Great Tips For DIY Plastering
Plastering is considered by many to be an art form, and even experienced DIY enthusiasts will think twice before attempting to do a plastering job without the help of an expert.
Plastering can be a tricky business, and if you don’t do it right your walls will soon be lying on the floor. Thus you need to make sure you know what you are doing before you start doing your own DIY plastering job. Take a look at these great tips that will ensure that you do a great DIY plastering job.
Properly Prepare Your Surface
The first step to succeeding in your DIY plastering job is to make sure that your wall surface is clean and dust free. Plaster will not stick to damp, dusty, wallpapered or unstable surfaces.
Before you start plastering you will need to remove any existing plaster, dust or paper as much as possible, otherwise the plaster will not stick. After all the dust is removed you will have to prime your walls with a mixture of PVA glue and water.
The PVA primer will reduce the absorption or thirst of the wall. If your walls are left untreated they might suck all of the moisture out of the plaster before it has had time to properly set. This will weaken the strength of the plaster, and before long your walls might end up lying on the floor.
Secondly a PVA mixture most e applied directly to a wall before applying plaster, as the PVA mixture helps to set and bond the plaster to the wall. Plaster needs to be applied to the walls when the mixture is a little bit sticky, but not too wet. You can use your hand to test the walls, if the wall feels wet, then you have to wait a little bit longer until it feels sticky to the touch.
Get Your Plaster Mix Right
The next step in plastering is to get your mixture just right. Firstly you always have to add the plaster to the water and not the other way around. Add a little bit at a time whilst continually stirring in order to get a smooth and lump free consistency. The plaster should sit on the trowel without sliding off when it is held level.
The best trick to ensure that you get the right consistency for your plaster is t stand a stick in the middle of the bucket. If the stick can stand upright by itself in the bucket then your mixture is ready.
Great Plastering Is All About Cleanliness
Plastering is all about time, and when you use buckets that have old pieces of plaster or dirt in them it might let your plaster set too quickly or spoil it completely. Even tiny pieces of dirt or dried plaster will cause you to have an uneven wall surface, which will cost you at lot of time and money to fix, so rather make sure you clean as you go and always use tools that have been properly cleaned.
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