What is Plastering?
Plastering is a process used to produce an acceptable final
wall or ceiling finish to a building prior to decoration. A substrate is the surface to which the plastering system is
to be applied.
Backing coats which cover the substrates are between 9mm and
40mm thick under normal circumstances and the overall thickness can be built up
in coats as is necessary.
Ceilings and Partitions
In older building, these areas are covered in a layer of
timber laths which are plastered over.
When strength is required, a thin steel sheet mesh called
expanded metal lath is fixed in place and then plastered over. In contemporary fast-track work plasterboards are fixed in
place, the joints taped with a fibre mesh tape (scrim) to prevent cracking and
then skimmed over with a finishing coat of a gypsum plaster.
Plasterboards
Basic plasterboard is a flat sheet of gypsum between 9mm and
12.5mm thick, sandwiched between sheets of durable paper. Boards are also
available with various backings of differing thickness to improve insulation,
restrict the passage of water vapor and to protect against fire. It has become common practice to bond or fix plasterboards
to substrates to serve as the backing plaster coat. This method is known as dot
and dab or drywall.
Finishing Coats
Finishing coats are usually between 3mm and 5mm and bring
the backing coats to a smooth skim finish. Finishing plasters used to produce
these setting coats are available as premixed gypsum plasters. Finishing coats can also be lime putty and fine sand or a
mixture of lime, sand and gypsum known as gauged setting stuff.
Solid Plastering
Solid plastering denotes backing coats of a paste or
mortar-type consistency comprised of an aggregate and a binding matrix. Binders
include lime, gypsum and cement. Aggregates include sand, vermiculite and perlite.
Choosing a Plastering Material
Lime plasters are compatible with old buildings containing
slight dampness. They are said to breathe, which means they allow moisture to
evaporate from the wall before it shows as damp patches. It is always worth
considering why moisture is present in the wall in the first place?
Gypsum plasters set much quicker than lime plasters, so
speed up waiting times between coats. In cold conditions gypsum backing
plasters can take a long time to dry. Gypsum backing plasters (and this
includes standard plasterboards) should never be used on damp walls. Gypsum plasters are compatible with dry brickwork or
blockwork, preferably to internal surfaces of cavity wall construction.
Cement-based plasters or renders have their uses, they can
be gauged with lime and used externally, and can be useful for waterproofing
and tanking. Strong mixes can pull away from weak backgrounds and are brittle –
cracking if slight movement of the building occurs, they can also be cold and
attract condensation.
Ornamental Plastering
Decorative plasterwork has a long history. Mouldings were
originally run in-situ with ornaments cast in carved boxwood, pear-wood or hard plaster and gelatine moulds using composition
materials and gauged setting stuff. At a later date fibrous plastering techniques arrived, first
used in France,
the technique involves the use of Plaster of Paris with hessian/canvass scrim
to reinforce casts and timber laths to assist fixing. With some timber, sheet steel, moulding compounds and a few
bags of casting plaster, all manner of ornamental plasterwork can be created.
