| ARTEX
AND PLASTER |
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| Skill
Level: |
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Proper
plastering is not easy. But DIY plasters are designed
with ease of use in mind, and ArtexTM
is no more difficult to apply than thick paint.
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| Safety
First: |
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It
is best to wear gloves when mixing up dry plaster-based
products - disposable plastic gloves are fine. Wear
a face mask when mixing up fine powder.
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| Introduction: |
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Being
able to use Artex and plaster can help keep the
walls and ceilings in your home looking good.
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A
professional plasterer will normally use gypsum-based
Carlite plaster applied in two layers, undercoat
and finish. The skill to do this properly takes
years to acquire and the amateur should start with
DIY plasters.
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"ArtexTM"
is the best known make of textured coating, used
on internal walls and ceilings to cover up cracks
and uneven surfaces or fashioned into patterns.
Some people may want to remove the patterned effect.
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| 2 - Choosing
the right product |
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| Consider
what you want the plaster and/or textured coating to do.
If a wall or ceiling is basically in good condition, but
has a few holes or hairline cracks, there are many different
wall fillers that you can use to make the surface smooth
for decorating. |
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| Where
an area of plaster is seriously damaged or has come away
from the wall ('blown'), you can use a 'repair' plaster
(a DIY plaster undercoat) once all the old loose plaster
has been removed. This has a good enough finish for papering
or tiling, but if you want to paint it, apply a DIY plaster
finish (also known as plaster skim) first. |
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| DIY
plasters are ideal for repairing the damage to walls created
by holes made for electric wiring and plumbing waste pipes. |
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| If
you have rough or uneven walls, and using a wall filler
will not be good enough, the whole wall can be given a coat
of DIY plaster finish (it can be applied up to 3mm or 1/8in
thick). Alternatively, you could apply a textured coating,
with or without a patterned finish. |
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| A
new masonry wall can either be covered with plasterboard
(often the best choice for a DIYer) or can be plastered
using DIY plaster undercoat followed by DIY plaster finish.
Only when you have had success with the DIY products should
you attempt to use the professional products, though the
technique is basically the same. |
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| Any
wall can be covered with textured coating to provide a patterned
decorative finish. It has the advantage that it covers up
damaged and unsightly walls, but can equally well be used
on a wall in good condition if you want the decorative effect.
Textured coatings are available in smooth, fine-textured
and coarse-textured finishes. |
| 3 - Using
DIY plaster undercoat |
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| The
most likely time you will use a DIY plaster undercoat (repair
plaster) is to repair damage to existing plaster - either
damage you have created (perhaps by installing pipes or
electric cables) or damage that has happened through accident
or old age. It is also ideal for finishing off where you
have bricked up a fireplace or a door opening. |
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| The
first thing to do (especially with blown plaster) is to
lay a dust sheet on the floor and cut back all existing
loose plaster until you have a sound surface with solid
edges. Use a club hammer and bolster chisel to do this (1)
and remove all loose dust and debris with a stiff brush
(2). |
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| Unless
the plaster undercoat comes ready mixed, use a large clean
bucket to mix up the powder with water. Use a clean wooden
stick to do the mixing. It is easier if you add the powder
to the water rather than the other way round. The plaster
should have a thick creamy consistency. |
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 If
the repair (or new plasterwork) includes a corner, fit metal
angle bead to this first. Not only will it give a neat corner,
but the bead will provide a guide for your levelling board.
Cut the bead to length (with a hacksaw) and prime the cut
ends. Fix it to the corner with dabs of plaster (3). Check
it is vertical and leave the plaster to dry. |
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| Before
you apply the plaster, dampen the wall surface, using a
large paint brush - this will help adhesion and make it
easy to 'work' the plaster. On very absorbent surfaces (aerated
concrete blocks, for example), add one part PVA adhesive
to five parts water. |
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| Transfer
an amount of plaster to a hawk - a flat board about 30cm
(1ft) square. You can buy a ready-made hawk or make your
own from a piece of plywood nailed to a block of wood with
a short handle (a bit of broom handle, for example) attached
to it. |
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 Carry
the hawk to the wall and hold it in front of the area
you want to plaster. In one movement, tip the hawk towards
you, lift off an amount of plaster with the edge of a
steel plasterer's trowel and press the plaster against
the wall with an upwards sweep of the trowel (4). |
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method of application is crucial - you start with the trowel
at quite an angle to the wall and gradually reduce this
angle as you move it up the wall. Do not allow the trowel
to get flat against the wall or you will pull off the plaster
you are trying to apply. |
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| Carry
on adding plaster until the whole area to be repaired is
covered. Remember always to keep the trowel at an angle
to the wall and leave the plaster slightly proud of the
surrounding surface. |
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 To
get the surface level, use a piece of straight-edged timber
held at an angle (or if you have one, a metal rule) moving
it up the wall with a side-to-side action, holding it firmly
against the existing sound plaster as a guide (5). When
