: options for rough and high-quality plaster with your own hands. What tools are needed for plastering walls?

Many people know what plaster is. This is a finish that gives the building a complete look, serves to protect structures from adverse influences, and extends the service life of the structure. You can entrust this to professional plasterers, but even a beginner can plaster walls with his own hands.

This requires practice and knowledge of some basics. And skill comes with experience. What is plaster used for? How to plaster walls in a new building? What is needed for plastering walls? We will try to answer questions that are important for a beginner here.

Why do you need to plaster the walls in your apartment?

Even a loft-style interior is just an imitation of untreated wall surfaces. Plastering walls in an apartment solves many problems in a comprehensive manner.

Plaster coating:

strengthens brickwork;
protects concrete and aerated concrete surfaces from the penetration of moisture from the air;
prevents the formation of fungal or moldy lesions;
protects wood from cracking, rotting, insects, rodents;
levels uneven surfaces of walls and ceilings;
serves as additional insulation;
absorbs noise;
creates a comfortable microclimate in the apartment;
monolithizes the internal surface of the apartment, sealing the seams and joints of structures;
protects wood from fire;
protects building structures from external influences;
Levels surfaces in accordance with state standards, which makes tiling or plasterboard, wallpapering, and painting easier.

Replacing a wall or partition is more expensive than replacing or repairing plasterwork. Modern plaster compositions are durable - service life reaches 25 years or more. Plastering the walls of a house simultaneously solves many problems.

Main types of plaster

Plaster compositions have been known since ancient times as a building material and as a type of finishing. The ancient Latin name - stuk, stukko has survived to this day.

Plaster compositions are:

for interior finishing;
universal application.

Finishing solutions are:

decorative,
ordinary,
special.

Conventional compounds are used for rough plastering of walls and ceilings, and grouting joints.

Depending on the quality of the surface, plaster finishing can be:

high-quality – wall finishing ready for painting or wallpapering, done by spraying, multi-layer application of primer and final coating;
improved - for utility rooms in residential buildings, and also for rough finishing, consists of three layers - spray, primer (main layer), covering, leveled with a rule and rubbed with a trowel;
simple plaster, consisting of two layers - spray and primer, applied without hanging, leveled with a float, used for plastering basements, warehouses, and utility rooms.

Decorative compositions that differ in texture and color are used for finishing, which does not require wallpaper, cladding or painting. Special plastering compounds are used to perform certain tasks. For example, they are used for additional thermal insulation of an apartment (), protection of medical equipment from ionizing rays (), and treatment of damp walls of a house ().

The composition of plaster solutions includes binders that make up the base, fillers, water (or solvent), as well as functional additives. Since the main components of plastering compositions are astringents, which after curing become similar to stone or plastic, plastering compositions are classified according to the type of base.

Cement

From the name it is clear that the main binder of this type is cement. The simplest plaster composition is. The finish is durable, frost-resistant, inexpensive. Suitable for indoor and outdoor plastering work. Manual or mechanical application is possible. It is commercially available in the form of dry mixtures (MS), which contain modifying additives. You can prepare the solution yourself.

Cement-lime

Lime was used as a plastering substance long before the invention of cement. highly plastic. Using this quality, lime is used as an additional binder in cement-lime mortars.

Manual application or mechanized plastering is possible. Prepare the composition yourself, or purchase a ready-made dry plaster mixture. Used for rough and decorative finishing. Suitable for finishing wooden surfaces.

Plaster

The natural material is easy to lay and plastic. More expensive than previous plaster mixtures, but it has its advantages. perform high-quality plastering of walls in rooms with normal humidity. Decorative SS are also produced. Application is manual and mechanized. Good for foam concrete.

Clay

A natural binder used not only in rural homes. Clay is environmentally friendly and helps maintain a favorable microclimate in the house. can be applied by hand. There is practically no waste. Even a dried solution can be soaked again, mixed and applied to the base. Repairable.

Decorative

This type of plastering materials is the most diverse. SS and ready-made solutions are produced by many companies, both Russian and Italian, French, German and others. Produced on polymer bases. There are colored and terrazite compositions.

What mixture is best to do the work?

The choice of mixture for plastering depends on several factors:

base material;
purpose (technical for leveling or finishing);
degree of unevenness of the base (large or small differences);
requirements for resistance to a humid environment (high or normal humidity);
operating conditions (whether the environment is chemically aggressive, temperature conditions);
strength characteristics (rate of strength gain and grade);
the difficulty of performing plastering work (can be decisive for beginners or in the case of a geometrically complex surface).

If you plan to plaster the walls with your own hands, then those that stick better to the base, are easier to install, have a long lifespan and quickly gain strength are more suitable for a beginner.

What are the application methods?

Depending on the size of the surface to be plastered, as well as the included components, methods of applying plaster can be:

manual (trowel, roller, trowel, ladle or just hands);
mechanized (using a hopper, plastering machines).

The choice of application method is often dictated by how much plaster can be applied per pass. When performing work manually, some types of mixtures are applied in a layer up to 6 cm thick. Mechanical application is limited to creating a layer of up to 20 mm.

Among the manual methods of plastering walls, there are different application methods:

technical (leveling) finishing with or without beacons;
decorative (application with various tools, shaping the surface using various techniques) finishing.

Manual application

Plastering walls with your own hands involves applying a solution to the base with a hand tool, leveling, smoothing or forming a textured surface in one pass, or sequentially creating a multi-layer coating. Manual plastering of walls is usually carried out with a small coverage area, a total thickness of the leveling layer of up to 10 - 12 cm, and a final textured finish. With multi-layer finishing, each layer is dried.

Mechanized application

It is rational to use this method of performing plastering work when there is an optimal combination of plastering speed, low cost of materials (part of the money is saved on expensive machine work), and a large volume of coating.

