Elastic plaster for the facade is an elegant solution to a range of problems

Elastic plaster stands out as a flexible and useful material when it comes to finishing the outside of a building. It’s about improving your home’s overall appearance, durability, and flexibility—it’snotjust about painting walls. Elastic plaster provides a seamless solution for small cracks as well as a modern, fresh aesthetic.

This kind of plaster is designed specifically to adjust to a building’s natural movements, avoiding cracks and preserving a faultless finish over time. Because of its elasticity, which keeps the plaster in place, it’s perfect for places where the temperature fluctuates or where the structure might settle slightly.

Elastic plaster offers endless design possibilities in addition to its usefulness. With so many different textures and colors to choose from, it enables homeowners to design a unique facade that showcases their aesthetic while simultaneously safeguarding the surface of the building. In summary, elastic plaster is a sophisticated solution for problems with both appearance and structure.

Problem	Solution with Elastic Plaster
Cracks in the facade	Elastic plaster prevents and covers cracks due to its flexibility.
Weather resistance	Elastic plaster offers strong protection against harsh weather conditions.
Durability	Elastic plaster provides long-lasting protection with minimal maintenance.
Uneven surfaces	Elastic plaster easily adapts to irregular surfaces, providing a smooth finish.
Aesthetic appeal	Elastic plaster enhances the visual appearance of the facade with a variety of textures and colors.

Description and history of appearance

Classic mineral plasters appear to be beneficial for all applications. They cannot, however, tolerate minor building shrinkage, weak seismic effects, or vibrations from adjacent trains. They were previously acknowledged for their ability to harden without shrinking. They are actually not very elastic, and because they cannot tolerate these kinds of operating conditions, they easily develop cracks and can no longer protect the building structures.

Chemists created synthetic resins in the middle of the 20th century, with acrylic resin standing out for its flexibility after hardening. Filler can be absorbed by acrylic resin up to 70% of the time.

The altered acrylic liquid that was produced started to be utilized in the creation of artificial stone in addition to plastics. And artists started playing around with making paints inspired by it. These paints had a straightforward formula: pigment, acrylic, and water. All that was needed to create a plaster solution was the addition of a mineral filler.

The problem of protecting the walls was resolved when the mixtures created on an acrylic basis formed a flexible elastic coating that did not crack when the building settled. To address the current issues, a small compositional change employing useful additives was still necessary.

This type of plaster was soon called rubber. Up to 10% of the original length can be bent and slightly stretched without compromising the integrity of the coating. Although silicone-based compounds were later produced, elastic plasters are based on acrylic.

Fillers for synthetic or natural elastic compositions:

• sand (including quartz);
• fibers;
• stone chips;
• granules.

Depending on the filler used, the elastic coating may have a texture similar to gypsum or other decorative solutions. Elastic mixtures can be made dry or ready-made. They are able to be tinted or used as a tinting base.

Elastic plaster: advantages and disadvantages

• compressibility and extensibility without violating the integrity of the coating;
• forms a seamless coating;
• vapor permeability, allowing the wall material to breathe;
• no toxic emissions;
• the service life of a properly executed coating is more than 10 years;
• fire resistance;
• temperature ranges from -50 to +60 ° C;
• color fastness, not afraid of UV radiation;
• quick drying;
• serves as barriers to fungi and mold;
• easy to clean with plain water;
• adheres well to almost all substrates (this is especially valuable for “playing” wooden structures);
• universal application;
• easy to apply and shape;
• hydrophobic, protects walls from water ingress;
• does not dry out the skin (you can work without gloves);
• does not splash when applied to the wall, does not drip from the spatula;
• Suitable for repairing cracked walls and finishing new buildings.

The expensive price is currently a drawback.

Specifications

Apart from the usual technical features of finished compositions, flexible plaster also has a new one: linear stretching.

The technical parameters are, on average, as follows:

• density – not less than 1400 kg/m3;
• adhesion (applied to concrete)> 0.3MPa;
• compressive strength, expansion strength – 7 bar;
• final strength is gained in 3 days;
• linear stretch from +10% per sq.m;
• contains more than 50% non-volatile substances;
• consumption — 0.3-2.8 kg/m2;
• air and base temperature during application + 5, +30 ° C; during operation -50, +60 ° C;
• frost resistance — more than 150 cycles;
• salt resistance ~ 300 hours of exposure;
• water permeability — less than 8 g / hour per square meter;
• service life more than 10 years.

Where elastic plaster is used

These compositions are selected for vibrating buildings and for newly constructed buildings that have not yet completed the shrinkage period based on the coating’s elasticity. Flexible plaster is preferred for facades and wet rooms like bathrooms, basements, baths, and swimming pools due to its hydrophobic qualities.

It is widely used on stairwells, hallways, and corridors due to its capacity to both stretch and shrink. When utilizing wet (plaster) systems for building insulation, elastic compositions work well for the finishing touch.

