Selection of materials for decorative wall putty, choice of tools and surface preparation for finishing with putty, advice on finishing work. There are also several types of surface finishing compounds. They differ depending on what material is underlying.
Finishing putties, which can be used to decorate walls, are divided into the following varieties:
- Plaster based putties … The most popular tool for wall decoration, including decorative. It has a number of advantages: the material is environmentally friendly, absolutely safe for human health, durable, plastic, does not settle over time, the installation process is simple and will not take you much time. After the finely dispersed gypsum-based putty has completely dried, the surface of the walls will be smooth and pleasant to the touch. But it is also worth mentioning one significant drawback of this material - high hygroscopicity. If the room has a high degree of humidity, then it is not recommended to use gypsum plaster for decorative finishing. On the construction market, you can purchase a gypsum-based composition in the form of a dry powder, which should be diluted with a certain amount of water at home before starting work. This is very convenient and practical, because for finishing work you can use only the required amount of material, which will be used up at a time.
- Cement based putty … The material is moisture resistant, resistant to all temperature extremes, and it is also highly durable. The main disadvantage is a high degree of shrinkage after it has completely hardened, as well as a tendency to cracks if not properly maintained. The process of laying cement putty is much more complicated than when working with gypsum. This finishing material is perfect for laying on wall surfaces in the bathroom or kitchen. For decorative finishes, it is only suitable if you have a certain skill.
- Polymer putty … Ideal for leveling wall surfaces and decorative finishes. Its technical characteristics are in many ways superior to other putties. Polymer-based mixtures are very durable, plastic and have a long service life. The styling process is quick and easy, surface maintenance will take a few minutes. The putty is moisture-resistant, resistant to temperature fluctuations, does not settle down much when dried. Possessing such properties, this material is considered universal, because it is perfect for filling walls in any type of premises. Such polymer mixtures for decorative work are often sold ready-made; you do not need to mix them with solvents. The main disadvantage of this type of building material is its high cost.
- Acrylic based putty … Also one of the new and expensive finishing mixes. With proper surface treatment, the walls will look well-groomed and beautiful. With the help of such a mixture, the wall will be protected from the manifestations of high humidity. Therefore, you can decorate the walls with this building material in bathrooms, kitchens.
- Glue-oil putty … The basis of such putty mixtures for painting is varnish paint. It is worth noting that such material is far from the best quality and practical. It has many disadvantages. This mixture is not compatible with all building materials. If, after finishing the wall with oil putty, you plan to paint it, then you will need to use coloring materials also only on the basis of drying oil. But the main disadvantage is that the use of such a putty can be harmful to health. This mixture is highly discouraged for use in residential premises. Its service life is short. What about the advantages of using this product is only the low cost of the material.
Prepare the putty mixture strictly according to the instructions that you will find on the packaging with the products. Decorative wall putty will be successful if the mixture has been well mixed and has the correct consistency. Only in this case, the material will fit on the walls without spreading, it will not crack, and the grinding process will pass without problems.
After you have mixed the material, the nozzles of the construction mixer must be washed immediately. When working with the mixer, you do not need to set it to the maximum operating speed, the water in the container must be warm (about +25 degrees), all working tools must be kept clean, because any debris that gets into the putty mixture will spoil its quality, and the wall decoration will not be flawless.
Preparing walls for applying decorative plaster
Before starting work on the decorative putty of the walls, you should select the necessary tools: two spatulas (large and small), a container in which the mixture will be prepared, a construction mixer in order to mix the mixture. In addition, depending on which surface decoration method you will use, you may need a roller, stencils, cloth, brushes, brushes.
If you will carry out decorative plaster of drywall walls, then the first step is to close up the joints between the sheets of material, as well as get rid of the holes formed when working with self-tapping screws. If you notice that parts of some fasteners are protruding from the wall, they must be screwed in a couple of millimeters deep. For sealing seams and self-tapping screws in the gypsum board, starting putty is used.
Decorative plaster of gypsum plasterboard walls requires the following preparatory work:
- Before sealing the joints between the sheets, carefully inspect the surface of the wall. The material should not flake off. Places of cuts must be carefully wiped with sandpaper.
- To make the joints between the sheets look neat and beautiful, we first treat them with a layer of primer. After it is completely dry, we start preparing the starting putty.
- The mixture is applied to the joint with a construction trowel, which must be slightly pressed into the gaps. It is recommended to apply the putty mixture to the joints with a small margin so that it does not harden too quickly.
- We put the reinforcing tape-serpyanka on the seams over the mixture. Working with the tape will be easier if you first knead it a little in your hands to give it sufficient elasticity.
- Making rubbing movements, we press the serpyanka tape into fresh layers of putty material.
- After the reinforcing tape is in place, smooth it with a wide spatula and then leave the seams to dry.
- We rub the dry putty with sandpaper to make the seams smooth.
