If you are building a house or doing repairs in your apartment, then you know how important it is to control every little thing. Particular attention should be paid to the basics: building material, supporting structures and plaster.
It is plaster that is the material that is able to correct minor flaws in the foundation of your house or apartment. But without knowing how much the plaster dries, you can destroy the results of hours of work on applying it to the walls. It is unlikely that you want this.
If you want to save money, nerves and valuable time, then read this article. From it you will learn how much the plaster dries on the walls in the room, what it is and how to apply it correctly.
Why do you need to plaster the walls?
This question is asked by many inexperienced builders. Thanks to the plastering of the premises, the necessary evenness of the walls is achieved. Moreover, plaster protects the building material from the harmful effects of the environment: gusts of wind, rain or hail. Stucco is another “layer” of the house that keeps indoor temperature.
What materials should be plastered
For different materials, the reasons why they need to be plastered differ:
- Brick. It is plastered to give the wall evenness, and also in order to exclude the blowing of a cold wind. If there are small gaps between the blocks that are difficult to notice, then the plaster material will cover them. Thin brick walls can be strengthened with putty with a special reinforcing mesh.
- Gas and foam concrete. Both materials have a porous structure, so they must be protected from water. A drop that has entered the pores of foam concrete will freeze and expand at low temperatures, crumbling material. The top layer of the finish leaves and collapses, even if this happens rather slowly.
- Arbolite. This mixture of sawdust and cement is well resistant to weather events, but only in theory. Practice shows that a swollen tree destroys the structure of the wall. To prevent moisture from entering the sawdust, arbolite must be plastered. Especially if you want the building to stand for more than one decade.
- Styrofoam. Extremely sensitive to sunlight, from which the material must be protected. Without plaster armor, polystyrene will survive no longer than fifteen years.
- Concrete. It is plastered only if the evenness of the walls does not suit.
- Limestone. A good dense rock can survive for more than a century, so it does not need plaster. The main thing is to find a proven quarry and not buy shell limestone crumbling right in your hands.
Choosing the Right Material
In order to choose the ideal plaster, you need to determine why you need it:
- For special purposes like waterproofing, insulation or thickening of walls.
- For interior decoration.
- For decorating.
- For rough work.
- For applying the final layer, leveling the wall.
By answering this question, you will greatly facilitate your choice, because you will already know what properties the material should have.
Next, you need to determine the budget. Decorative plaster, especially Venetian, is quite expensive. Are you ready to give your best to purchase quality and proven materials, or is it more profitable for you to buy something cheaper?
If after plastering the walls you are going to lay tiles or glue wallpaper, then it is better to purchase stucco based on lime or cement. Such material lays well on almost any surface and perfectly smoothes out large irregularities.
Still not sure which plaster to choose? Yes, the market is constantly updated: new types of materials are appearing, “young” manufacturers are emerging from the shadows, and “old men” are starting to underestimate the quality of their goods. Check with the specialists how much the stucco dries on the walls in the room if you are repairing inside the apartment or house. This will allow you to choose the fastest drying option.
In order not to miscalculate with the choice of plaster, you can ask for advice from sellers in construction stores. They will help you choose the right materials exclusively for your needs.
Types of plaster
The purpose of this material may be different. Therefore, plaster is divided into several types:
- retaining heat;
- acoustic;
- insulating water;
- having a special purpose: reflecting x-rays, acid resistant.
- decorative.
As you can see, there are many types of plaster on the market. For the interior decoration of living quarters, decorative plaster is used, which is also divided into types:
- Structural. It contains large particles that form the surface.
- Venetian. Thanks to the inclusion of marble dust, it can imitate this stone.
- Textured. Thanks to her, you can create impressive reliefs on the walls.
Also, the plaster may be dry or wet. If you are doing the repair for the first time, it will be easier to purchase already diluted plaster so as not to spoil the materials.
How to plaster walls
The technology of applying plaster on the surface is quite simple, although it requires some accuracy. The process consists of 3 stages, each time a layer of solution is applied to the surface.
Each stage is distinguished by an individual way of applying material:
- The initial layer is the thickest of all, applied by hand or trowel. To apply it does not require special skills, this is a draft layer. You will have to be patient for further work on top of this layer of plaster, since it dries for quite a while in the room and on the external walls.
- The second layer should be applied more accurately, but still it is not the finish. It is applied with a wide spatula or trowel, bringing the solution to a pasty consistency.
- The last layer should look like sour cream. It is prepared using fine sand without coarse particles.
Plaster layer thickness
For high-quality processing of walls, you need to know not only the rules for working with the material, but also how much it needs to be applied:
- For the first draft layer, the thickness varies depending on the surface material. So, 5 mm plasters are laid on brick and concrete, and for wood you need already 8 or 9 mm with a crate.
- A thickness of about 7 mm is sufficient for the second layer, a little more is possible.
- The finish layer may have a different thickness. It depends on the accuracy of the previous layers, since the latter should smooth out all the bumps on the walls.
How much plaster dries
The plaster is applied in layers, and for work with the subsequent it is necessary to wait for the previous to dry. So the question arises: how much do the plaster layers dry?
There is a simple formula for an approximate calculation: 1 mm of plaster dries for 4 hours. At the same time, you need to know that it is better to leave just 1 day for the layer to dry out, so that it can at least somehow grasp. Starting work on dry plaster can seriously ruin the evenness of the entire layer.
Also, the drying speed depends on the surface material and the quality of its processing before applying the plaster. The wood dries faster than stone because of its throughput, and a wet wall will dry longer than it is thoroughly wiped.
Now, knowing how much the plaster dries, you will not start work ahead of schedule and will not spoil your wall.
How to speed up the process
Several factors affect the drying speed of the plaster:
- Humidity of the room.
- Base material.
- The quality of the plaster, especially if you bred it yourself.
- Layer of plaster.
- Accuracy of compliance with the drying rate of materials.
Repair work can only be continued if the plaster layer has a moisture content of not more than 8%. But what if there is no time to wait for solidification?
You can artificially accelerate drying. To do this, use several methods:
- First of all, finishing is planned for the warm season. The weather forecast will help you navigate the air humidity, it should be minimal.
- In extreme cases, dry heat is arranged in the premises. Heaters do a great job of this, but the plaster may crack due to setting too quickly.
- Hardeners, lamps, fans and hair dryers can help you speed up drying. Read the instructions on the plaster can thoroughly before using these methods. Can the material be dried in this way?
- Good air exchange will help you. Open windows at night in a room with fresh stucco. Just make sure there is no rainfall.
In order not to spoil the material, it is better to ask an experienced construction supervisor for advice on repairing an apartment.
Tips for novice plasterer
If you are not too experienced, then a few tips for repairing an apartment will certainly help you in this difficult task:
- Work in rubber gloves, do not allow the material to come into contact with the skin, as the plaster dries on the walls and on the skin at different speeds. You won’t even notice how it will firmly stick to your hands.
- Before applying the plaster, you need to take care of the surface preparation. First of all, it is worth drying it. Have you ever wondered how long the plaster on the walls dries if there is a layer of moisture between the material and the surface? Two, or even three times longer than with a dry base.
- With artificial acceleration of the drying of the plaster, it is likely that you will ruin the whole work. Plaster may crack to the depth of the entire layer. Better be patient and do not stimulate the drying process for no reason, no matter how much the plaster dries.
And finally, one more important piece of advice: if consultants in construction stores help you choose plaster, listen to at least three sellers before buying. Remember that their salaries depend on the number of sales.