The use of Knauf. Rotband dry plaster mixes in finishing works allows to achieve very high quality surfaces and significantly reduce the complexity of the work.
The completion of any construction, an important stage in the repair of premises, is the decoration of walls, partitions and ceilings. By plastering the walls and partitions, they are given flatness and a clean surface. For the production of this type of work, it is necessary to use plaster mortars based on lime, cement-sand compositions or the use of "Rotband".
Types of plaster mixes
Over the past century, the most common types of materials used in the plastering of walls were mortars based on lime, as well as cement-sand mixtures.
Only these two types of materials were available, were used in the work, despite their significant shortcomings of a technical and technological nature.
With the expansion of opportunities for export-import operations at the interstate level, new materials and technologies, including those for construction purposes, began to flow into the country. Particularly popular were imported decorative materials, among which the Rotband plaster occupies a confident position.
The main advantages of Rothband plaster
At first, the single, and then more massive use of the Rotband showed its tangible advantages over materials that were previously used in the plastering of building structures. These advantages are:
- significant savings in the expenditure of new building material compared to previously used plaster mortars when performing the same amount of plastering work;
- Rothband plaster does not contain components harmful to human health, chemicals, it is environmentally friendly;
- quick drying in 5 days and complete hardening of the plaster layer in up to 7 days can significantly speed up the process of finishing work;
- the use of "Rotband" provides plastering with such a clean surface that it is possible to paint or paste on it without performing putty;
- a high level of plasticity of the material greatly facilitates the work of a specialist performing plastering;
- good resistance to open fire, a sufficient degree of protection of combustible building materials covered by it;
- increases the level of thermal insulation of the room and reduces the penetration of extraneous noise;
- the structure of the material allows excess moisture to pass from the wall and back, which creates the effect of “breathing walls”;
- high efficiency of use in rooms with high humidity - the Rotband plaster mix in the bathroom reliably performs functional tasks.
Manufacturer
The developer and copyright holder of the Rothband plaster mixes is the German company Knauf Gips KG.
The company was founded in 1932, in 1949 it built the first plant for the production of gypsum mixtures for construction, in 1958 - a plant for the production of sheet drywall. Her area of activity is the production of dry plaster mixes, plasterboard building sheets, as well as fiberglass insulation materials.
Given the great popularity and widespread use, Knauf. Rotband plaster with the participation of German partners is produced by enterprises located in the territories of many European countries, including domestic enterprises of St. Petersburg, Chelyabinsk, Astrakhan, Moscow regions, and Krasnodar Territory.
The composition of the "Rotband"
The basis of this plaster composition is high quality gypsum, to which are added mineral fillers that perform the function of binders. The initial raw material undergoes a fine grinding, during which the contact area of the components increases, and the productivity of their connection.
According to their physical composition, stucco dry mixes “Knauf. Rotband”, produced by domestic enterprises, can have grain sizes from 1.2 to less than 0.5 mm. Obviously, the smoothness of the surface obtained as a result of plastering depends to a certain extent on the value of this indicator.
The grain size can be determined by the color of the mixture. The pink mixtures produced by the enterprises of St. Petersburg and Chelyabinsk have larger grains. Mixtures of gray and white, which are produced in the Moscow, Astrakhan regions and the Krasnodar Territory, have a lower grain size. Given the desired level of surface smoothness, the buyer should clarify the color of the Rotband dry mix from the seller.
Preparation of the base before plastering
A certain preparation of the surface base is required before using any plaster materials. Rothband plaster is no exception, the use of which is less time-consuming, at the same time, provides better plastering results.
The technology for preparing surfaces for plastering consists of several stages.
- The wall is marked, according to the results of which the most protruding points are determined, a decision is made on the need to cut them. It must be remembered that the layer of the applied Knauf. Rotband plaster mortar cannot be less than 5 millimeters. Based on this, we can conclude that the better, more evenly prepared the base of the surface, the lower the consumption of building material. So, when leveling the wall with a length of 5, a height of 3 meters and an average level of the thickness of the leveling layer of 10 mm, cutting off only 1 mm of the protruding point, you can save more than 120 kg of the Rothband dry mix. If deep cavities are present on the surface to be treated, they should be removed. This operation is carried out by applying a thin layer of Rothband.
- Installation of beacons that perform the function of supporting surfaces for using the rules. The main requirement that the rule must comply with is its rigidity. It is in this regard that it is best to use not self-made rules, but made in an industrial environment.
- Surface cleaning from various delamination, dust, dirt. You should also remove the oil stains of formwork grease on the walls made by the method of monolithic reinforced concrete construction, and apply a primer to such walls to increase the adhesion coefficient.
In cases of plastering surfaces that absorb moisture abundantly, it is necessary to cover them with primers to reduce hygroscopicity. This applies to walls that are made of foam concrete and other porous building materials.
Professionals who know how to plaster with "Rotband" heat the room to a temperature above +5 degrees Celsius.
Cooking mixture
After completing the whole range of preparatory work, selecting the set of tools and devices necessary for the operation, one should start preparing the solution.
As in the work with other types of plaster materials, the use of "Rotband" involves mixing its dry mix with water.
The proportions of mixing with water are: 2 parts of water are added to 3 parts of the dry mixture. In a previously prepared container with the help of a construction mixer, they are mixed until the lumps are eliminated and a homogeneous mass is obtained. After a short time, about 5 minutes, re-mixing is carried out and a ready-to-use working solution is obtained.
The time during which the stucco solution remains suitable for work depends largely on the temperature of the water added to the mixture. The colder the water, the longer the solution is suitable for use.
The order of application in work
The prepared solution is poured onto the prepared surface with a layer of at least 5 mm. The optimal thickness of the plaster layer is considered 10 mm. It is precisely this size of the gypsum plaster layer that will ensure the full functionality of the stucco coating provided for by the technical characteristics.
After approximately 50 minutes, the sprayed layer is smoothed with a construction rail or a wide spatula.
Then, after 20 minutes, the surface is rubbed with a copiously moistened grater and rubbed with a spatula a second time to get the finished surface. The plastering technique has remained unchanged, but experienced specialists prefer working with Rothband gypsum plaster.
Rothband plaster consumption rates
The amount of gypsum plaster consumption depends on the degree of preparedness of the base and the thickness of the applied layer.
It is believed that per 1 square meter of the prepared surface when applying a plaster layer with a thickness of 10 to 12 millimeters, about 8 kg of the mixture is consumed. In other words, when buying Rothband dry plaster, it can be assumed that one standard bag weighing 30 kg is needed to plaster 4 square meters of the surface. As a result of dividing the surface area prepared for plastering, by the number 4, a number is obtained that determines the required number of bags.
Knauf for finishing work
In addition to the manufacture of stucco gypsum mixtures, Knauf Gips KG produces building materials for finishing work. In the case of using dry mixtures of pink color, with a large grain size, as well as other materials, it may be necessary to improve the smoothness of the resulting surface.
For the final leveling and bringing smoothness to the required level, Rothband putty, which is made on the basis of polymers containing marble flour, is irreplaceable, has high plasticity, is easy to work, and is polished with high quality.
Dates, storage methods
Dry gypsum mixture "Rotband" is produced packaged in three-layer airtight bags, which are loaded with a weight of 30, 20, less often 10 and 5 kilograms.
On each bag is a brief instruction for use. Shelf life in intact packaging in enclosed spaces on wooden pallets is 6 months.