How to plaster without beacons is of interest to many, because not everyone understands how to make a landmark and bring the plane to zero. In this article we will consider the question of how to plaster walls without beacons and at the same time do everything efficiently. You will also be presented with photos and videos in this article on the rules of work and you can do everything yourself, then the final price will be much lower.
Plastering without beacons is not as easy a question as it seems, and therefore is immediately divided into three other questions: what is the finished plaster, what is the mixture for such work, and what are the plastering works themselves. The questions will be answered in order.
Plaster as a cladding can be a fully prepared finish, and also serve as a basis for painting, cladding, wallpapering (see Wall decoration with wallpaper in the correct form) or future cladding.
Depending on their purpose, they are classified into several others:
| Priming | Ideally smooth, but sometimes the surface has roughness for future finishing or cladding. Smoothness, uniformity, wear resistance and strength come first; maintaining the tone is not necessary. |
| Finishing work, or in other words, covering | Individual type of finishing work. Required condition– it must adhere firmly to the ground and create the necessary tone. Its absolute smoothness is necessary for painting. mirror paints, that is, enamel. |
| Protective work | IN construction work Various types of protective plasters are often used. There are cases when protection is required from the possible penetration of radiation into the house, but often it is necessary to protect the basements of houses from the penetration of moisture and the formation of dampness. This is easy to do with a special solution, besides, the walls of home basements are usually made of bricks, so it stays there Wonderful. Important requirements are resistance to water and hardness; in this case, the smoothness of the surface does not play a special role. |
| Outdoor work | In this situation, greater resilience is required than in previous situations. It is customary to carry out such work using mixtures made with cement with foreign additives. An affordable cost will be obtained when such work is performed by experienced plasterers by machine (see Machine plastering: how to do it right), so there is no point in considering further. |
Indispensable equipment for work
I would like to warn you right away that the most common “gentleman’s set”, that is, inexpensive tools at reasonable prices, will serve as an excellent example.
Firstly, to plaster the surface of a wall without existing beacons, we need this:
- Large vessel for preparing and stirring the solution. The word “large” means that it can fit at least 4 buckets of the finished mixture.
Attention: If you don’t find a suitable vessel for stirring the solution, then it’s easy to make it yourself, because you don’t need special effort and knowledge. You will need one simple galvanized sheet, 4 clean boards and self-tapping screws. We measure out a small rectangular corner on the sheet and remove all excess with a self-tapping screw. Next, we turn the edges of the sheet up 10-20 cm and screw the boards to them - these, as you understand, are the sides of the future trough. It is convenient to use such utensils in the future.
- Two types of shovels: regular shovel and shovel American type . To make things easier, you can use ordinary hoes from the garden, rather than just the shovels we are used to. These hoes make the work process much easier. This also affects the quality of the product, since there will be no solid lumps in the solution, while it can be more difficult to achieve an ideal homogeneous mass with a shovel.
- Trowel, plastering ladle and a pair of spacious buckets.
- A couple of foam floats for rubbing the surface. If plastering will be done without guides, then you need to try to get longer and more voluminous floats. Their price will not be much higher than the price of ordinary such graters, but the finished surface will thus turn out much more beautiful and smoother.
Start of plastering work
The first step is to prepare a place for work. Just on a stool or ladder nothing can be done. If you need to plaster a large surface, then it is better to immediately purchase or rent scaffolding.
Attention: Be sure to remember that at the end of the next stage of work, all tools must be cleaned of dirt and dust in clean water. Never use dirty water left over from washing instruments to mix the future mixture, because it is no longer suitable for use. It needs to be isolated in a hole, but not in a sink, since debris can clog in the sewer pipe.
Surface preparation
The process of preparing the surface for plastering has three stages:
- Complete surface cleaning.
- Restoration of small nuances.
- Creation of a surface ready for plastering.
Plastering without beacons is usually carried out in small spaces. This technology requires the master to have certain experience in performing plastering works and a good eye.
To plaster wall surfaces using the method we are interested in with your own hands, you need to stock up on inexpensive equipment and tools. First of all, prepare a trough in which the solution will be mixed. It is optimal if it holds 4-5 buckets of wall plaster composition.
