When it becomes necessary to smooth the walls with plaster, the consumer is faced with a huge selection of different materials, which is why it is difficult to figure out on your own how to plaster the walls in the apartment. Before deciding which plaster to choose for walls in any room, it is necessary to determine the future operating conditions of the surface, which will help to figure out which plaster for walls is better in each particular case.
The correct choice of finishing mixture depends on the following indicators:
Terms of Use. The material in question can be used to process internal and external walls in normal or high humidity. For interior work in dry rooms, all types of finishing solutions are suitable.
To plaster the exterior surfaces of brick or concrete (facade elements, balconies), a cement-sand mixture is required, and cement-lime mixes are suitable for working with surfaces exposed to high humidity.
The addition of fiber to cement-sand mortars allows to impart higher strength characteristics when working with external walls.
Temperature mode. In rooms not intended for year-round use, for example, in country houses, plaster mortars based on plaster cannot be used. With temperature differences, the plaster of this material will be destroyed. In this case, only cement mixtures can be used.
Characteristics of the sand. To prepare surfaces for various types of subsequent finishing, sand of various fractions is used. So, to prepare the wall for painting, you should use the average size of the fractions, for the final plaster - small, for leveling the walls for gluing or installing tiles - large.
Finishing skills. Far not every master can correctly apply the mortar to the surface and level it qualitatively, so before starting work, you should make sure that the invited finishers are able to work with a specific type of plaster mortar. It is difficult to do this work independently, without training and practice.
The method of applying the solution. In addition to the manual application of the mixture to the surface, there is the possibility of machining the walls using special devices.
Cost. The use of expensive and cheap materials, while observing the technology of work, gives almost the same result, but there is a difference in the speed of surface treatment and the timing of a full set of mortar strength. So, polymer compositions, although they are much more expensive than the usual cement or lime mixtures, gain strength faster, which allows you to start the next work earlier.
Types of plaster by composition
For the preparation of various surfaces using three main types of plaster for interior decoration and exterior work:
Cement mortars. Universal material suitable for almost any surface. The positive qualities of solutions with a predominance of cement include:
- the ability to withstand sudden changes in temperature without changing the strength characteristics;
- the ability to process the applied material for several hours;
- surfaces plastered with cement mixtures are frost-resistant, do not allow moisture and steam to pass through;
- affordable price;
- plastered surfaces can retain their properties and strength for at least 30 years.
The disadvantages of cement-based plaster mortars include a long (28 days) period of curing and the need for highly skilled performer. Before wallpapering, the plastered surface will have to be puttied and a primer applied.
Gypsum mortars. This material allows you to prepare a surface for gluing roll materials.
Advantages:
- the drying period of the mixture is 2-3 hours;
- plastic and convenient solution for quick work;
- the final set of strength occurs within 10 days;
- plastered surface is ready for finishing work.
Disadvantages:
- gypsum is afraid of moisture, therefore in humid environments this material is destroyed.
Polymer solutions. This material is intended to eliminate minor imperfections on concrete and brick surfaces, and is also suitable for use with drywall.
Advantages:
- mixtures have antiseptic properties;
- not afraid of moisture;
- can be used for processing external and internal surfaces;
- are waterproofing material;
- can serve as a material for finishing.
Disadvantages:
- to obtain a high-quality coating, this material is applied to an already prepared and leveled surface.
The choice of plaster according to the wall material
When the customer has decided to level the walls with plaster, it is necessary to determine the better to plaster the walls in the house inside, what kind of plaster mixture to use in the bathroom and toilet, in the kitchen or in living rooms. The type of mixture depends on the material of the surface, which it is decided to plaster.
How can plaster walls in the bathroom and toilet? It should be remembered that for rooms with high humidity, mortars based on cement and lime are used, and the lime in this mixture should be twice as much as cement.
Before plastering wooden walls inside the house, for example, from a bar, it is necessary to strengthen a metal mesh on the surface, which will serve as a framework for plastering and will allow adhesion to be maintained, since in the normal state the solution does not adhere to the tree.
If the surface has significant vertical differences, it is recommended to eliminate uneven places with the help of shingles or the installation of special removable type beacons. In cottages and country houses that are not intended for permanent residence, the best option for preparing the walls is plaster, since drywall is destroyed under conditions of temperature and humidity.
To level the wooden substrates, mixtures with a predominance of cement and gypsum are used, clay solutions with a high content of plasticizers and the addition of fiber can be used.
How to plaster the walls inside the house if the masonry is made of gas blocks or gas silicate blocks, which are fixed with special glue? In this case, it is necessary to fix the plaster mesh to the surface, and aerated concrete should be plastered with cement and gypsum mortars.
To figure out how to plaster walls from foam blocks inside the house, you need to remember that the usual rough finish with cement mortars in this case will not work due to the complete lack of adhesion. A good option for leveling foam concrete and foam block walls, a mixture with a predominance of gypsum. To work with foam concrete surfaces, lightweight mixtures of “Pobedit” or “Glims Velur” plaster are recommended.
For leveling brick or concrete walls, cement-based mixtures are best suited, which will provide reliable adhesion of the mortar to obtain an ideal surface for painting, wallpapering or tile installation.
Popular manufacturers and prices
When choosing suitable materials for leveling walls, you should pay attention to already established manufacturers. The most popular brands are:
- "Ceresit ST 29" for concrete and brick surfaces. Basis: cement-sand mixture with mineral additives. Cost per pack of 25 kg from 450 rubles;
- Volma Canvas for concrete, foam concrete and brick surfaces, walls of their aerated concrete. Basis: gypsum. Cost per package of 30 kg from 350 rubles;
- "Prospectors" for rooms with high humidity and concrete or brick surfaces. The cost of packaging is 50 kg from 400 rubles;
- Knauf Rotband for concrete and brick surfaces. Cost per package of 30 kg from 390 rubles;
- Caparol Capatect for brick surfaces, porous concrete walls and expanded clay. Basis: mineral materials. The cost of packaging is 25 kg from 700 rubles.
The following brands also belong to the popular brands of stucco mortars: “Founder”, “Unis”, “Concrete”, “Glims”, “Mapei”.
What to choose for a beginner repairman
Inexperienced plasterers, when choosing a suitable mixture, should first of all pay attention to the material of the surface to be treated:
- For brick and concrete exterior and interior walls, cement mortar is best. It is optimal as a basis for further tiling and for wallpapering, but in this case it is necessary to apply a layer of putty;
- If you have to process the walls of foam concrete, apply gypsum mortars;
- For wooden surfaces, preparation in the form of shingles or metal mesh is necessary, and for plastering, cement or gypsum compounds are used.
Before starting work, it is recommended to treat the work surface with soil to remove excess porosity.
For interior work in a city apartment, the optimal solution for concrete walls will be gypsum-based materials that provide high-quality surface preparation for gluing.