plastering a whole wall, timber screeds are attached to
the wall (and levelled) before plastering to act as the
guides for this straight-edge. |
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| Take
care removing the straight-edge or rule from the surface
together with the plaster you have scraped off. You should
now be able to see any hollows which can be filled with
more plaster before ruling off again. |
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| Keep
a bucket of cold water handy at all times, so that you can
keep tools clean - especially the plasterer's trowel. |
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 Allow
the plaster surface to harden (but not completely dry) before
dampening it and smoothing it flat with the trowel (still
held at a slight angle) (6). If you are applying a finishing
coat, scratch the surface of the undercoat with the edge
of the trowel to provide a 'key'. |
| 4 - Using
DIY plaster finish: |
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DIY finishing plaster should be applied to the undercoat
before the latter is completely dry. It can also be applied
directly to plasterboard and to an existing plaster surface,
provided this is roughened slightly (all paint and paper
should be removed). Mix up the plaster finish if necessary
with clean water as for undercoat. |
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| Application
methods vary for DIY finishing plasters. Some are applied
in the same way as DIY plaster undercoat (with a plasterer's
trowel) in two layers (1mm followed by 2mm), whilst others
are applied with a paint brush (7) and then smoothed with
the plastic spreader supplied (8). Check the instructions
for your plaster. |
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| If
you have used a plasterer's trowel to apply the plaster,
give it a final smoothing with the trowel after it has started
to harden. Dampen the surface with water as you do this
- a simple spray bottle will help to apply this. |
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| 5 - Applying
a textured coating: |
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textured coating will level up uneven surfaces and cover
cracks up to around 3mm (1/8in) wide - the coating is flexible,
unlike normal paint, and reduces the possibility of cracks
reopening. Textured coatings can be used to provide a number
of different finishes which, if required, can be painted
in a colour of your choice. |
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| As
with all decoration, proper surface preparation is vital.
Wallpaper (including painted wallpaper) must be removed
and the surfaces thoroughly cleaned (in particular, getting
rid of grease and nicotine stains). Sound paint can be left
in place, but all loose and flaking paint (and all distemper)
must be removed before you start. Remove any tiles from
a ceiling along with their adhesive. |
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| Porous
surfaces should be treated with special sealer and cracks
larger than 3mm (1/8in) should be filled with wall filler:
a special caulking tool is available to make this job easier.
Filled cracks and joints between new plasterboard should
be taped over with joint tape (tape should also be used
on the edges of filled areas). If any parts of the wall
are powdery or 'chalky', use a stabilising solution before
applying the coating. |
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| Mix
up powder, following the manufacturer's instructions. To
speed up this process, whisk attachments are available for
both hand and powered drills. Ready-mixed products can be
applied straight from the tub. Use masking tape to protect
electrical fittings, timber paintwork and exposed plumbing
pipes. Lay a dustsheet on the floor. |
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| Textured
coatings can be applied with a large paint brush (wall brush)
or roller. The application method is different to paint
as the coating is applied more or less in one go rather
then being 'worked' once it is on the surface. Apply the
coating to the wall or ceiling in bands around 60cm (2ft)
wide; if you are applying a pattern, do this before applying
the next band of coating. |
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brush or roller will leave a relatively flat surface (its
texture depending on the type of coating being used), but
if you want to provide a decorative pattern, this is done
once the coating is on the wall. There are several different
texturing tools you can use to provide the pattern: |
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- patterned
rollers for producing diamond, diagonal, bark and stipple
patterns.
- brushes
and stipplers for creating a wide range of textured
effects.
- combs
for creating artistic combed textures (including flower
and rose designs as well as standard linear ones).
- lacers
(triangular plastic hand-held blades) for smoothing
tips of heavier random textures (broken leather, bark
and swirls, for example) to reduce the sharpness of
the peaks; a standard set includes medium and small
sizes. The tool is kept damp with water and is used
before the texture has gone firm.
- margin
brush for creating borders around textured patterns
and also for painting around fittings.
- You
could also use a damp sponge to create a stipple effect
or your own swirl design.
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| 6 - Unwanted
textured coating? |
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| If
you have moved into a different house and want to remove
at least some of the patterned textured coating from the
walls and ceilings, there are two choices: cover or strip.
Covering is the easiest choice. You can get specific products
designed for doing this and all you do is to apply them
on top of the existing patterned coating (with a plasterer's
float) so that the surface is restored to a smooth flat
surface which you can then paper or paint. Remember, though,
that you will now have quite a thick coating. Stripping
is the alternative. There are specific products made for
stripping textured coatings, though they may not work on
all types. If the chemical stripper does not work, you can
try a steam wallpaper stripper to soften the coating so
that you can strip it off by hand. A large hired type will
work better than a DIY wallpaper stripper, but the job is
messy and jolly hard work! Some old textured finishes may
contain a small proportion of asbestos. For further details,
consult the appropriate supplier or manufacturer. |
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source: DIY.com
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