There is no need to buy a trough at all. It is quite possible to build it with your own hands from four boards, a galvanized sheet and universal screws. This is done simply. Take a galvanized sheet, measure a rectangular piece on it, cut off the excess material, and then bend the edges of the resulting workpiece upward by 15–20 cm. The boards should be attached to the curved edges using self-tapping screws, thereby forming the sides of the container for mixing the solution. Believe me, working with such a homemade trough will be just as convenient as working with a factory one.
Plastered walls
You can stir the composition for plastering walls with shovels (prepare an American shovel and a regular shovel), as well as a garden hoe. The latter is ideal for home craftsmen. With its help, the solution is mixed very efficiently and at the same time easily. Directly Finishing work without beacons, we will do it with a trowel and foam graters (it’s better to purchase them large area and length, since it is planned to process walls without beacons) and long rule(2 m or more).
Don't forget to prepare 2-3 large buckets and a plaster ladle, as well as the following materials:
- Marine or regular. It should be free of organic inclusions and large pieces (it is advisable to purchase sifted material).
- Cement. The brand doesn't really matter. The main thing is that the cement is free of stone inclusions.
- Alabaster. You will need 4 kilograms of it. If you plan to plaster the walls in a very small room, 2.5–3 kg of alabaster will be enough.
- PVA glue. Be sure to use this component to create the mixture. PVA does ready solution much more durable and ductile, which facilitates the process of finishing walls with your own hands.
You will also need acrylic primer. It is intended for application to the surface of the wall before plastering it. There is no need to use the primer too actively. It is enough to lightly moisten the surfaces. If you apply a lot of primer to the walls, a kind of film will appear on them. It will reduce the adhesion properties of the wall surface and mortar for plaster without beacons.
Before you start plastering the walls with your own hands, pay attention to a few tips from professional craftsmen. Firstly, experts do not recommend treating overly smooth walls at once. This is due to the fact that it will be very difficult for you to apply a new layer to a surface on which there are no frozen areas of plaster (they are called anchors). There will simply be nothing for new portions of the mixture to cling to.
Plastering process without beacons
Such smooth walls are best treated using plaster mesh or throw several cakes of the mixture on them, wait until they harden, and only then continue plastering work. Secondly, it is undesirable to throw ready mixture on excessively wet or dry surfaces. The solution will quickly slide off a wall that is too wet, but it will not stick to a wall that is too dry.
Thirdly, the mixture for plaster cannot be made very liquid, thick or dry. When kneading, you should get a plastic solution that can be easily thrown onto the surface with a minimum of effort. Dry plasters fall off the wall immediately, but thick plasters begin to flake off from it when pulled with a rule or when performing final grouting. Knowing these rules, you can easily carry out plastering without beacons, even without having experience in performing such work.
First you need to clean the walls of nails and other hardware present on the surface, as well as dust and dirt. Then you can start preparing a solution of sand and cement (3 to 1). Mix in factory or homemade trough dry ingredients until the composition acquires a uniform gray tint. Now you can add water to it - in small portions and stirring constantly.
When the density of the solution becomes optimal, add a little PVA glue to it. And mix everything thoroughly again.
- Take the mixture into a ladle and throw it (with a jerky, sharp movement) onto the surface to be treated. At this stage you can clearly see whether you have made the solution correctly. If the cake on the wall surface has no cracks or torn pieces, it means your mixture turned out great.
- Using a ladle, pour water over the wall. Wait for all the drips to drain.
- Take a small portion of the plaster composition into a bucket, dilute it with water, and stir. Treat the surface with the resulting solution - “water” it from the ceiling to the base vertical stripes. You will receive original beacons for applying the main layer of the composition.
- Waiting until pre-plaster won't dry out.
Now it is allowed to begin full-fledged finishing work. At the same time, do not forget - you are plastering without helpers, you will have to try to ensure that the mortar lays on the walls as evenly as possible. This can be achieved by using the following technology:
- Draw three lines of mortar horizontally with a ladle (it is advisable to add a little alabaster to it, and we will explain why to do this below) - at the top of the wall, below and in the middle.