Plastering walls using a plastering machine is more economical in terms of:

expenditure of effort;
time spent;
consumption of plastering materials;
financial expenses for the purchase of plaster mixtures, which are cheaper for machine work.

Other advantages:

small volumes of waste;
uniform application and improvement in quality, due to machine control of the SS-water ratio;
supplying the mixture to the surface under pressure increases adhesion to the base;
Due to the uniformity of mixing and layer application, the overall strength characteristics of mechanical finishing are higher than those of manual finishing.

Minuses: not always, not applicable everywhere

Mechanical equipment for plastering varies in level of sophistication. They use small-scale mechanization (hoppers, sprayers) or even machine devices that mix the plaster mixture and apply it when air is supplied by a compressor.

Apply the mixture, holding the nozzle 20 - 30 cm from the wall, moving the working part of the apparatus along the surface at the same speed. After finishing work, all parts in contact with the solution are washed and dried. Be sure to use eye protection.

Sealing cracks

It is common for new buildings to undergo a shrinkage process within a year or two. Plastering new houses with mineral plaster solutions during this period leads to the appearance of cracks. Cracks also occur in houses with a long service life. All cracks need repair. Large cracks require special repairs. Such defects are “healed” using reinforcing mesh.

Cracks with an opening of up to 5 mm are considered small. They can be covered with putty or cement mortar, which is more liquid than masonry mortar. Medium cracks on the surface opened up to 10 mm are “treated” with a CPS solution (cement-sand), having previously been expanded. Large (more than 10 mm) formations are sanitized with a solution using crushed stone and reinforcement.

They try to pump the solution deeper into the crack, using a construction syringe for this. Before sealing the cracks with the solution, the area of the brick and concrete wall is cleaned of dust and moistened. A piece of mesh is placed over the area with the crack body covered, which is secured to the wall with self-tapping screws. Plaster the area over the mesh.

How to prepare walls for plastering

Beginners will need to know how to prepare walls for plastering. start with an inspection.

Need to find out:

what material are the walls made of?
how strong is the foundation?
how tightly the plaster coating, if any, holds;
are there any peeling places (check by tapping);
are there any other defects that require elimination;
How smooth are the walls themselves (measurements are taken).

General preparation

According to the standards, the base for plastering must be dust-free, free from foci of biological damage, oil and rust stains, efflorescence, and uninsulated metal parts (staples, nails, screws). The plaster coating has a considerable specific gravity.

Before plastering the walls, they make notches with their own hands and deepen the seams to increase adhesion. The base is primed and then dried. In addition, preparation includes the installation of beacons if plastering is carried out along them.

Priming walls and installing beacons

Removing old plaster

If the old plaster coating is durable and adheres well to the wall, plaster the walls using the old plaster. The coating unnecessary for subsequent finishing is removed completely. This is required when the old plaster cover is severely damaged.

Before removing the finish, it is wetted using a sponge. If there is drywall under the plaster being removed, then it can be easily tapped. Having tapped and chipped the partially exfoliated area, peel off the adjacent plaster by inserting a corner of a spatula or chisel under it.

For complete dismantling you may need:

Bulgarian;
hatchet;
hammer;
putty knife;
perforator;
scraper;
spray;
safety glasses, respirator.

Necessary tools for dismantling old plaster

Sequencing:

wet the plaster coating, give it time (15 - 20 minutes) to soak;
use a spatula to check the looseness of the layer;
remove the layer using possible means (with a spatula, chisel, hatchet, or sawing the finish into squares with a grinder, followed by chipping it off with a hammer drill with a chisel attachment).

How to prepare a concrete wall

Often inexperienced people have problems when plastering concrete walls with their own hands. Not every plaster solution adheres well to a base of this kind. Previously, plaster mortar was applied to concrete surfaces without the use of primers. Therefore, there is a possibility that the old coating may fall off the concrete wall along with the new one.

To prevent this from happening, the old finish is completely removed from the concrete walls. When the structure is exposed, the joints of the wall panels, which were usually simply covered superficially, are also exposed. Hollow joints are filled with foam before sanding.

Foaming concrete slabs and scoring before plastering

Also, before plastering, notches up to 3-5 mm deep are applied to the concrete surface with a hatchet, chisel, bush hammer or hammer. To apply notches, a light jackhammer with a bush hammer attachment is sometimes used. Unevenness increases the adhesion of dense concrete bases to joints.

If the electrical wiring is planned in grooves, then its installation is done before plastering. Fastening elements, such as hanging hooks, are installed in advance.

This eliminates unnecessary labor, time and materials costs later.

Preparing a wooden wall

Wood especially needs preparatory work. It is not always rational to apply notches. Therefore, before plastering, wooden bases are covered with shingles - thin slats no wider than 20 mm. The shingles are nailed to the surface of the base, placing the slats at an angle of 45 degrees to the floor, at a distance of about 4.5 cm from each other.

The narrow or crooked shingles are filled first. The second row of shingles is nailed crosswise on top. To prevent the planks from splitting during the nailing process, the ends of the shingles are soaked.

In addition, at the ends the slats are not nailed close to each other, leaving a gap of 2 - 2.5 mm. Stuffing nails with wire weave along them helps to do without shingles.

To increase the heat and sound insulation of plank partitions, the boards are covered with burlap or matting before attaching the shingles, lowering the woven material until it touches the floor. Having nailed it along the bottom, tighten and attach the upper end.

These materials adhere well to solutions, serve as additional insulation for boards, and reduce wetting and warping of the boards. Then the plaster coating cracks less. The edges of the fabrics are overlapped.

Preparing a brick wall

In brickwork, before plastering, masonry joints are deepened by about a centimeter. This is done with a chisel, holding the tool at an angle of up to 45 degrees to the surface along the seam line. Bricks are cleaned from contamination with metal brushes. Then the wall is washed.

