Among all the existing varieties of decorative plaster, the most luxurious and most beautiful is the Venetian one, characterized by the effect of a marble surface. Compared to real marble, this is a budget option. In the interior, Venetian plaster delicately emphasizes the style and richness of the room. But achieving an ideal result without the presence of certain work skills and time-honed professional skills is extremely difficult.
Venetian stucco in the interior
The appearance of such plaster is very rich, so far from every interior it will look appropriate. Due to its beauty and strength, it is often used in the decoration of various public buildings, hotels, business centers, cafes and restaurants. Venetian marble plaster looks great in chic large halls with good lighting.
Often it is applied in private houses and apartments. It perfectly suits the interior in the style of classic, empire, baroque, vintage. Most often, the Venetian is used to equip the premises in the spirit of the Middle Ages. It can be used for a modern style, but here it is very important to choose the right color. So, for example, for hi-tech style, Venetian marbled plaster in matt or white pastel color is ideal.
Basically, they veneer the surface of the walls in fairly spacious rooms and then supplement them with original frescoes, panels or paintings. But venetian plastering can be done in small rooms. So, for example, using light shades and the translucent effect of such material, you can make the room visually larger.
Modern compositions of this plaster are resistant to high humidity and temperature changes, mold does not form on them, and they are easy to wash. Thanks to all these features, Venetian stucco is widely used in the decoration of bathrooms and kitchens.
Advantages
The application of Venetian plaster has a number of obvious advantages:
- The ability to obtain the effect of a monolithic marble surface.
- Moisture resistant. Due to the fact that wax is used as the finishing layer, the surface of marble plaster becomes waterproof.
- Durability. Decorative Venetian plaster is able to hold on the surface for 10 years or more. Over this period of time, it will not lose its luster, color and beautiful original appearance.
- Strength. Such a surface is able to withstand temperature extremes from -50 ° C to +50 ° C.
- Ecological cleanliness. The classic mineral composition is hypoallergenic. This finish is absolutely non-toxic, it can be safely used even in children's rooms and medical facilities.
- Lack of specific unpleasant odors.
- Fire safety.
- Easy to care. It is easy and quick to wash such a surface from pollution not only with a soap solution, but also with plain water. Solvents are not recommended.
- Textured and color variety.
disadvantages
Despite the many advantages, this material has its drawbacks. But they are usually associated not with operational properties, but with the features of applying this finish. It requires a perfectly flat wall surface and high qualification of the master plasterer. Applying Venetian plaster is a rather delicate and painstaking process, which requires not only the appropriate skill, but also a lot of time, since this work takes several times longer than manipulating with ordinary plaster. In addition, it is worth noting the rather high price of such finishes in comparison with other materials.
Composition
The basis of Venetian plaster is made up of small particles of natural stone (dust, flour, crumbs). For these purposes are used: granite, marble, limestone, quartz, onyx, malachite and other types. The composition of this material depends on what effect is required. Stone dust is mixed with a binder (slaked lime and water emulsion) until the sour cream is thick and applied to the surface of the walls. In addition to these components, the "Venetian" can include inorganic and organic pigments necessary to protect the coating from such negative external influences as, for example, UV rays.
In addition to the plaster itself, there is another layer made of natural beeswax. It serves to protect against moisture and dust. In addition, wax, impregnating all Venetian plaster, gives it color saturation and additional shine.
Plaster mixes can be purchased either ready-made or performed independently. The second method is suitable only for skilled craftsmen, since it is very difficult to choose the correct proportions of the components so that the coating is both durable and plastic.
Types of Venetian Plaster
For interior decoration, several types of plaster are used, which, depending on the composition of the mixture, have a different effect. The main ones are:
- "Veneto";
- “Trevignano”;
- Marbello
- "Encausto."
Let's consider them in more detail.
Veneto
The most common, simple, economical and affordable option. This Venetian decorative plaster is easy to apply, easy to clean, and resistant to external influences. With its help, you can create an imitation of brushed polished marble. The coating is characterized by high wear resistance, therefore it is often used in public areas with high traffic.
"Trevignano"
Imitates a marbled mirror surface, similar to travertine rock, illuminated from the inside. The main advantage of such a Venetian plaster is the presence of a large number of multi-colored layers, which provide the effect of a glossy translucent coating. The material is well suited for decorating luxurious baroque living rooms, as well as for vintage interiors.
Marbello
Imitates roughly processed marble with a velvety surface. With the help of lighting it is possible to achieve a different perception of the color of the finish. The composition contains copolymer additives that provide high moisture protective properties of the composition, so this material is often used for wall decoration in the bathroom.
Encausto
This type of Venetian plaster imitates granite. The surface is semi-matte or matte, with impregnations that look like polished granite granules.
What do you need to prepare for work?
You can master the technology of wall decoration by the Venetian yourself. To do this, you need to purchase some materials and tools that will be used for the following work:
- Preparing the surface of the walls for decoration.
- For applying plaster.
- Surface decoration.
Instruments
For work you will need:
- drill with a special nozzle-mixer to knead the solution and make color;
- plastic buckets or other containers for plaster;
- measuring cups for additives, tints and other components;
- steel graters for leveling and grinding solution;
- spatulas;
- trowel for Venetian plaster or roller;
- level, tape measure, metal ruler;
- fine grater;
- masking tape.
- rags.
Application technology
Before starting work, the working surface must be carefully prepared: on the walls there should be no grooves, tubercles, cracks. The base for applying the Venetian plaster should be perfectly even and always vertical, without any deviations in level.
The surface of the wall is divided into sections of approximately 0.5-1.0 square meters. m. The material is applied in small portions, as it quickly sets. Plaster is distributed according to the “dry to wet” method, in other words, a fresh portion of the composition is applied with the transition to the already laid.
So, the application of classical Venetian plaster is carried out as follows:
- 1st layer - base. It is he who is the main tone of the future finish. It is applied by an even thin continuous layer. Excess material is carefully removed with a spatula. Drying of the first layer occurs within 6-8 hours.
- The 2nd layer gives a glossy effect. It is applied with short strokes, on which the future texture of the surface will depend. Moreover, the more random strokes, the more attractive the appearance of the wall. At the end of the application of the plaster, it is smoothed with a trowel and left to dry. The work must be done quickly enough, because the composition is very quickly set. If you are late with leveling, this can lead to further cracking. Remember that tools for applying Venetian plaster must be constantly clean. They should not contain dried pieces of mortar, otherwise scratches will remain on the surface.
- 3rd layer adds a visual effect. In order to have beautiful veins on the marble surface, compositions of different colors can be used. Application of the solution is carried out by wavy strokes.
- It is possible to apply more layers. In addition to the first, they all serve to create the desired effect, pattern or pattern. It is quite difficult to perfectly perform such delicate work on your own, but the masters are able to create real masterpieces in 8-9 layers, each of which makes the surface more spectacular and beautiful.
- After complete drying of the applied Venetian plaster, the walls are polished with a fine-grained grater and adjusted. All available flaws are eliminated.
About a week after applying the plaster, the final stage is completed - waxing the finished surface. Application is carried out using a sponge, wool glove or rubber spatula. Then the surface is polished with a soft cloth.