- Use a trowel and rule to remove excess composition from the lines, achieving an even layer with the least deviations. Check the result with a level.
- Wait for the treated surface to dry. A simple solution will take a long time to harden, but we added alabaster to it. Due to this, the composition will dry out in 25–30 minutes.
Thus, we process walls without metal guides. But in fact we use other helpers - made from sand-cement composition. Everything else is simple. Throw the solution onto the areas between the guides we made. You wait about a quarter of an hour. During this time, the solution will harden a little, which will allow you to remove all excess mixture as a rule.
After leveling the surface of the walls, wait another couple of hours. Then apply the plaster compound into all voids and small gaps. The final work is finishing the plastered surface with a float. That's all the wisdom of processing walls without beacons with your own hands!
Plastering walls is perhaps the most common way to level them and prepare them for final finishing. The technology is highly versatile and makes it possible to tidy up both fairly smooth surfaces and those with significant defects and curvatures. In addition, the plaster layer is always also additional protection wall material from the negative influence of the external environment.
The “classic” of plastering work is the use of tiles, which set the plane of the future surface. However, in some cases, a perfectly even wall condition is not the main priority, and the procedure for setting beacon profiles can be omitted. How to plaster walls without beacons with your own hands - we will try to answer this question in this publication.
It should immediately be noted that despite the lack of need for one of the operations - precise installation lighthouses, the process of such plastering as a whole is a very difficult task, and in order to get a truly high-quality result, you need to have well-developed finishing skills. If you take on such work without having any experience at all in plastering walls, then the initial results may be very far from what was intended.
Where and why can you apply plastering technology without beacons?
It is clear that any conscientious homeowner strives for the ideal plane of walls during construction and finishing. However, there are often cases when such an approach still does not seem justified.
Agree, for example, that when building a utility room (workshop, barn, poultry house and other outbuildings) located in the “backyard,” perfectly laid out walls are simply useless. It is enough to ensure that they are visually smooth, have no obvious surface defects, and the material from which they are constructed receives reliable plaster protection. Moreover, if the masonry was carried out carefully, with constant monitoring of the verticality of the wall and the straightness of the rows.
There doesn’t seem to be much point in complicating the work when plastering the utility rooms of the house, internal surfaces walls in a garage, workshop, boiler room. A thin layer of plaster will hide visible flaws and prepare the surfaces for, for example, painting or whitewashing, but checking their perfect evenness as a rule is unlikely to occur to anyone.
However, many professional craftsmen prefer to use homemade plaster solutions, the “recipe” of which has long been known to them and has proven itself well in practice. Owners often resort to this approach. country houses, especially when plastering external walls or when finishing non-residential premises.
For such purposes, conventional cement-sand, lime, cement-lime, and even clay mortars, which are still in demand, are used. Of course, their composition must be optimally balanced in terms of component components - in a word, you need to know the correct proportions for preparing plaster solutions.
Below is a calculator that will help you determine the total amount plaster mortar for finishing a wall of a certain area. In addition, the program will calculate required amount ingredients for preparing this volume of plaster in two versions (with approximately the same strength indicator - M-75):
— cement-lime mortar is one of the most popular, with excellent plasticity and increased versatility, that is, suitable also for interior decoration premises.
- ordinary cement-sand mortar, well suited for external works, including for the basement part of the walls, and for finishing rooms with increased level humidity.
It is widely believed that in order to obtain a high-quality plastered surface, it is necessary to use beacons that determine the position of the vertical plane. However, this opinion is erroneous, since in some cases it is possible to completely dispense with the installation of guide profiles and thereby significantly simplify the process of performing the work by plastering the walls with your own hands without beacons.
The installation of guides when plastering walls can be abandoned when high demands are not placed on the quality of wall surface finishing and application of a plaster layer is necessary only for subsequent decorative painting or whitewash. Similar situations can be seen during repairs of a garage, workshop, utility and auxiliary premises.