If, after washing with detergents, greasy or tar stains or efflorescence appear, they are treated with special agents or mechanically cleaned until the material is clean. After preparation, the base is dried.

Aerated concrete, gas block, foam block

How to prepare walls from these materials? It would seem easier with them. All protruding irregularities are ground off with a float designed for aerated concrete or a plane. After removing the dust, apply primer with a brush or from a sprayer twice. Dry between priming, allowing crystals to form and fill the surface pores.

Priming the wall Installing reinforcing mesh Installing beacons

Partitions and walls made of foam and gas blocks do not shine with strength, therefore they can crack at the slightest subsidence of the foundation. To strengthen the surface, it is reinforced with a fiberglass mesh, which is attached to a 2-3 mm layer of tile adhesive. The glue is spread with a spatula and stretched with a trowel. Apply glue in a strip about a meter wide. Apply a strip of mesh to it, smoothing it from the center of the strip up and down.

Having installed the grid, beacons are installed. Before plastering, apply a layer of glue on top of the mesh with a spatula, combing it (to increase adhesion) horizontally with a notched trowel. Dry it.

Arbolite slabs

Due to their roughness, wood concrete slabs always adhere well to the plaster finish. Therefore, no additional measures are required. Some plasterers attach a metal mesh to the wood concrete to strengthen the wall itself.

Whitewash

It is impossible to plaster over lime whitewash, because the coating will not adhere firmly. Whitewash is always multi-layered, and plaster adheres only to the upper lime film.

Whitewash is removed in several ways:

remove with a spatula (wet, painstaking method) - moisten the areas, after 15 minutes remove the soaked lime;
remove with a grinder (the disadvantage of this method is that there is a lot of dust, you need to work in a respirator and goggles);
Apply the paste with a brush in a thick layer to the whitewash. After drying, the pasty crust, which holds together the multi-layered lime mortar, is removed with a spatula (the most dust-free method);
wash off with a soap solution (half a piece of grated soap in a bucket of water, 5 tablespoons of soda), repeatedly wetting the whitewash with a sponge or brush;
washed with acid solutions.

Plaster on painted walls

According to generally accepted rules, paint should be removed before plastering. However, if the matter does not concern wet rooms, as well as stacks with a large dead weight, the durable paint film does not need to be removed. Light gypsum plaster applied over paint holds up well.

Methods for removing paint:

soak for 20 minutes and remove with a spatula (for water-based emulsion);
the use of special softening solutions;
heating and softening with a hairdryer, scraping with a spatula;
removal with a metal brush;
removal using mechanical means - grinders, etc.

Preparation of painted walls for plastering includes:

applying cuts on a base painted with enamel or oil paint that pass through the paint film;
removing exfoliated areas with a spatula;
removing the glossy layer with sandpaper or a sander;
removing dust with a damp cloth;
degreasing oil stains with a solvent;
drying the prepared base.

Required tools and materials

List of what will be needed for plastering:

for preparing the solution - containers, mixer, mortar mixer;
for application - spatulas (in simple terms - spatula), ladle, trowel, trowel, rollers, brushes;
for stretching, leveling - grater, grater, rule;
for priming, forming a relief pattern, painting: rollers, brushes, brushes, sponges, stencils, other improvised means;
for measuring, marking, installing beacons - level, plumb line, tape measure, masking tape, cord;
for painting – brushes, sponge, rollers, spray bottle;
for protection – glasses, respirator, gloves, work clothes

Materials you will need:

components of plaster composition, SS or ready-made compositions;
water;
primer;
shingles;
lighthouses;
reinforcing mesh;
fastening parts - dowels, screws, nails;

Required material for plastering

What is lighthouse plaster?

The technology for plastering the walls of a house includes options:

under the falcon (alignment without rules, by eye);
as a rule (does not allow you to easily achieve high evenness of the walls);
along the lighthouses (high-quality finishing).

It will not be possible to plaster a crooked wall with high quality by eye (without beacons). Therefore, the falcon-like wall plastering technology is used only in new buildings with improved quality walls, or in utility rooms where the quality of the surface is not important.

A lighthouse is a plank, the surface of which serves as a guide for the rule, moved by the plasterer when leveling the mortar applied to the wall. Lighthouses are made of metal, plastic, wood, or mortar used for plastering. The beacons have a shelf height of 6–10 mm and are attached to the base with mortar or self-tapping screws.

The installation of beacon strips is carried out plumb or level strictly vertically after priming. First, the outer beacons are placed 30 cm from the corners of the walls. The surface of the planks forms a vertical plane, focusing on which the intermediate planks are installed. The distance between the planks is made less than the length of the rule by 20-30 cm. For beginning plasterers, it is more rational to place beacons in meter increments.

When plastering over beacons, the mixture is applied in layers until the solution rises above the planks. The protruding mortar mass is cut off with a rule tightly pressed to the beacons, moving it in a zigzag manner.

The excess is removed from the rule with a trowel or spatula and placed where the mixture is missing. As a result, the surface of the leveling solution forms a vertical plane. After the mixture has set, the beacons are removed, and the remaining grooves are filled with plaster mortar.

Plaster reinforcement

Mineral plaster compositions do not have elasticity, and therefore, like natural stone materials, they can crack at the slightest movement of the base and form cracks during the hardening process, for example, if the plaster solutions are greasy. In order to reduce crack formation and their opening, the plaster is reinforced.

The same is done when repairing large cracks. The use of reinforcement increases the strength of the finish. Installation of nets is necessary in problem areas, for example, at the junction of bases made of different materials, for example, walls made of wood and concrete. Different characteristics of materials cause them to behave differently when temperature or humidity changes. Consequently, cracks will form in the joint area.

