Applying decorative plaster with your own hands

There are many ways to decorate a house, but recently decorative plasters have become more and more popular. They are very diverse, allow you to create walls and ceilings that are unique in appearance. Different types give different effects, plus the application of decorative plaster can also be different. As a result – a huge number of variations for any interior in any style. 

Types of decorative plaster

Decorative plaster is used for finishing walls and ceilings indoors, facades of buildings. The basis can be various substances of both natural (gypsum, cement, marble dust) and artificial (acrylic, silicone, silicate) origin. It is called so because it forms an externally attractive surface with a different texture – from Venetian plaster smooth as marble to embossed stone or “under a fur coat”. The number of options is endless – applying decorative plaster is a creative process and it is unlikely to be repeated exactly. This is another plus of this type of finish.

By the type of surface formed, the following types of decorative plaster are distinguished:

• Embossed. After applying such compositions, some kind of heterogeneity and irregularities are often formed on the surface, that is, they create a relief. Their plus is the low requirements for the preparation of the base. It must be strong and must not crumble. There should also be no significant differences, but perfect smoothness is not required.
  • Textured. The relief is formed due to various inclusions – sand of different grain sizes, stone chips, mica plates, etc. Application of decorative plaster of this type – spatulas (metal, plastic, rubber – depending on the composition). Usually no other special tools are used.
    

    

  • Structural. Plastic, usually homogeneous plaster. The relief is created using various kinds of devices – rollers, special graters, using various techniques. To make structural plaster look organic, considerable skill and artistic flair are required.
    

    

• Smooth. In this category, only one subspecies is Venetian plaster, but they allow you to create surfaces with different appearances. It is a plastic mass, often translucent. It includes dust of marble, malachite and other natural materials. With its help, you can imitate marble, cork, leather, silk, precious woods, various metals, malachite, granite finishes.
  

  

It must be said right away that textured and plastic plasters are often difficult to separate, since different techniques can be used on the same composition. The photo below shows options for only one type of plaster – different techniques for applying decorative plaster make it possible to obtain surfaces that are very different in appearance.

Some decorative plasters are so plastic that they can be used to create a work of art. It turns out very beautiful and original panels.

By changing the application of decorative plaster, all these various reliefs are obtained – from simple to complex.

It is worth considering further dividing them by area of ​​​​application. There are two large groups – for outdoor and indoor work. There are also universal compositions, but rarely. Almost all the compositions discussed above are for internal work. These are more interior solutions. Some of them are resistant to abrasion, some can be washed with detergents and even brushes, but they will not withstand harsh outdoor conditions.

Some types of textured plaster are suitable for outdoor use – bark beetle, for example. This type of finishing material just belongs to the universal. It can be seen on the facade, indoors. In apartments, these are usually corridors and hallways; in offices and institutions, corridors or service premises can be finished in this way.

Putties for outdoor use generally have a rougher structure, contain components that increase resistance to ultraviolet radiation and other climatic influences. In this category there are specific plasters – stone. They consist of small fractions of natural stones in a binder solution. The application of this type of decorative plaster is simple with a spatula or a stainless grater. Other elements are rarely used. On facades and fences, creating reliefs is not a good idea – dust will clog and spoil the appearance, and it is not easy to wash it out. 

Surface preparation

Different types of decorative plaster require different degrees of surface preparation. But we can definitely say that it is necessary to remove everything that can fall off. The surface must be strong, dry and clean, must not crumble. Also a mandatory step is a primer. And not with any composition, but with a special one that creates a rough coating. It increases adhesion (adhesion).

For relief (structural and textured)

Under all relief, you can not especially level the walls or ceiling. The composition is applied in a fairly decent layer – up to 1 cm, so it hides differences up to 8-9 mm. But, in order to reduce the consumption of an expensive composition, it is still recommended to remove large irregularities. The protrusions are cut off, the pits are covered with suitable plaster. The next step is to apply a primer. After drying, you can start applying decorative plaster.

Structural plaster is usually applied in two layers. The first – basic – is laid evenly and dried. The layer thickness is indicated by the manufacturer, usually set with some tolerance. This layer also serves as a leveling layer, but again, in order to reduce costs, it is better to pre-level the surface. The second layer is already applied a little thinner, and a relief begins to form on it.

But not all structural plasters are two-layer. On many, you can form a relief immediately after application, without a base layer. Usually the recommended layer in this case is somewhat thicker.

Under Venetian plaster

The compositions of this group require a perfectly flat surface. Not as smooth as for painting, but almost the same. Small differences are allowed – no more than 2-3 mm per square meter. The wall leveling technology is standard – first, a layer of plaster (ordinary) is applied to the walls, a paint grid is embedded in it. After drying, a leveling layer is applied – to a perfectly even state. Next – a primer, and after the drying of this layer – the application of Venetian plaster.

Application techniques

It is impossible to talk about each method of applying decorative plaster – there are a lot of different details and nuances. The simplest case is with textured plasters. They are simply applied with a spatula. The whole difference is in the direction of movement of the spatula, in the depths of the beards that leave inclusions, and in color. But this is in the base version. No one bothers to experiment on these compositions. Another thing is that the structural effect of the same actions is more impressive – more plastic compositions.