When checking and obtaining results indicating the presence of very small deviations brickwork The installation of beacons will also not be required depending on the position of the vertical plane. In addition, installation of guide marks is not necessary:
- before laying on the walls ceramic tiles or other similar materials;
- in the case of plasterboard wall cladding, when the surface is already flat;
- if the quality of the masonry provides a smooth surface and the main purpose of plastering is to seal the seams and provide a base for painting or wallpapering.
If we consider the total volumes of construction, we can see that the listed cases account for at least a quarter, or even a third of all plastering work performed. This means there is no need to complicate construction at all and incur unjustified additional costs.
Work procedure
The process of applying plaster mortar consists of several successive steps, which include:
- quantity calculation necessary materials and their purchase;
- preparation of tools and equipment;
- surface pre-treatment;
- applying plaster mortar with leveling.
Additional measurements, installation of beacons and verification of the obtained plane direction are not carried out during these works.
Composition of required materials
Before you level the walls without beacons, to prepare and apply the plaster mortar you need to purchase:
- cement grade M400;
- slaked lime;
- river or washed sand;
- deeply penetrating soil, specifically for the material from which the wall is made;
- liquid detergent or factory-made plasticizer;
- fiber from polymer material for layer reinforcement;
- clean water.
A primer such as Ceresit 16, Condor or Alpina will provide the best level of adhesion of the plaster mortar to the brick wall surface. The use of plasticizers facilitates leveling and slows down the process of cement hydration, maintaining working qualities cement mixture until the completion of work.
Determining the required quantity
Initially, you might think that knowing the composition of the components of the solution and their ratio, you can easily calculate the volume of necessary materials. However, when plastering walls without beacons, it is difficult to determine the exact thickness of the applied layer. Therefore, simply multiplying the wall area by the coating with a regulatory amendment of 10% will not work.
Therefore, knowledgeable craftsmen solve this issue quite simply. Using a building level and a rod, measure several verticals and determine the amount of deviation from the desired plane. The result obtained is divided by 2 and the estimated thickness of the plaster layer of 4-5 mm is added.
This method allows you to calculate the future consumption of materials with an accuracy of 90-95%, which will already ensure the ability to complete the work and will not require the purchase of excess.
Working tools and equipment
To perform plastering work, you must have and prepare:
- a trough or other similar container capable of holding 5 or more buckets of solution;
- a garden hoe, which is more convenient for stirring the mixture than a shovel;
- stepladder or small portable scaffolding;
- brush, roller and ditch for working with soil;
- a flat board or durable slats at least 2 meters long;
- plasterer's set, including a trowel, a falcon, a grater, a trowel and a pair of spatulas;
- hammer and chisel;
- weight plumb and bubble building level.
Mixing the plaster solution is usually done by hand. Using a concrete mixer when doing work at home is simply not advisable, since you will not have time to produce the amount of prepared mixture.
Preparatory stage
Before plastering without beacons, the walls of the room must be prepared. To do this you should:
- remove wallpaper, whitewash, paint, tiles or old plaster, if they are there;
- inspect the wall and repair noticeable cracks, chips, wide masonry joints with mortar and cut off individual protrusions with a chisel;
- on a smooth concrete wall, apply shallow notches with a chisel for better adhesion of the plaster mortar to the surface;
- clean the wall of dust by sweeping it with a soft brush;
- Apply, with a break to dry, two layers of deeply penetrating primer.
From the quality of execution preparatory work the final result depends greatly appearance plastered wall and the durability of the coating.
Preparation of plaster mixture
As already said, cement mortar for plastering without beacons at home, it is usually done manually. If you do not use a ready-made dry mixture, which can be bought in a store, then pour 5 parts of sand by volume into 2 parts of cement into the trough and mix them well in a dry state. It is convenient to use a regular garden hoe for mixing.
After this, dilute slaked lime in water in an amount equal to half the volume of cement poured in. Pour the limewater into the trough and stir the mixture. If the solution is too thick, just add more clean water. Plasticizer or liquid soap, as well as fiber fibers are added to the already mixed cement-lime mixture.