For reinforcement, meshes are used from:

metal;
plastic;
fiberglass;

The choice of material and cell size of the reinforcing mesh depends on the main purpose of the reinforcement and the installation location. If powerful meshes are installed to reinforce facade finishing or create a plaster casing for insulation slabs, then for interior finishing, as well as where the plaster layer is small, plastic or fiberglass meshes are used.

Grids are a hidden structural element located in the body of the plaster closer to the surface. If the plaster coating is thick, two or more meshes are installed. When attaching the mesh to a wall or ceiling, a gap is left between the mesh and the base, which is filled with adhesive or plaster. This is done so that there are no air bubbles left around the mesh panel. The mesh must be recessed.

To secure the mesh to the walls, its panels are stretched, nailed or attached with self-tapping screws. Adjacent canvases are overlapped. It is important to tighten only so that there is no sagging, so that the wall does not turn out crooked. Do not overtighten.

If the mesh material can corrode during a chemical reaction, for example, with lime plaster, the mesh is protected by covering it with asphalt or coal tar varnish, oil paint, or laitance and drying.

Preparation of the solution

There are three options here:

preparing the mixture by mixing the components yourself;
dilution of the SS composition with water or a diluent;
mixing the finished plaster dough before use (with or without adding a small amount of liquid).

If you prepare a mixture yourself from components purchased separately, then you need to follow the sequence of mixing the constituent substances.

DSP is prepared in the following order:

Bulk dry substances (sand, cement powder, perlite, stone chips) are placed in the container;
stir;
prepare the liquid separately (lime milk, water with a plasticizer, etc.);
while stirring, gradually pour the liquid into the dry mixture until the desired consistency of the solution is achieved;
The composition is allowed to “rest” and brew for about 5 minutes, after which it is stirred again.

Preparation of dry mixtures Mixing the solution Ready solution

If the mixture is prepared in a mortar mixer, then it is permissible to first pour some water into it, then add other components. The remaining water is added little by little, controlling the consistency of the dough.

Purchased SS are closed following the manufacturer's instructions, which are in the detailed instructions on the package. The prepared mixtures in buckets are also mixed before use to restore homogeneity to the composition. If the plaster solution is painted, it’s time to add color.

Some plaster compositions have their own nuances. For example, perlite sand is very dusty. It is moistened before kneading. In addition to knowledge about the rules for preparing the base, you will need information about how to properly apply the plaster itself to the walls, in what sequence, how long and how it should dry.

How to apply plaster on walls with your own hands

The mixture can be applied by pouring and spreading. Plastering surfaces using the first method is more dense; the finish adheres more firmly to the base. You can throw the composition with a ladle, a spatula (trowel) with a steel blade. The solution is scooped out of the container and thrown from the tool onto the base, where it lies down and sticks like a thick blot - a “slap”. Spread the dough with a spatula, trowel, or falcon.

The solution, applied to a spatula or trowel with an auxiliary spatula, is transferred to the wall with a stroke of a specified thickness. The plasterer places the tool with the dough against the wall at an acute angle, and moves it along the wall, decreasing the angle as the material is transferred to the base. If the smear begins on a previously made smear, the technique is called “wet to dry.”

If a smear begins on a dry spot and ends on another smear, the technique is called “from dry to wet.” Compliance with the techniques is important for decorative plaster. How to apply the final decorative finish can be found in another section of the site. Below we offer a detailed description of the method for performing rough finishing on concrete.

To perform improved and high-quality plastering of concrete walls, the technologies are similar. The first two stages of plastering walls are similar. The only difference is in the ending.

The first stage is spraying

For spraying when plastering, use a mortar mixture with a thinner consistency. The thickness of the layer for concrete, brick, aerated concrete, the thickness of the spray coating is 5 mm, for wood - 9 mm (with mesh).

Step-by-step instructions for spraying:

We take the solution from the container onto a spatula or into a ladle and throw it on the wall between the beacons;
we make sketches, filling with “slaps” an area about 100 – 120 cm high (from bottom to top);
Having sprayed the area between the beacons, use a spatula to slightly level the “splashes” so that there is no empty space left in the area;
we mark the surface of the layer with the sharp edge of a spatula to increase adhesion;
we do the same, spraying to the top of the wall;
Spray the following sections of the wall and leave to dry.

Second stage - soil

The main (base) layer applied on top of the spray is called primer. To create a thick multi-layer coating there can be several of them. For the soil, prepare a dough with a thick consistency. For application we use spatulas and a rule.

Execution of soil:

Using a narrow spatula, place the dough from the container onto a wide spatula.
We transfer the solution to the wall, lightly pressing it into the marked grooves of the spray.
We remove the mixture protruding above the beacons from the bottom up using a rule, pressing it against the beacons and rocking it in the horizontal direction. We throw the solution removed according to the rule into a container or transfer it with a spatula to where it is missing.
After running the rule from bottom to top a couple of times, we run the rule from top to bottom. After such wiring, the solution will not slide down the wall.
We plaster the remaining part of the wall in this way.
We wait for the solution to set, remove the beacons, and cover the formed channels with the solution.

The third stage is the finishing layer of covering

The coating composition is made with the same proportions as the base one. The consistency of a solution of normal fat content is less thick than for soil, and the sand is taken in a fine fraction (up to 1.5 mm). This mixture is easier to install and more flexible. When rubbed, it forms a smooth surface. Recommended thickness 1.5 – 2 mm.

Filling voids and applying a finishing layer

Step by step guide:

If plastering was carried out without removing the poppies, then the covering is applied to the soil that has not yet dried. Dried soil can be moistened with a roller.
Apply the covering, leveling it with the rule. In this case, the solution fills the resulting voids and small depressions. Excess mixture is removed.

