Decorative plaster for the ceiling, its types, composition, choice of material, application technology and rules of work.
Composition of decorative plaster on the ceiling
One of the important components of any decorative plaster is the binder, which can be polymer, silicone, silicate or mineral.
Let's take a closer look at the composition of different types of decorative plaster on the ceiling:
- Polymer … It contains acrylic resins, which significantly increase the resistance of the coating to moisture and temperature changes. The polymer mixture can be applied to the surface, making it imitate leather or marble.
- Silicone … It is based on silicone resins. Thanks to them, the material has many advantages, among which the main ones are: resistance to temperature fluctuations, high humidity, good steam permeability and a large selection of colors. The disadvantages of the material are limited by its cost.
- Silicate … Basically, it contains potash water glass with a high presence of alkali, which makes the material a natural barrier to various microorganisms. The plaster is flexible, has low resistance to vapor diffusion and is resistant to dirt, but its color range is somewhat limited.
- Mineral … Its astringent is lime. In addition to it, the mixture includes colored clay and mineral particles. Over time, the strength of such plaster increases. The material is resistant to sunlight and vapor permeable.
In addition to binders, various additives give certain properties to decorative plaster:
- Acrylic … Provides decorative plaster environmental safety, but does not give it the required durability.
- Polyurethane or epoxy resins … They increase the durability of the plaster coating, but when heated, they emit dangerous vapors. Therefore, it is not recommended to use such coatings for the ceilings of residential premises.
- Quartz or granite chips … Used in a mixture as a filler, provides the coating with abrasion resistance, smooth or rough surface.
- Additional substances … The special preservatives, thickeners and antiseptics included in the mixture give it waterproofing and other properties, the description of which is usually found on the product packaging.
Some types of decorative plasters have more complex compositions. An example of such a coating is Venetian plaster, which gained its popularity back in the Renaissance. Its structure includes many components, which are based on marble and lime flour. Modern Venetian plaster on the ceiling creates a marble effect with amazing depth and transparency, which is achieved using a special technique of applying the material to the surface.
Useful properties of decorative plaster for the ceiling
Unlike wallpaper or paint, decorative plaster has a number of undoubted advantages:
- Thanks to the plasticity of this material, you can create any relief conceived by the designer.
- A layer of decorative plaster can hide small cracks, joints of floor panels, irregularities and other defects in the ceiling.
- A huge assortment of relief surfaces and color range allows you to independently perform the planned coating. When buying white plaster, you can set it to any shade using pigments.
- The plaster has high performance properties, the main of which are strength and durability.
- The material can withstand high humidity and temperature changes, which makes it suitable for use in kitchens and bathrooms.
- Decorative plaster has excellent adhesion. Therefore, it can be used on any surface: concrete, drywall, plastic, wood, metal, stone and even on a painted ceiling.
- You can use detergents and water to care for decorative plaster.
The material has very few drawbacks. Structural plaster, when working with it, requires the skills of the performer in the field of interior decoration. Textured plaster with fine filler grains is only suitable for absolutely flat surfaces. Water-based plasters should not be used for finishing surfaces that swell when exposed to moisture: plasterboard, wood, etc.
Features of the choice of decorative plaster for the ceiling
The appearance, as well as certain properties of decorative plaster, depend on its composition. Therefore, the material should be selected not only in accordance with the design of the room, but also depending on its purpose. The composition of the decorative coating, made, for example, in a bathroom or kitchen, must be different from the substances used for finishing the ceiling in a residential area.
In wet rooms, for finishing ceilings with decorative plaster, polymer compounds are used that have an acrylic base, which is inherent in water-repellent properties. The range of such plasters is quite wide, and this property of the material is indicated on its packaging.
In living rooms, ceilings are finished with decorative mixtures containing a lime mineral base. Such plasters are the safest and most environmentally friendly. Decorative mineral mixtures have a huge assortment of textures and colors. This allows you to decorate the ceilings of living spaces in a variety of styles and color combinations.
The plaster mixture must be chosen very carefully. The secret lies in the fact that to create a simply flat ceiling surface, you should use mixtures with a coarse filler fraction, and for finishing the surface - compositions with fine-grained fillers.
When buying decorative plaster, you need to choose mixtures proven in work, the manufacturers of which have already earned a positive reputation for themselves. Recommendations for the preparation of the mixture and the operation of the coating made with its use can be found on the product packaging.
Technology for applying decorative plaster to the ceiling
Before starting surface preparation and plastering, you need to stock up on a set of spatulas, a float, a level, a cord and a container for mixing solutions.
The procedure for applying decorative plaster to the ceiling with your own hands is as follows:
- First, remove the old coating from the ceiling surface with a spatula. A metal brush may also work for this procedure.
- After cleaning the ceiling, it should be primed several times, maintaining an interval of four hours after each coat. This will increase the adhesion and density of the substrate. For certain types of decorative plaster, it is recommended to use a primer suitable for this material.
- Then you need to level the ceiling surface. At the initial stage of this process, the threads installed using the laser level should be pulled over the ceiling area, and on the basis of such markings, set "beacons" from planting plaster at a distance of 0.2 m from the walls. The distance between the beacons is equal to the length of the rule minus 0.2 m. The thickness of the leveling layer will depend on the height of the beacons. The starting point of the markup is taken to be the place of the ceiling that is closest to the floor.
- Any plastering compound is suitable for surface preparation. It must be kneaded in a container using a drill with a nozzle, and then, using a spatula and a rule, perform a continuous leveling of the ceiling along the beacons.
- After the preparatory leveling layer has hardened, the ceiling should be primed to ensure adhesion to the future topcoat.
- After the surface has dried, you can start decorating the ceiling. To apply the composition, a metal spatula or polisher is used, but there are compositions that are applied without the use of special tools at all.
- The final leveling of decorative plaster in the absence of a relief or pattern on the ceiling surface is carried out using a polyurethane float. If you wet the surface during this work, you can get an excellent polishing effect.
- Using the plasticity of decorative plaster, various patterns can be created on the surface of the ceiling using a spatula, rollers or special plastic floats. For example, performing a circular motion with a grater allows you to create a "shell" on the ceiling.
- After the decorative plaster has dried for a week, it must be coated with wax to give the ceiling protection and a glossy shine. Moreover, such a surface treatment will facilitate its care.
Rules for working with decorative plaster for the ceiling
When decorating the ceiling with decorative plaster, a number of important rules must be observed:
- When plastering the ceiling, do not forget the basic principle of the builders: a less durable or lightweight coating is always laid on a more durable base. Failure to follow this rule can lead to delamination of the decorative material.
- High-quality plastering is impossible without a well-prepared base. In addition to strength, it must also be dry and clean.
- The base for decorative plaster must be leveled in order for the finish to have a layer of the same thickness with identical properties.
- Do not plaster a frozen surface.
- Chemical stains and dust must be removed from the ceiling - this is a condition for the reliable adhesion of any mixtures.
- Plastering on the joints of ceilings and walls made of different materials requires special attention. Due to the fact that they can have different thermal expansion rates from each other, the joints, for example, wood and concrete, need to be reinforced with fiberglass plaster mesh.
How to apply decorative plaster to the ceiling - watch the video:
The popularity of such a ceiling finish is beyond doubt. It will help transform the room for the better and create home comfort in it. If you are confident in your abilities, before starting work, take advantage of our article. We hope you found it useful.