When performing external plastering work, slaked lime is not used. The solution is prepared from cement and sand in a ratio of 1:4 or 1:5. It will be more difficult to work with such a mixture, but it is more durable under adverse influences of the external environment and temperature changes.
Solution application technology
Plastering walls without beacons consists of two stages. At the first, which is called spraying, a liquid, flowing solution is literally poured over the wall. This layer serves to ensure reliable adhesion of the plaster to the stone or concrete surface.
On professional level To quickly complete work at this stage, craftsmen use special hoppers operating on compressed air from the compressor. In the absence of a special tool, the liquid solution can be applied with a grater, spatula or even a wide paint brush with hard bristles.
The mortar layer should be as thin as possible and have no gaps.
After the applied spray has dried a little, you should proceed to the second stage - applying the base layer. In this case, it is very important not to overdry the primer coating, since then normal fastening of the layers to the wall will not be ensured.
It is most convenient to apply the mortar onto the wall using a shovel and level the surface with a trowel. The process must be controlled using a level rod and a long building level.
Speaking about methods of orientation while plastering walls without beacons, experienced plasterers name 3 different options. At the same time, everyone believes that their technology is the simplest and provides the best quality.
Arrangement of mortar guidelines. The peculiarity of this method is to lay out three horizontal mortar strips immediately after spraying, the height and position of which are checked using a rod and a spirit level.
Essentially, these are the same lighthouses, but made of mortar at a greater distance. Especially high precision guidelines will not be provided, but the time required to complete the work is significantly reduced and the output result is slightly higher than satisfactory.
Stretching the strings. With this method of leveling walls with plaster without beacons with your own hands, holes are drilled near the corners and self-tapping screws are screwed into dowels. After this, a strong fishing line is pulled over them and the spatial position of the strings is checked, which should coincide with vertical plane. The installation of such landmarks is done immediately after spraying.
Good eye. This is the simplest and cheap way, which does not, however, guarantee increased surface quality in the presence of noticeable differences on the surface. You can only work by eye smooth walls provided that a thin layer of plaster is applied.
Final works
After upper layer The plaster solution will grab the surface a little, you need to rub it in a circular motion. To do this, use a grater or grater. At the final stage, the alignment of walls without beacons is carried out using the rule, carrying it out with wide movements along the surface. This allows you to remove all remaining minor errors.
When holes are found, they are filled with liquid solution and rubbed over. In corners, near the floor and under the ceiling, it is convenient to work with a wide spatula.
This process can be seen in detail and clearly in the video below.
If you have started a renovation, then most likely you already know what you want to see in the final result. However, have you ever thought that when making repairs, on some construction stages can you save money? With all this, the quality of work will not suffer much. For example, with regard to wall decoration, for many it is important that they be plastered exactly to the level. Of course, it's great if you have the opportunity to invest in renovations. The task is especially simplified if you install drywall on the walls, then their verticality will not be in doubt. But this is not always possible. How to balance the desire to do things smoothly and economically?
If we're talking about about plastering, most people know the method by which beacons are first attached to the wall and the finishing is monitored using them. In this article we will tell you how to carry out such work.
Plaster - what is it?
Plaster refers to a mixture applied to surfaces to level them. In this case, plastered surfaces must be subject to subsequent processing. This finish can be applied to walls in one or several layers. The larger the filler, the thicker the layer can be applied.
IN classic version plaster consists of the following components:
- cement;
- sand;
- lime (not always);
- water.
This composition is important to use if you need to level walls in large volumes. However, as practice shows, their use requires special qualifications and large labor costs. Taking this into account, it was developed new technology, according to which finishing is done with a special gypsum mixture.
Various manufacturers produce ready-made dry mixtures specifically designed for plastering. This composition is easy to apply to the wall and level. The method speeds up finishing work several times.
When is plastering possible without beacons?
It’s worth saying right away that this type of finishing has a visual alignment effect. After the work, if you apply the rule to the wall, no cracks or severe distortions will be detected. If you use laser level, then the situation will be different. However, taking into account the savings, for most home craftsmen this leveling method is considered optimal.