Grouting plaster

This stage is final. The smallest errors are eliminated by grouting.

Leveling is carried out - compaction of the barely dried surface of the cover - grouting with a float. Do not press the tool too hard so as not to pull off the drying layer. Smoothing is carried out in a circular motion (grinding “in the round”). Only in the corners is the grater held and parallel to the corner. On elevated areas they press more, pressing down; on depressions the pressure is reduced.

Excess protruding mixture that collects on the corner of the grater or trowel is cleaned off. The drying layer of covering is sprayed with water from a spray bottle from time to time or moistened with a soft brush. It is possible to grout in a circle using a very small amount of mortar

After grouting, smoothing is immediately performed - grouting "in acceleration". Straight-line vertical movements (up and down) are made with a clean grater with rounded corners. The grater is pressed with equal force, without removing it from the surface. They process this square by square (areas of approximately 1 m2).

Smoothing (an optional operation) is performed in the same way as grouting, only it is done with a rubber, metal or felt-wrapped float. Treat the surface twice. Once, moving the iron (in one direction) from top to bottom, the second time - horizontally.

Finishing

Why and how to sand plaster? This procedure is performed to remove the slightest protrusions remaining after plastering or puttying, if painting or wallpapering is planned for the final finishing of the apartment. The paint layer is thin and reveals even the most minor flaws. They are removed by grinding.

For manual sanding, use sandpaper, sanding mesh or a sanding block. For wallpaper, it is enough to sand the surface with 60-grit sandpaper. For paint, you need to sand it again with 120-grit sandpaper. The result is a polished surface. After sanding and removing dust, plastering the walls with your own hands can be considered complete. A little information about how corners are made.

Plastering corners

The words “husks” and “usenki” will not say anything to an ignorant person. Meanwhile, these are professional terms for plasterers, denoting internal and external corners, respectively. The technique for plastering them differs from applying plaster to walls.

The main techniques used by plasterers:

using a profile corner;
with lighthouses;
with a counter-piece (perforated corner with an aluminum base));
with serpyanka (ribbon mesh made of fiberglass or synthetics with an adhesive layer);
without a contrarian.

Counter-shuls can be used to produce husks and usenki.

Step-by-step technology for making an angle using a contra-sharp:

Cut the perforated corners to the required length.
The corner is placed against the corner, pressed most tightly in the most “protruding” place, then using the rule, the counter-shoulder is pressed so that it stands strictly vertical (check with a level or plumb line).
The excess mixture released during installation is removed with a spatula. After this, the mixture is allowed to harden.
After installation, the corner is aligned with the wall using a test. The corner shelves end up inside the plaster mortar. The corner counter protects the protruding corner from damage.

Aligning the corner with the wall

Making an external corner along a profile corner:

Cut the profile corners to the required length;
Beacons are installed on adjacent walls (the corner is plastered before work on the wall is completed);
A contact solution is applied to the corner in a thick layer (the mixture is stretched along the entire length along the inner corner).
Next (thicker) soil is applied on both sides from the corner to the nearest beacons.
The corner is placed against the corner, the mesh is pressed against the mixture, using the rules, the solution is leveled along the beacons on one, then on the second wall.
The excess mixture removed by the rule with a spatula is added to where it is missing.
The profile corner and the mesh are inside the plaster layer.

How to check the quality of wall plaster

The accuracy of the finishing is checked using a rule or a long two-meter strip. When carrying it along the surface in different positions (horizontally, diagonally or vertically), deviations from the plane are detected visually. In the dark, you can check the quality of the plaster by directing the flashlight beam parallel to the plane of the wall. Long shadows will reveal protruding irregularities.

By measuring and comparing the two diagonals of the room, you can check whether the corners of the room are right. The diagonals must be equal in length. The distance between parallel walls is the same along their entire length. The correctness of the angle can be checked by drawing vertically along a square with a side length of 50 cm.

The quality of the finishing surface is determined visually. There should be no darkening or other kinds of stains on it. The sashes of windows, vents and doors must open without interference. The areas around sockets, switches and door frames, along the perimeter of the floor must be level so that the overlay strips, baseboards and trims fit tightly against the wall.

If you are planning to renovate your apartment, but you do not have experience covering walls with plaster yourself, you should not despair. After reading the information presented and watching the videos, you have gained an idea of the main types and techniques of plastering work.

Detailed information about plaster compositions and how to apply decorative solutions can be found on the website. When contacting plasterers, you will know what to pay attention to, how the work should be performed, and why this or that stage is needed.

Plastering walls is a painstaking and complex job. To perform this, special compounds are usually used, most often gypsum-based. In addition, for a high-quality result, it is very important to follow the correct sequence of the process: it is performed in several stages.

Plastering walls is a task that requires special knowledge, skills and abilities from the performer. Correctly leveling the walls will make the gluing process easier and will significantly improve the appearance of the room. This kind of work can be done independently, but more often it is still trusted to the masters. In any case, when carrying out this procedure you will have to take into account some nuances.

To get a high-quality result (perfectly smooth walls), you need 4 components of success:

experienced master plasterer;
high-quality plaster mixture (you need to carefully familiarize yourself with its composition and the manufacturer);
proper preparation of the solution;
proper storage conditions for the plaster mixture before starting work (no moisture allowed).

In addition, you need to clearly understand the purpose for which the walls of a given room are finished with plaster. Plastering walls under wallpaper is a slightly different situation than plastering bathroom walls under tiles. In this case, you need to properly plaster the walls with gypsum plaster so that the main decor (tiles or wallpaper) sticks.

The best way to plaster walls depends on the home owner’s wallet, as well as on the characteristics of the room in which repairs need to be made. In addition, it is important to understand why you should plaster walls - for wallpaper, tiles or just painting.

