Currently, the choice of materials for decoration of residential premises is of great importance. Many people try to surround themselves with natural types of cladding, such as wood, stone. However, these materials are quite expensive and not everyone can afford it. Considering this issue, manufacturers proposed an alternative. They became decorative travertine plaster. It most plausibly imitates the texture of natural stone.
Subtleties of Travertino Plaster
This finishing material was developed relatively recently. But its uniqueness contributed to the rapid development of popularity and made it the most popular in the construction industry. Surfaces coated with decorative plaster look quite natural, with natural gloss. This material is able to convey not only the picture, but even the smallest details of the stone. Due to the ease of application, the surface can be given the appearance of brickwork or delimited on the panel. Decorative travertine plaster is excellent for wall and ceiling decoration. It is quite textured, which allows you to create a unique interior. If necessary, the plaster is easily painted with water-based paints or varnished. It includes slaked lime, crushed marble or quartz, sand, acrylic and other binders. Thanks to them, the material acquires high strength and reliability. And lime allows you to polish the surface without the use of special waxes. Application does not require special preparatory work, it will be enough only to prime the walls with a composition containing quartz chips. After drying, plaster is applied. Its consumption per 1 m 2 is about 1.5-2 kg.
Properties of decorative plaster
The main distinguishing quality of this type of finishing material is a high rate of moisture absorption. It is great for both indoor and outdoor use. The stability of the plaster to different climatic conditions allows for a long time to forget about the frequent restoration of building facades . All components included in the composition do not pose a risk to human health. This species, in comparison with other finishing materials, is considered the most environmental, while it is quite resistant to damage by fungus, mold and other bacteria. Although the cost of decorative plaster is low (about 150-700 rubles per 1 m 2 ), it is quite durable, and the manufacturer guarantees the absence of cracks for several decades. Due to this quality, it can be used in new buildings that have not yet shrunk. It is also worth noting that decorative plaster lends itself to partial restoration.
Variety of colors
Decorative plaster, as a rule, goes on sale, having a natural color. However, this does not mean at all that it is limited in a variety of shades. There are several ways to give it color solutions:
- Adding colorful substances directly to the solution. In this case, it will be quite simple to apply it on the wall and polish it.
- The color of the plaster can be changed after finishing. To do this, the already dried surface is painted with glazing compositions. You can apply them with a brush, sponge or roller. This method is the most complicated, since the degree of surface painting will depend on the selected technology.
- Combination of the two above methods. With the right approach, this option will give the space depth and natural charm.
Advantages of Travertino Plaster
This finishing material has a lot of advantages:
- environmentally friendly;
- possesses antibacterial properties;
- resistant to mechanical damage;
- able to cover small surface defects;
- ease of application;
- possibility of partial replacement;
- variety of textures;
- durability, strength, reliability;
- profitability: on condition of ideally even surfaces, the plaster (1x1 material consumption) is applied in thin layers, which can significantly save on the amount of material;
- possible staining in different colors;
- does not require additional surface preparation;
- aesthetic appearance, fully imitating natural stone.
The technology of applying decorative plaster to the surface
The process of applying plaster is quite simple, so you can easily cope with such work yourself. The main thing is to adhere to a certain technology, which includes the following steps:
- Preparatory work. Decorative travertine plaster is applied only on perfectly clean and always dry surfaces. If plastering was previously carried out with cement-sand mortar, it is necessary to carry out processing with special deep penetrating adhesives. After this, let the surface dry well. And only after sustaining a certain period of time, it must be treated with a primer mixture, which includes quartz chips.
- Application of the solution. In order to properly distribute the plaster on the surface, you must use a special spatula with rounded edges. It is applied evenly over the entire plane, the layer thickness should not exceed 1-2 mm. After this, it is necessary to allow the surface to completely dry for 12-15 hours. Work with the second layer is more complicated, since it is during its application that a certain relief is formed. To do this, you need to arm yourself with a hard brush or brush. When applying the second layer, decorative plaster travertino is thrown randomly. After waiting 15-20 minutes, it is smoothed with a spatula. Thanks to this method, natural depressions appear on the surface, plausibly imitating natural stone. A prerequisite for such work is the constant wetting of the plaster.
- Panel separation or masonry. It is extremely simple to give a certain pattern to the plastered surface. To do this, it is enough to arm yourself with a metal level, which will serve as a guide. Size and shape are selected individually. The marking is done on a slightly dried solution.
Travertino plaster: drawing a finishing layer
The final stage of finishing with plaster is the application of a finish coating. To do this, use any glazing compositions: varnish, wax and others. They can be either glossy or matte. This method of decoration will favorably emphasize the surface texture. The final coating must be applied in two layers: the first - with a roller, for deep impregnation, the second - with a foam sponge, in dotted or circular motions.
Decorative travertine plaster is the best option for surface finishing. She can act as the main background or focus on certain subjects. Such plaster harmoniously combines with many design styles, filling the space with grace and giving it a majestic natural look.