So, visual alignment can be done in the following situations:
- the surface of the wall is relatively flat, but there are potholes, sinkholes and protrusions on it;
- the plane is flat, but deviations in the corners are very noticeable;
- there are deviations at the junction with the floor or ceiling.
There are several positive aspects of this technology:
- saving time;
- cost savings;
- possibility of plastering with a thin layer;
- minimum solution consumption;
- absence of cracks due to the absence of beacons.
If you decide to abandon lighthouses, you can also refuse the services of specialist plasterers. This technology is especially relevant for those rooms where perfect evenness is not required, for example in a garage, outbuildings, etc. However, for the sake of objectivity, it is worth highlighting the main disadvantage of this technology - you will not be able to achieve a perfectly flat surface.
Types and choice of plaster
Although you can prepare the plaster yourself, there are many ready-made dry mixes on the market today. They contain all the necessary components and binders. It is enough to mix the composition with water with a construction mixer, and the plaster is ready for use. When choosing, be sure to take into account the following nuances:
- type of surface being processed;
- room features: humidity level, temperature, etc.;
- Are there any time limits for completing the work?
Thus, cement and gypsum dry mixtures are known. Let's compare them with each other:
|
Cement |
Plaster |
|
The composition includes cement, fractionated sand and other additives. |
Used at optimal humidity. |
|
Low cost. |
It is possible to level with a thin layer. |
|
The plastered surface acquires high strength; as a result, the coating will last for many years. Even in conditions of high humidity. |
Due to its plasticity, the mixture is easy to apply evenly on the wall. |
|
Used to level out large uneven areas. It can be used for both external and internal work. |
In a short time, the plaster sets, which allows you to quickly proceed to the next stage of finishing. |
|
Drying time directly depends on the temperature and degree of humidity in the room. |
|
|
After applying the plaster layer, subsequent processing can begin no earlier than 10 days later. |
Video
Using gypsum mixture to level walls
As already mentioned, leveling walls without beacons is possible, and in this sense, ready-made gypsum mixture, which is sold in every hardware store. Moreover, a level is not always necessary. For alignment, the main tool will be the rule.
When purchasing ready-made gypsum plaster, it is important to pay attention to the period of time it takes to harden. The higher this indicator, the better. Especially if you are a beginner, it is important that the mixture does not harden quickly, otherwise you will have to knead in small portions or throw away the dried one.
If we talk about the advantages of gypsum plaster, then pay attention to the following:
- if you already have experience in use, then you can apply the finishing layer in one go;
- good adhesion to the surface;
- upon completion of work there is little waste left;
- high performance and quick drying after application;
- minimum thermal conductivity coefficient;
- the material is fire-resistant, due to the presence of water molecules in the mixture. During a fire, the molecules evaporate, which slows down the heating process of the wall;
- plaster mainly white, which simplifies the next stages of work;
- absent negative harm for human health;
- often used for decorative finishing;
- can be applied up to 6 cm thick without using a reinforcing mesh.
With all the advantages, it is worth highlighting negative sides this technology:
- unlike cement composition, it can be more expensive;
- it is impossible to knead a large volume at a time, since the solution sets quickly;
- When working, it is important to protect your respiratory system, especially during mixing.
Video
Consumption and technical characteristics of the mixtures “Starateli”, “Rotband” and “Volma-Sloy”
On average, consumption per 1 m2 is about 8–9 kg, this is provided that a layer of up to 10 mm is applied. The minimum application layer is from 5 mm, and the maximum can reach 50 mm. Now we invite you to compare the three most popular and widespread gypsum plaster mixtures.
"Prospectors"
This mixture is packaged in 30 kg bags, so the table will list the characteristics based on this indicator:
|
Specifications |
Magnitude |
|
Mixing proportion |
For 30 kg on average 20 liters of water |
|
Hardening period |
About 20 min |
|
Minimum and maximum layer thickness |
From 5 to 50 mm |
|
Layer thickness when leveling walls using fiberglass mesh |
|
|
Compressive strength |
|
|
Adhesion strength |
Not less than 0.5 MPa |
|
Consumption at a layer of 10 mm per m 2 |
|
The Starateli plaster plaster mixture is used for treating surfaces made of brick, concrete, gas and foam concrete and others. After drying, the material is resistant to cracking and also has high sound insulation properties. From the indicated packing date, the shelf life in bags is six months.