What can be used to create a decorative effect

Applying decorative plaster is possible with many tools and common household materials and fixtures made from them:

• Trowels and graters made of metal. They are used not only for applying the composition in an even layer, but also for forming geometrically chaotic patterns on it.
  

  

• Construction graters made of plastic, polystyrene. They level out the freshly formed overly protruding relief.
• Sandpaper with fine grain. Also for leveling the relief, but on already dried material. When compared with the previous method, the effects are different.
• Foam sponges. They are multifunctional. They can:
  • Create different types of surfaces. Waves, needles (if you apply putty to the surface and tear it off sharply), some kind of balls or flowers (turn the sponge 180 °), etc.
  • Remove paint from protruding parts, making the texture more clear and voluminous.
    

    

• Cellophane films and bags. Also a multifunctional tool:
  • Spreading a thin soft plastic film on freshly applied decorative plaster, you can form a relief with your hands. It can be some kind of abstraction or something with some motives. When the relief is ready, the film is carefully removed, the relief is left to dry.
  • Crumpled paper is wrapped in cling film. Get a simple but effective tool for the formation of a heterogeneous and chaotic pattern. You can use different application techniques – circular movements, short “pokes”, waves, strokes, comets, tails, etc.
  • Just crumpling the cellophane, but already more rigid and “poking” it into the plaster, we get a surface that is somewhat reminiscent of the moon.
• Rollers. Ordinary foam rubber or fur rollers are used, as well as special ones with some kind of pattern. Regular ones are used to create a basic relief, on top of which more pronounced strokes are then applied. The type and shape of the “basic” relief depend on the length of the pile. When rolling with a foam roller, small protrusions-cavities are obtained. When rolling hairy – more pronounced. The longer the pile, the greater the difference.
  

  

• Hands in rubber gloves. any pattern can be made. The task is to repeat more or less similar on the rest of the plane.
  

  

• Brushes. You can get stripes, waves and a bunch of other appearance options.

Principles of relief formation

Decorative plaster is attractive because it allows you to create a unique pattern – you can use your own imagination. To make this drawing look harmonious, you need to know some general rules. Good manufacturers in the description of each composition have rules for working with it. It describes the procedure, methods of application, methods of forming decorative surfaces.

Large firms (manufacturers or shopping centers) hold master classes, where everyone can try to work with a specific decorative plaster, which is also provided there, and not experiment “on the spot”. Therefore, before buying, be sure to read all the available material, watch the videos, which are also often available, and in large numbers – there are really a lot of working methods. Describing in words is difficult and often incomprehensible. Much easier to do everything in video format. We will try to briefly summarize the techniques.

• • When working with structural plasters dyed in mass (the color is added to the composition), a thin base layer is first applied. It can be smooth, maybe – slightly textured – rolled by one of the rollers. This layer is allowed to dry (6-24 hours depending on the manufacturer). Then, one of the reliefs is formed with the same or clarified composition (an uncolored composition is added, obtaining a mass several tones lighter). Further options:
    • • Immediately after formation, while the plaster has not dried, the parts that are too protruding are lightly smoothed with a stainless or plastic trowel.
    • Wait until the layer dries. With sandpaper attached to a holder or a wooden block, some part of the relief is cleaned off.
  • When working with textured plasters, one layer is applied. Without waiting for drying, they immediately take the grout and form the desired relief. An example is working with bark beetle plaster. This composition is widespread, but basically all surfaces are made the same – with vertical strokes formed by inclusions. There are some very interesting techniques in the video.

• The most difficult technique for applying Venetian plaster. The layers are very thin, translucent, there are many of them and are applied in different ways:
  • • An even, thin base coat is applied first. He dries up.
    • Thin chaotic strokes are applied, which gradually fill the surface. In this case, a certain, not very pronounced relief is obtained – strokes of different thicknesses are obtained, different directions.
    • The layer is left to dry for 4-5 hours.
    • They take a large stainless spatula or grater and rub (iron) the surface. In this case, the sharp edges are slightly erased, the surface becomes smooth in places, in places it looks velvety. The “marble effect” begins to appear.
    • The next layer is almost the same, but you just need to level the surface as much as possible.
    • The layer is left to dry for 1,5-2 hours.
    • Smooth down with a smooth, burr-free spatula with rounded ends (so as not to accidentally damage). At this stage, the surface acquires a glossy sheen.
    • The final stage is the coating with decorative wax. This layer increases the moisture resistance of the coating, the glossy sheen becomes more pronounced.

Applying decorative plaster: video tutorials

Not all the nuances of finishing work can be clearly described in words. Previously, everything was passed from the master to the students with the help of an internship. Modern technologies make it possible to make the process more massive – video lessons and master classes give an idea of ​​how to move, which is very difficult to describe in words. This section contains some interesting ideas for decorating walls with embossed plaster.

As you understand, applying decorative plaster is a creative matter. But without experience, it is difficult to imagine what results one or another of your actions will lead to. We look carefully, we try to copy the movements. First, it is advisable to practice on a piece of puttied drywall – to work out the technique. When the result suits you, you can start decorating the walls.