It is worth noting that decorative plaster coat is familiar to almost everyone. This is just the name this intricate material has, and it has been used in construction for a long time - you can even see it on buildings erected more than a dozen years ago. True, then it was a classic "homemade": the craftsmen mixed cement and sand in certain proportions and threw it on the walls of the facades of houses. As a result, the walls, although acquiring a textured appearance, still represented a rather dull sight, inducing longing in a hideous gray color. By the way, even today, some craftsmen still, in their eternal desire to save money, are trying to independently make such a solution for decorating houses or personal buildings. And completely in vain. Dry coat decorative coatings, currently available in each store for sale, is an absolutely inexpensive finishing material, which at the same time, unlike home-made, has quite acceptable performance characteristics. True, on the shelves you can see not only dry mixes. There are also ready-to-use solutions, packaged in buckets. Such textured decorative plaster will cost much more. However, it has a slightly different composition and improved characteristics. However, we will not get ahead of ourselves, but rather consider in more detail the types of “fur coats” offered by the construction market.
Types of plaster
In fact, why is it called a fur coat? Because after application on the wall there is a textured coating, not smooth, but somewhat reminiscent of fur. And all due to the fact that a filler is added to the composition of a conventional plaster mixture - fine ground natural stone. The appearance of the finish depends on its dimensions, which are called fractions. That is, the larger the fraction, the more prominent the finish. As we already mentioned, the decorative coat “coat” is produced in the form of dry mixes that need to be diluted with water. Such a composition has a white or gray color and has one significant drawback - it attracts dust and all kinds of dirt very strongly. But it is inexpensive, so it is most often used for outdoor decoration, when you need to process large areas. In addition, a “fur coat” made with such a mixture can be painted in any color.
The finished solution sold in buckets contains additional synthetic polymers. Due to this, such a mixture is more elastic and has good strength characteristics. It can be either white or gray, or color. The composition is quite expensive, so most often it is used when conducting interior decoration. With the goal of all the same savings.
Application
Textured decorative plaster is used to create a finish coat. Moreover, it is equally well suited for building facades, that is, outdoor work, and for interior decoration. With its help, you can get a very beautiful relief coating that will adorn the walls of any room. In addition, quite often it is used to decorate individual elements of the interior, for example, arches, borders. In general, falling into skilled hands, this relatively inexpensive material can work wonders. In addition to a very attractive appearance, such a coating also has a number of other positive characteristics, which need to be described in more detail.
The advantages of a "fur coat"
Nevertheless, it is not without reason that it bears such a name. This finishing material protects the surface like a fur coat of our body from the cold. That is, it has excellent thermally insulating properties. In addition, it protects the walls from the effects of destructive atmospheric phenomena. It is characterized by excellent soundproofing qualities. Damaged areas are easy to restore. Easy to use, so you can finish yourself. It perfectly hides surface defects, which is why preparatory work does not take much time. As we already mentioned, is a fairly cheap material. Well, of course, you can not discount the excellent aesthetic characteristics that this textured plaster has. The photos presented in the article, by the way, eloquently indicate that in this regard it is really at its best.
Well, after all the praises that we have sung to this excellent finishing material in all respects, many home masters will probably want to use it in practice. How to do this - we will tell further. And we will try to do it as detailed as possible.
Training
As we have already mentioned, preparatory work before plastering with a “fur coat” does not take much time and is not particularly tiring. If you plan to finish the facade of a new building, then you just need to prime the surface and let it dry. If the house is not new, then the walls need to be carefully inspected and all cracks and defects should be repaired with an ordinary mortar. After this, also primer the surface. In those cases when it is planned to carry out finishing work indoors, the walls must be thoroughly cleaned of old materials - wallpaper, paint, whitewash. Cracks and defects are also recommended to be repaired. No puttying is necessary. The grainy texture will hide under itself all minor irregularities and scratches. But the surface must be primed. After the composition has dried, you can proceed to the finishing work.