"Rotband"
The material is also packaged in 30 kg bags. The table shows the main specifications:
|
Specifications |
Magnitude |
|
Working temperature |
|
|
Minimum layer |
|
|
Maximum layer |
|
|
Consumption at 10 mm thickness |
|
|
Drying time for 10 mm layer |
Up to 60 minutes |
|
Density of the dried layer |
|
|
Compressive strength |
More than 2.5 MPa |
"Volma Layer"
This mixture has the following technical characteristics:
|
Specifications |
Magnitude |
|
Compressive strength |
Not less than 3.5 MPa |
|
Setting period after application |
Up to 180 minutes |
|
Complete hardening time with a layer of 10 mm |
|
|
Maximum layer thickness |
|
|
Consumption at 10 mm layer |
Up to 9 kg/m2 |
|
Operating air temperature |
Rotband plaster - features and technology of its application
Knauf Rotband plaster mixture is a product from German manufacturer. In comparison with similar compositions, Rotband has a high cost, however, it is completely justified. It is considered the best in strength, quality and practicality.
Advantages of Rotband
In the table above we presented the main technical characteristics of this mixture. Now let's look at it positive sides, which make it the best among all competitors:
- You can level walls up to 50 mm thick at a time.
- During the drying process, cracks and shrinkage are not observed.
- The dried surface is quite smooth, which means it does not need to be treated with an additional finishing layer.
- During the drying process, there is no sudden loss of moisture, which promotes gradual and uniform hardening.
- Unlike other gypsum plaster mixtures, the setting period after mixing is long.
- Features high adhesion.
- Unlike cement compositions significantly lower consumption.
- “Rotband” is characterized by vapor permeability, due to which the walls “breathe” and a comfortable microclimate is created in the room.
- The mixture contains no harmful compounds that negatively affect human health.
Plus, it’s worth adding that the total weight of the Rotband plaster gypsum mixture does not put a strong load on the surface being treated. With a little experience, you can level the walls even in one pass. If it is necessary to apply a thick layer, a fiberglass mesh is additionally used to prevent cracking.
Video
Technology of plastering with gypsum mixture
You should first prepare the necessary construction material and tool:
- wide and narrow spatulas;
- rule;
- plaster mixture;
- cold water;
- drill;
- construction mixer;
- reinforcing mesh;
- mixing container.
All work on applying gypsum mixture without beacons consists of several stages:
- Preparation.
- Mixing the solution.
- Application.
Let's consider all these stages in sequence:
|
Stages of work |
Process description |
|
Preparation |
First of all, surface preparation is carried out, namely the removal of dust, dirt, greasy stains, areas that crumble and the like. If the wall strongly absorbs moisture, then an important preparation step is priming. For this purpose, it is recommended to use related materials, such as Knauf Stuc-Primer.
If the surface does not absorb moisture much, for example it is concrete, then Knauf Betonokontakt primer is suitable. This primer contains quartz sand, which gives the wall roughness and increases the quality of adhesion. A primer before plastering without beacons is a mandatory requirement, otherwise the mixture simply will not stick. The next stage should be started only after the soil has completely dried. |
|
Unlike cement-sand mortar for plaster, gypsum should not be mixed in large portions. This is explained by the minimum viability period. The volume of the batch should depend on your performance. For the first batch, use about 10 kg and no more. You will be able to see how much time you need to make a batch and whether you can increase its volume. As for proportions, look at the bag.
Used for kneading cold water. Mixing must be done with a drill with a mixer attachment. This will help prepare a homogeneous mass. After kneading, leave the mixture for 5 minutes, and then mix again and proceed to the next step. |
|
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Application |
The application process is carried out using a wide spatula. The mixture is applied to areas of the surface where unevenness is expected. Afterwards it is leveled by the rule. At the beginning of the work, it is recommended to stick it on the outer corners metal corners. A level must be used for installation. The corner is attached to the wall plaster mixture. After it hardens, you can completely extend the angle along it. One edge of the rule is applied to the corner to see what the gap is along the entire plane. All voids are gradually filled. If the layer thickness exceeds 50 mm, then the second layer should be applied after the first has dried. Moreover, it is also recommended to use reinforcing mesh. It will completely eliminate the appearance of microcracks and will also give the plaster greater strength.
