How to Plaster Walls

How to Plaster Walls How to Plaster Walls Plastering has been one of the most popular wall finishes preferred by many homes. Over the years, other wall finishes have emerged that are simpler and less time consuming. However, the demand for plaster walls still exists. For folks who are ready to devote time for giving right plaster finishing to their walls, here are some guidelines that will be helpful for understanding the right way of doing it.

Instructions

The first thing you need to do is plaster repair the walls. This could be time consuming depending upon the amount of repair your wall needs. The vital thing you need to ensure prior starting the repair is you have all the required material and tools with you. Fill up the holes and cracks of your wall with a patch of POP. Allow the patching to dry completely. Once the damaged portions are repaired you can proceed further.
In the next step you need to prepare the surface. When the wall repaired parts dry, make sure to clean the entire surface properly. Remove all the dust, dirt, grease and other such unwanted particles from the surface.
Now apply the first coat of plaster. Also known as scratch coat, it is applied in a thick layer nearly about 3/8” thick to a wall that is covered either with traditional wood or metal lath. After applying the first coat it is ‘scratched’ with a ‘scarifier’ (comb) to create grooves for the second coat in order to help the second coat bond properly.
After the first coat of plaster dries up, go for the next layer of about 3/8” thick. Once the wall has been ‘plastered’ a ‘browning rod’ or straight edge must be run across the surface to ensure there is no irregularity in the plaster surface and the wall is smooth. Though there will be enough texture for the third and final coat to bond with, it is always better to use a cement brush across the surface so as to slightly roughen it to help hold the finish coat firmly.
When the first two coatings dry up thoroughly apply the final finishing coat. This coat must essentially contain a mixture of ‘lime putty’ and water. Using trowel apply the coat in smooth arcs. As the plaster begins to dry out make sure to ‘water trowel’ the surface i.e. spray with small amounts of water and then trowel it for a smooth finish.

Once your plaster wall dries thoroughly it is ready to be primed and painted. You don’t need to sand the surface, as plastered wall is smooth and has proper finishing.