Which plaster is better to use? First, you need to know that plaster can be dry or wet. Secondly, both dry and wet plaster exist three types:

ordinary (actually the composition for leveling the walls);
decorative (colored, terrazite or stone);
special.

The cheapest option is lime plaster. But this option, unfortunately, is short-lived and is only suitable for plastering walls inside the building. The outer part is plastered with a different composition. In addition, lime is absolutely not suitable for the bathroom. The fact is that lime is afraid of moisture.

The main advantages of gypsum plasters are good sound and heat insulation. This is a plastic material in which cracks rarely form. This plaster dries quickly and hardens. A few hours are enough for this.

Unfortunately, such mixtures are not sufficiently resistant to moisture and mechanical damage. Before plastering the walls with gypsum plaster, you need to study all the features of the room. At the same time, you can decorate the walls with Rotband (popular gypsum plaster) even in the bathroom.

Cement is a universal option for plastering walls both inside and outside. The main advantages of the material are resistance to moisture and temperature changes. It can also be used to plaster bathroom walls before laying tiles. It is recommended to choose it if the owners do not know which dry or wet plaster is best for finishing internal or external walls.

Also, many users are interested in how quickly the applied plaster will dry. From this point of view, cement and gypsum mixtures are practical. In addition, you need to read on the bag or bucket with the mixture at what temperature the mixture dries fastest.

Types of dry plaster

Dry plaster May be:

simple;
improved;
high quality

The quality of dry plaster is determined by differences. Normal - with differences of no more than 3 mm, improved - with differences of no more than 2 mm. In high-quality, differences of a maximum of 1 mm are allowed.

The simple one is usually finished in warehouses, basements and other premises for utility purposes; the second one is used in public institutions - hospitals and schools. But the walls of residential buildings are finished with high quality.

To know how to plaster walls with your own hands, you can read a lot of tips on the Internet.

However, it all comes down to two options: plastering with beacons and without beacons. Anyone can learn how to plaster walls, although it will be more difficult for a beginner than for a professional plasterer.

When deciding how and with what to plaster the walls in the bathroom under tiles or the walls of living rooms before wallpapering, it is important to correctly assess the quality of the existing surface.

To plaster the walls yourself, you will need to apply the solution in three layers. The resulting excess is removed with a trapezoidal spatula. You will have to buy it before plastering walls of any material with your own hands.

In any case, the solution must be applied extremely carefully.

Plastering on a plane (using a rule) is a good option if the walls are relatively flat. If there are serious unevenness on the walls, the contractor has no other choice but to plaster the walls according to the beacons. Thanks to beacon profiles, unevenness is eliminated with an accuracy of 1 mm/m2.

Typically, metal beacons are used for this, although artificial plaster beacons can also be created. In the second case, you can save the plaster mixture (the layer with iron beacons will be at least 6 mm).

Before plastering aerated concrete walls, you need to make sure that the plaster mixture is ideal for them. This material is environmentally friendly, it allows oxygen in and removes carbon dioxide from the room, so the choice of plaster should be taken responsibly.

The technologies of how to plaster walls made of foam block, foam concrete, as well as how to plaster concrete walls, differ little from each other. It is important to choose only the right mixture. The technologies for plastering wooden walls are also similar.

How to plaster brick walls depends on the location of the surface to be finished. Concrete and other moisture-resistant materials are suitable from the outside, but plastering brick walls inside the house is also permissible with gypsum mixtures.

The method of plastering walls with cement-sand mortar is similar to the methods of working with any other means for wall finishing. The main thing is to add the required amount of water.

How to plaster walls using beacons?

Many users are looking for tips on how to plaster walls without beacons. Here you have to determine the layer thickness and surface quality by eye. This method is suitable for relatively flat surfaces. This way minor imperfections are smoothed out.

Plastered walls are already finished with the chosen paint, wallpaper or tiles - it depends on the purpose of the room and the desires of the owner.

Mother of two children. I have been running a house for more than 7 years - this is my main job. I like to experiment, I constantly try different means, methods, techniques that can make our life easier, more modern, more fulfilling. I love my family.

The plastered walls look quite nice and neat. A good final result will require certain skills and desire to work. The master needs to understand all the components of the process, in particular this applies to newcomers to this work. This is the only way to understand the technology and do everything efficiently.

Material

You should know what the wall of the building is made of. Depending on this criterion, you should base your choice of plaster mixture. It is important to provide for the conditions and type of work. This particularly applies to internal or external work.

In the photo of plastering walls with your own hands, you can see walls made from a brick base. It contains cement and sometimes lime. The last component is necessary for high indoor humidity.

A layer of plaster should be applied to brick walls, the width of which does not exceed 30 mm. If the width is more than 20 mm, then it is necessary to attach a chain-link mesh. It will help keep the mixture on the wall; its use is important for reinforcement.

A solution of plastering walls with cement mortar is prepared as follows:

take 1 part cement and 4 parts sifted sand;
These components must be mixed with water to a thick, plastic consistency.

If you use cement and lime for internal plastering of walls, then their proportions are approximately equal - 1:1 (2). Use 6 parts cement. It is also important to know about the proportion of the plaster solution.

Moreover, first of all, you need to mix cement and sand, then add lime until it becomes liquid. If the consistency is too thick, you can use a small amount of water.

If there are facing bricks, it is necessary to use professional-type soil compositions. The same applies to the reinforcing mesh. In this matter, rely on the experience of the masters, who will choose the best option for you.

Concrete wall

A primer with quartz inclusions is used if the surface has a smooth texture. They will add a little roughness, and gypsum powder is also added to the solution. This component helps strengthen the adhesion of the mixture to the surface.