Depending on the type of subsequent finishing, additional finishing is carried out. For example, if you plan to paint the walls, then they must be puttied with finishing putty. |
Plaster with cement-sand mixture
To perform the work, you need to prepare the following tool:
- 2 m rule;
- level;
- container for mixing the solution;
- 2 buckets;
- plaster ladle;
- Master OK;
- foam grater.
Filler for cement mixture
The plaster mixture consists of several important components, which are presented in the following table:
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Filler and binder |
Characteristics |
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In most cases, river quartz sand is used. It does not contain unnecessary inclusions that negatively affect the quality of the mixture. For example, mountain, ravine and dune sand are not suitable for plaster.
If necessary to process concrete wall, then part of the sand (0.25 based on the total volume) should be replaced with ground quartz. Otherwise, there is a risk that the plaster will simply fall off the wall, even if there are notches. |
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This material is used as a binder. It is used depending on the type of surface to be plastered, for example wood, etc.
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It is a binding material. In this case, only slaked lime is used. Lime milk, dough and fluff are also used.
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Cement grades 200 or 400 are predominantly used.
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Glue is used to give the mixture plasticity and greater strength.
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“Fatness” of components – important aspect choice of fillers. Depending on the deposit, the fat content of lime and clay varies. This directly affects viscosity and adhesion.
Subtleties of work
It's important to do everything preparatory stages. At the same time, remember that you won’t be able to get by with a simple stool. Convenient to use for working at heights small forests. You can make them yourself or simply rent them.
As is the case with gypsum plaster, the wall must first be prepared. All exfoliated elements are removed from it, and the surface must be primed. If cracks are found, they should be covered first, especially when it comes to cracks larger than 2 cm. If the wall is concrete, then notches must be made. This will increase the quality of setting.
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Applying the first layer
So, before applying the first layer, the wall must be moistened with water. Next prepared mixture construction bucket or a trowel is thrown over the area to be treated. For ease of use, it is recommended to spread the solution no more than 1 m2. After this, take a construction float and level the entire plane with it. Thus, the layer can reach 7 mm.
For grouting, it is best to use a 50 cm long trowel. Thanks to this, you can evenly distribute the layer of mortar over the wall. Working with a grater is not easy. It needs to be moved from side to side. For example, movements can be from bottom to top, and vice versa. It will not be possible to achieve a perfectly even and smooth surface, so you shouldn’t linger long in a particular area.
Applying a second layer
The second layer of solution is applied only when the first one has already dried. First, take a long rule and run it along the wall, you will be able to detect all the irregularities and sagging. The sharp side of the rule removes all sagging from the surface.
You can apply a second layer. Now the plaster needs to be smoothed better. In this case, the solution should no longer be poured on, but should be carefully smoothed with a grater. When you have processed the entire wall in this way, you can check for evenness by applying a rule. Under it you can see possible depressions or swells that need to be smoothed out. If there are lumps, they should be removed with a grater or the same rule. If there are depressions, then the solution should be added to the required thickness. After all these steps, the wall surface should be practically free of defects.
The third layer is the final one
The last layer of plaster should be the thinnest. To do this, the solution should be made quite liquid. It is applied to the wall using a ladle from top to bottom. After applying it with a trowel in a circular motion, it should be leveled, figuratively speaking, by rubbing it into the surface. As a result of these actions, the processed plane will be smooth.
Upon completion, the result is checked for defects. To do this, a rule is traditionally applied to the wall. Of course, with this method the alignment will be relative.
So, you've learned how to level walls without using beacons. Although this work requires effort, you can save big as a result. Moreover, in this way you can do the plaster yourself in the utility rooms, without involving craftsmen. If you know another technology and have practical experience in this matter, then share your comments at the end of this article.
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