Instruments
Decorative plaster "coat" is applied to the walls in several ways. Therefore, the tools for them will need the appropriate. Depending on the chosen method, the master needs to have: a textured roller, a spatula and a trowel, a manual sprayer, a stationary compressor and ... a broom and a stick. The last type of “toolkit” was used at one time by our grandfathers, however, even today, despite the availability of advanced technologies, some masters still sometimes use it. Of course, it is unlikely that anyone would think of splashing the entire facade of the cottage with a broom and stick, but no one will run behind a stationary compressor to finish a small area. So in small areas this method can be used. About him and everyone else - more in more detail.
Important!
If you decide to use a dry composition, which should be diluted with water, then you should remember a few important rules. Firstly, as we said, the mixture contains fine fractions of natural stone. And, as a rule, during the storage and transportation of the plaster, all these heavy pieces move down to the bottom of the package. Therefore, before mixing, it is very important not to forget to thoroughly mix the entire contents of the bag.
Secondly, the technology of work also requires compliance with certain rules. "Fur coat" on the walls should be applied without interruption. That is, roughly speaking, in one sitting you need to trim the entire surface from one corner to another. Therefore, it is best to work with an assistant to always have a ready-made solution for a “fur coat”. Because if you are distracted by its mixing, then on the surface the transition between the previous and subsequent layer will remain visible.
Next is more about each finishing method.
Spatula + trowel
With this method of finishing, a layer of plaster is first sprayed with a spatula, and then leveled with a trowel. Her movements can be both circular and back and forth. The final appearance of the finish depends on the chosen method. Usually, an area of ​​not more than one square is processed at a time, in addition, it is necessary to ensure that the applied layer corresponds in its thickness to the size of the fractions of the mixture used. The alignment process should not be delayed. You need to start it immediately, as soon as a layer of decorative plaster is applied. This is especially true when using ready-made mixtures that set quickly enough.
Roller
There are two possible uses. With a simpler textured decorative plaster is applied using the same technology as the paint. The mixture is diluted with water to the state of liquid sour cream, then dipped into it with a long pile and literally stained with the composition of the wall.
In the second method, the plaster is applied to the wall with a spatula, and then leveled with a textured roller. Here you must follow the same requirements as when using a trowel.
Vintage way
We make a broom from the rods, dip it in a pre-prepared solution, then spray it onto the surface, hitting the broom with a base on the stick. I must say that the method is simply amazing for its economy, nevertheless it is good only for finishing small areas, since, firstly, it is quite laborious, and secondly, the coating has a not very neat appearance. Nevertheless, the basement base in the country with it can be finished. Moreover, if you use ingenuity, then the decorative coating can be ennobled. For example, flatten with the same roller.
Sprinkler
This is such a peculiar machine for a "fur coat", which experts affectionately call a barrel organ. A plaster mortar is poured into a container resembling a small suitcase and equipped with rotating plates, after which the master puts it with an opening to the surface being trimmed and starts to twist the handle. The plates come into action and spray the solution on the wall. It must be said that this method is already considered semi-professional. The "barrel organ" can also be purchased at a hardware store.
Compressor
When a “fur coat” is applied to the front, no barrel-grinder rollers, and especially brooms, will not save. Large outdoor areas of houses, especially those with several floors, can be qualitatively finished only using special devices. In this case, it is a compressor. Such a unit is quite expensive, but the finish made with its help is of high quality and has an excellent appearance. So, if you need to plaster the entire facade of the house, then it is best to turn to professionals. Well, or, at worst, rent a compressor.
A few words about coloring
As we have already mentioned, most often masters use white or gray colored materials such as textured plaster. The photos presented in the review allow you to see how much more attractive the facade of a building painted in bright shades looks. Yes, of course, you can buy an already tinted finished mixture, but it will cost much more than gray-white. Most often, in order to refine the surface of the facade, the masters simply paint it after finishing in any color they like. The option is not bad, but it has several drawbacks. Firstly, under the influence of the sun and moisture, the painted surface will certainly lose its original attractiveness. Secondly, when defects appear on the facade (which is inevitable), the true color of the finish will be visible on the chips under the paint. All the same white or gray. Therefore, professionals strongly recommend adding pigment directly to the plaster itself, while mixing the solution. And then the “fur coat” applied to the facade will please you for many years with its attractive appearance.