It is important to be familiar with the instructions for finishing walls with plaster. If a solution of lime and gypsum is used, then it is necessary to adhere to the proportions of 3 parts lime and 1 part gypsum.

It is necessary to prepare the mixture by mixing gypsum with water. In this case, the mass should not be too thick. Then lime is poured into it, kneading the mixture until smooth.

Experts advise impregnating its surface with “Betonokontakt” before applying plaster. This primer penetrates deeply into the surface, creating the desired effect.

Note! If you do not have any experience in this area, then you should try your hand at a separate area. With the help of these manipulations, you can develop basic skills that will help you do the job efficiently.

Knowledge of this kind will undoubtedly be useful to both owners of a private house and apartment. After all, walls often need leveling and additional work.

Application of beacons

In order for your wall to be smooth, beacon plaster is used. These are original landmarks that help to achieve a flat surface; they are set using a building level.

These are metal guides; they are fixed using a gypsum solution. The advantages are quick setting, while the metal profile is in its original position. They must be installed at a distance of 1.5 meters.

It is also possible to plaster walls without beacons. With this option, plumb lines are used. A short level is placed against the guide until the gypsum solution is completely dry. Place a level in the middle of the surface, then level it along the guide side. In this case, it is necessary to press the block quite carefully.

Solution

The process of preparing the solution goes through several stages, each of which should be considered.

A thick consistency of plaster mortar is applied to the wall.

Priming. This is the name of the second stage. The consistency of the soil resembles dough. It is applied using a trowel or a wide spatula. The thickness of the solution is 7-8 mm.

The final stage. It is made from fine-grained sand. At the end of its preparation, it should resemble sour cream in consistency.

conclusions

First you need to prepare the walls for work, then start preparing the solution. There are several options, choose one of them and feel free to use it. If you don't have experience, you can practice on a separate area of the surface. And then get to work.

Photo of the process of plastering walls with your own hands

Any, even the most expensive and high-quality finish will look completely ridiculous on crooked walls. And not any material will “lie” on an unprepared surface. In addition, curved walls cause a lot of problems when arranging or hanging furniture and other interior items. Therefore, the problem of carefully leveling all surfaces to be finished is relevant in the vast majority of cases of renovation in an apartment or house.

And you absolutely cannot do without applying plaster if you have to deal with a “bare wall,” for example, brick or block masonry. Here you have to apply a layer that will become both protective and leveling at the same time. And such cases are all too common both in modern new buildings and when building your own home.

The work of professional plasterers costs a lot. Therefore, many homeowners, wanting to save money, try to perform most of the finishing operations themselves. They need to be prepared for the fact that it may not start working out right away - this operation cannot be called simple, even if one wants to. And all the more important it will be for them to learn in advance how to properly plaster walls, so that they can soberly assess their own capabilities and make a decision in favor of one option or another.

How much work remains?

The owner of the apartment (house) must answer this question in advance. The complexity of its implementation and the amount of materials that will need to be purchased will depend on the assessment of the scale of the work.

It is necessary to measure the dimensions of the room - this, by the way, will help to draw the diagram on paper. The requirement is optional, but still the graphic image very often becomes an excellent help when a novice master begins to estimate the thickness of future plaster layers on each wall.

The initial parameters will be the lengths of the sides of all walls. In a rectangular room, ideally, opposite walls should be the same, but, alas, this does not always happen. Measuring and comparing the diagonals immediately shows how distorted the correct configuration of the room is - the diagonals of a rectangle must be strictly equal.
The height of the walls is measured - this will allow you to determine the area of each of them. Naturally, window and door openings should be subtracted from this area. Based on the known area values, it will be possible to estimate how much material will be required for plastering.

To help those who have problems determining surface area.

Walls are not always rectangular in shape, and determining the area of more complex shapes can sometimes become difficult. For example, when finishing attic rooms, areas in the form of trapezoids or even non-rectangular triangles are often encountered. There may also be more complex ones, for example, arched configurations. Various cases are discussed in detail in a special publication dedicated to.

It is clear that the task of plastering the walls in any case will be to bring them to a vertical plane. Using a long rule and a building level, you should immediately assess how much the wall plane differs from the required vertical one. To do this, the rule is pressed against the point most protruding towards the room. These readings (direction of deviation and its magnitude) can also be plotted on the diagram with symbols that are understandable to you. In the illustration above, they are indicated by blue arrows as an example. That is, the distance from the vertical line to the wall surface is measured, for example, using a ruler or square.

If you don’t have a long rule for the entire height of the wall, then you can hang the plane with a regular plumb line. After hanging it, the distances from the wall surface to the thread at the maximum and minimum points are measured, compared, and their difference shows the magnitude of the level difference.

Plaster prices

plaster

The obtained difference values will also be useful for conducting preliminarycalculationsrequired amount of materials for plastering.

It was already mentioned above that the shape of the room may differ from a rectangle. Plastering can also eliminate such a drawback, if this is fundamentally important for the owners. Knowing the values of the measured diagonals and lengths of the sides of the room, it is easy to make a drawing diagram and try to fit a rectangle into it, assessing how much the thickness of the walls will have to be increased in different areas.

At the same time, they try to choose as a starting line the wall on which there is a doorway - the width of the walls of this opening (slopes) after plastering should be the same on both sides, otherwise it will look extremely unsightly. And if you start such an alignment from an arbitrary wall, then just at the level of the doors (or, in a variation, a window opening) a very significant distortion may well appear.

When choosing this alignment path, it must be borne in mind that it must be justified by practical considerations. It should be correctly understood that every extra centimeter of thickness of the plaster layer results in tens of kilograms of solution and a significant complication of the work. In addition, the area of the room is reduced. So it is often wiser to draw the walls exactly vertically and put up with small deviations from the rectangular shape of the room, which will not be particularly noticeable, rather than to bring them to the ideal. However, it is up to the owners to decide. The diagram drawn up should help them make such a decision.

