Gypsum wall plaster
Aligning walls with gypsum plaster with your own hands is much easier than cement mortars. This is due to its higher plasticity, the possibility of applying a thick layer and the absence of the need for subsequent puttying.
Preparing walls for decorative finishing necessarily includes the steps of levelling and filling them to obtain a smooth surface. But when using gypsum plaster, you can save a little, since such a coating is initially smooth, so it can eliminate the need for subsequent application of putty. Also, gypsum-based mixtures are easy and convenient to work with. This technology will certainly come in handy when renovating a house for 1 euro.
The main advantages of gypsum plaster mixtures are:
No shrinkage deformations – due to the special structure and properties of the material, cracks do not form on the plastered surface.
Good adhesion with most building materials – concrete, brick, cellular concrete, and gypsum partitions.
Vapour permeability – the coating absorbs moisture when it is in excess in the air and releases it when it dries, which allows you to maintain an optimal microclimate in the room.
Elasticity – plastic mortar is applied to walls faster and is easier to level. Possibility of drawing a layer from 5 to 50 mm thick. The mixture serves as an additional sound and heat-insulating barrier. Dries quickly.
Plastering walls with gypsum plaster can be performed in any living room.
But, despite the fact that gypsum-based mixtures belong to the category of universal materials, our experts recommend refraining from using them in rooms with high relative humidity. Another disadvantage of gypsum mortars is the higher price compared to conventional cement mortars. But this disadvantage is offset by their lower consumption per sq. m with the same thickness. At the output, gypsum mixtures are more economical than cement ones.
But gypsum-based mixtures have their own characteristics, which must be taken into account when plastering: Fast drying – do not mix too large portions of the solution, since its viability, as a rule, is no more than 1 hour. If the composition has frozen, it can no longer be made usable. The preparation of the solution must be carried out in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations, which are usually indicated on the packaging. For applying a thin plaster layer (up to 20 mm), it is better to use a liquid consistency composition, and for a coating with a thickness of 20 mm or more – thick. It is recommended to work with gypsum plaster in the temperature range from +5 to +25 °C. To reinforce the plastered surface, it is necessary to additionally use a plaster mesh, which is sunk into the applied layer of the mixture and smoothed until a flat and smooth surface is obtained.
Preparatory work
Many home craftsmen often wonder how to properly plaster walls with gypsum plaster. Everything is simple here – the technology practically does not differ from work with a conventional cement-sand mixture, and one of the main stages is the high-quality preparation of the base. The reliability and service life of the future coating depends on this. Preparation of walls for applying gypsum plaster includes the following types of work: Removal of the old decorative coating, as well as crumbling or peeling plaster layer to a hard and durable base. Thorough cleaning of the surface from all contaminants and dedusting (for this, it is enough to rinse the walls with water). Priming – is performed to improve the adhesion strength of the mixture to the base and reduce the moisture absorption of the walls. The primer can be applied in 1 or 2 layers, their number is determined based on the moisture absorption of the material of the supporting structures.