Preparing a brick wall for the decorative putty process is not a difficult process, the main thing is to listen to such advice:
- Before starting decorative plastering work, we remove old layers of plaster, if any, from the surfaces of the walls. This is a prerequisite, since a new layer of the putty mixture must have a strong and high-quality connection with the base.
- If the walls were painted, then before doing other finishing work, we completely remove the old decorative layers. To remove the enamel layer, use a spatula, wire brush or coarse sandpaper. A good enamel remover will also work.
- If there were wallpaper on the walls before, then remove this material with a spatula. If in some places the wallpaper does not leave, we use a special solution to remove old wallpaper.
- It is also worth paying attention to the places where the wall panels are connected to the outer surface. In most cases, a void forms there, and a layer of plaster is applied only on top. It is best to fill such voids with construction foam.
After the old layers of finishing materials have been removed from the walls, they should, if necessary, be plastered or covered with a layer of starting putty. Then we rub the surface with coarse sandpaper.
The finished walls must be primed before applying a decorative layer of putty. First, we clean them of dust and dirt using an ordinary damp cloth or sponge. With a roller dipped in a solution, you need to process the entire wall. If it is difficult to reach some parts of the surface with a roller, take a narrow brush.
Not all primer is suitable for working with drywall sheets! The use of some types may cause flaking of the cardboard sheets. Therefore, before purchasing a primer, you should know for sure whether it is suitable for a particular type of wall.
Methods for applying decorative putty on walls
For decorating walls with putty, it is recommended to use a finishing compound. A beautiful textured finish can be achieved using such tools: a building roller, ready-made stencil sketches, various brushes or notched trowels.
Consider the features of various methods of working with putty:
- Using a roller on the surface of the walls, you can create a textured picture similar to velor. First you need to put putty on a small area. Do not let it dry and get to work right away. A clear pattern can be achieved by just once walking along the wall with a roller. The more you press the tool, the more bumps will appear on the wall. For greater effect, the roller can be wrapped with a coarse textured fabric. If there is too much "fluffiness", it is easy to smooth it with a spatula.
- Application by the "rain" method. We apply the material at a special angle of inclination. First of all, we measure the wall and attach small beacons, through which we will adjust the slope. When puttingtying, we do not press the spatula to the surface strongly. The weaker the contact of the tool with the wall, the more bumps will appear on it. We wait until the surface dries and lightly walk over the sandpaper coating. It is not necessary to completely sand the surface. The next step is painting the walls. In finished form, the effect of uneven "rain" will be noticeable. In this case, the flat surface will become more painted over, and the dimples will remain light.
- You can use embossed fabric to decorate the wall. After the putty has been applied to the wall and slightly dried, take a small piece of cloth and lean it against the surface. Thus, the natural pattern of the fabric is transferred to the wall.
- In the hardware store you can purchase ready-made stencils for wall decor. With their help, it is easy to turn an ordinary putty mixture into a decorative one. Decorating surfaces with stencils is a lengthy process, but the result will delight you. Stencils should be applied in stages to the surface of the damp putty. You can easily find photos of decorative wall putty using stencils on the Internet.
- You can also achieve an original texture using a regular brush with a hard bristle. This is a simple method that even a beginner can master. We put putty on the surface, let it dry a little and brush it, creating furrows. Their depth and length can be arbitrary. Semicircles, circles, stripes made with a brush look beautiful. The dried surface should be painted over.
- Fish scale method. For this method of decorating walls, no special tools are needed - only a small spatula. Apply the putty in small pieces and do not smooth it. After application, place the spatula against the surface for a few seconds and pull it back. The surface remains slightly uneven. We do this over the entire area of the wall in order to achieve the effect of "fish scales". This finish looks original after the final painting.
- If there is no roller or stencils at hand, then absolutely any means at hand can be used. You can create textured, and most importantly, unique patterns on the walls with brushes, notched spatulas or even bath sponges. Thus, the surface of the wall will have a texture similar to concrete, natural stone or suede.
Painting the surface of the walls
After the putty has been applied, it must be allowed time to dry completely. It usually takes a day. In order to emphasize the embossed texture of the wall, it can be painted with a double layer of acrylic or water-dispersion paint. For fixing - a layer of colorless varnish.
It is wrong to paint the walls with one layer and one shade of paint, because the texture of the surface does not stand out. In order for your efforts to decorate the walls with your own hands not to be wasted, use at least two colors. First, the walls are covered with paint in dark shades, and a day later, as soon as the first layer dries up, a layer is added several shades lighter than the base one. It is applied in strokes on the convex surfaces of the decorative layer, thus creating natural reflections on the wall. The decorative wall putty is ready.
Watch a video about decorative wall decoration on our website:
You can make decorative wall plaster with your own hands. To do this, you need to stock up on the right materials, tools and patience. Follow our step-by-step instructions and your walls will become an original decoration of the room.