How to plaster walls

Today, consumers are offered a very wide range of different compositions for plastering walls. They differ in the basic component and, accordingly, in the scope of application.

Gypsum-based plasters (which often contain polymer additives) are the most popular when leveling walls indoors. They are very easy to use, have high plasticity, and provide a high-quality surface for further finishing.

"Knauf Rotband" is a typical example of high-quality gypsum plaster for interior use

The disadvantage of such plasters is their instability to high humidity, due to the characteristics of gypsum. That is, they are suitable only for interior work and only for rooms with normal humidity. Sometimes, however, reservations are made that their use in bathrooms and kitchens is permissible if a continuous covering with ceramic tiles is planned with careful sealing of the seams. But this is still a rather risky option - due to the fact that tile adhesives usually have a cement base, “conflicts” are possible.

For rooms with high humidity and for external work, cement-based plasters are used. They create a reliable basis for any type of subsequent finishing.

True, working with cement plasters is much more difficult, although many of them are enriched special polymer plasticizing additives. Material consumption is also significantly higher. But at the same time, the cost of cement compositions is about a third lower than gypsum ones.

Prices for Knauf Rotband plaster

plaster "Knauf Rotband"

A very successful solution is the use of combined cement-gypsum plasters, which combine the advantages of both of the above types. Such compositions are the most universal.

Such compositions are convenient to work with, as they have the plasticity of gypsum mixtures. And, at the same time, the plaster layer easily tolerates conditions of high humidity. And the only drawback is that their acquisition will cost more.

There are also ready-made polymer-based compositions. But we will not consider them, since their use for internal leveling of walls looks completely unprofitable - their prices are quite “impressive”. And on top of that, most often polymer-based plasters involve some kind of plastering, that is, they are usually used for facade finishing.

The table below shows, as an example, several popular brands of plasters that are well suited for leveling various types of walls indoors. Please note that the manufacturer stipulates not only the scope of application, but also the permissible layer thickness for a single application - this can also be very important when planning work.

Name, type of binder	Scope of application	Minimum and maximum thickness of a one-time applied layer, mm
Gypsum plaster "Knauf Rotband" bags 5 or 30 kg	For leveling ceilings and walls with a solid base made of concrete, brick, including those covered with cement plaster, polystyrene foam, cement-bonded particle boards. It is used in rooms with a normal level of humidity, as well as in kitchens or bathrooms, if a waterproof finish is installed (ceramic tiles with sealed seams).	from 5 to 50 mm, with the possibility of re-application after the first layer has dried.
Gypsum gray plaster "Perfecta" bags 10 or 30 kg	For plastering walls and ceilings made of concrete, gas and foam concrete, brick, stone and any gypsum surfaces in rooms with normal humidity levels.	from 5 to 50 mm
White gypsum plaster "Verputz" 30 kg bags	For leveling the walls of rooms with normal humidity levels. Apply to any solid base made of concrete, brick, stone, including those covered with old cement or gypsum plaster.	from 5 to 50 mm
Gypsum plaster "Volma-Canvas" 30 kg bags	For plastering indoors with normal humidity levels. Apply to any hard base.	from 5 to 30 mm
Gypsum gray plaster “Agat TM Stone Flower” 30 kg bags		from 5 to 30 mm, It is recommended to apply once in a layer of up to 20 mm
Gypsum gray plaster “Prospectors” 30 kg bags	For plastering walls and ceilings in rooms with normal humidity on any hard base.	from 5 to 50 mm, locally it is allowed to increase the thickness to 80 mm
Gypsum white plaster "Perfecta" 30 kg bags	For plastering walls and ceilings in rooms with normal humidity. Can be used on all hard substrates made of concrete, brick, stone, aerated concrete and foam concrete.	from 5 to 60 mm
Gypsum white plaster "Unis-Teplon" 30 kg bags	For plastering walls and ceilings in rooms with moderate humidity on any hard substrate. Has increased thermal insulation properties.	from 5 to 50 mm
Gypsum-cement plaster “Prospectors Mixter” 30 kg bags	For plastering in rooms with normal and high levels of humidity on all solid bases made of concrete, cellular concrete, brickwork, including old cement plaster.	from 5 to 60 mm local application up to 100 mm
Base cement plaster “Knauf Sokelputz UP 310” 25 kg bags	For plastering plinths, as well as rooms with high levels of humidity and high dynamic loads. Suitable for use on hard concrete and brick substrates.	from 10 to 35 mm single application in a layer of up to 15 mm. If the total layer thickness is more than 15 mm, galvanized plaster mesh should be used.
Leveling cement plaster “Knauf Unterputz UP 210” 25 kg bags	For plastering facades and hard surfaces of concrete and brick in rooms with high humidity.	from 10 to 35 mm with a single application, a layer of up to 20 mm.
Light cement-sand plaster “Starateli” 25 kg bags	For external and internal use. For plastering facades and surfaces in rooms with normal and high humidity. It is used on bases made of concrete, brick, cement plaster, cellular concrete.	from 10 to 20 mm, There is the possibility of repeated application with drying of intermediate layers.

The cost of mixtures can vary significantly, and not only by specific brands, but also by sales regions - the location of production lines and logistics features affect. So it is better to clarify this parameter specifically by location.

One of the characteristics indicated by the manufacturer is always the estimated mixture consumption. Most often it is expressed in kilograms - it shows how much composition will be used to apply a plaster layer 10 mm thick over an area of 1 m².

This allows you to calculate the volume of material purchases in advance. In this case, of course, one should also take into account possible losses, which due to inexperience can be very significant. So, it would be useful to include a reserve of about 10%, and if plastering will be performed for the first time, then the entire 15%.