Elastic plaster is most frequently made and applied as a facade. But, as the foregoing has already made clear, it can also be effectively applied to interior work. It can be used to apply a thin layer of protection to foam or polyurethane figured products, as well as gypsum stucco. In order to create a seamless coating, rubber composition is also used to cover walls that have a lot of joints, seams, and connections, such as cement particle boards. It can serve as a base adhesive for carpet, parquet flooring, and linoleum.

Types of elastic plasters

Two varieties of rubber plaster are produced:

• decorative;
• acrylic.

The acrylic mixture’s primary function is to shield other structures and walls. Additionally, it preserves the coating’s continuity and integrity, which are guaranteed by the base’s acrylic polymers. Decorative flexible plaster has a distinct purpose. It’s also meant to be used for surface decoration. The size and form of the filler grains (when applied simply and evenly) as well as the techniques used to smooth the surface of the applied layer are what produce this effect.

Both mixtures with filler of varying fractions and mixtures with reinforcing polymer threads are produced.

Effects of decorative coatings are achievable:

• fur coat;
• imitation of plaster;
• lamb;
• bark beetle and others.

Sgraffito is a technique that can be used to decorate walls with tinted compositions. Figured rollers or other tools are used to apply patterned relief.

Application conditions

Plastering must adhere to the following guidelines in order to guarantee a dependable, long-lasting coating:

• the work site must be covered (from sunlight, strong wind, rain);
• the temperature of the base and ambient air is above 5 ° C, less than + 30 ° C;
• air humidity – less than 80%;

Necessary materials and tools

• For applying the solution to the surface and processing it, use a stainless steel spatula or trowel, as well as a plastic float.
• For creating relief, figured rollers or other improvised means will come in handy.
• When painting, you need painting tools and accessories.
• For preparing a solution from a dry mixture, you need a container and a mixer.

Surface priming

The wall surface needs to be cleared of any previous coatings, including oil paints, wallpaper, and whitewash, before priming. After all, if they are left, the plaster will crumble and the new coating’s dependable adherence to the wall will be compromised.

Finding any flaws is further aided by removing the previous layer. Dust is removed from the wall by vacuuming it after the coating is removed. Chips and cracks are covered, and protrusions are removed. Reinforcing mesh is used in the repair of large damage. It is possible to remove oil stains. Eliminate mold and fungal foci as well. For this, biocidal solutions are employed. Insulating compounds are applied to metal components. The CBPB boards are attached to the wall with screws that are 1-2 mm sunk.

There are many tiny and large pores in wall materials like concrete, brick, and foam blocks. They are covered with primer compounds twice with intermediate drying to ensure they don’t drain the plaster of the water required for the curing reactions to take place and to get dependable adhesion. If leveling the base’s surface is required after the primer has dried, it is puttied (minimum thickness: 2 mm) or plastered along beacons.

Any joints on the wall (such as those between CBPB boards or insulation) are filled with elastic sealants, and the seams’ surfaces are leveled with the board surfaces.

Reinforcement of the surface

Cement mortar is applied to the base’s surface by applying elastic plaster in thin layers. Use a reinforcing mesh if the leveling layer needs to be made durable.

Basic guidelines for mesh installation:

• fasten to the wall using dowels or adhesive mortar, making sure there are no sagging (where sagging is left, air pockets appear under the plaster);
• connect the mesh panels by overlapping the joined edges;
• after fixing the mesh, install beacons;
• apply the leveling mortar, level it;
• after the start of setting, remove the beacon strips, seal the remaining grooves.

Outcome of using elastic plaster

Applying elastic plaster for facades

This is the general guideline for applying elastic compounds: always work from the center of the wall outward, both wet on wet and dry on dry.

The final mixture is mixed before work is begun (if the bubbles form, the solution is allowed to stand). As directed by the manufacturer (see instructions), the dry mixture is combined.

Plastering machines or manual methods can be used to apply elastic plaster. The wall is processed entirely at once in both scenarios. There must be no pauses.

The trowel or spatula plate is positioned at a 60-degree angle to the wall when the rubber compound is manually applied to the base. The laid solution is smoothed or structured with a float, holding it parallel to the layer, once it stops adhering to the tool.

A glossy surface forms after 30 minutes of smoothing with a spatula or trowel. This is the process for creating a Venetian-like coating. Two or three layers of the solution are applied (the first is continuous, the subsequent two are applied using the Venetian technique in separate strokes).

Using a textured roller is an additional method of applying a flexible solution. To equally distribute the mixture on the wall, it is rolled horizontally after being completed from the bottom up.

Rubber solutions polymerize and set quickly. As a result, teams handle large-scale projects. When two people plaster a wall, they work from the corners toward the center of the wall (and toward each other).

After use, water is used to wash the plastering machine’s parts and tools.

Once the rubber layer has dried, paint the surface using acrylic paints.

Purchase materials from a single batch if you wish to purchase mortar that has already been painted in order to guarantee that the wall’s color is uniform. Shades in different lots may vary.

Leading manufacturers

Russian and international producers supply the market with elastic plaster for facades and interiors.

There are a few compositions that stand out:

• I-Flex-Universal Elastomeric Purpose Ready-made decorative mixture with filler of fraction 0.7-1.2 mm. The coating can stretch up to 15%. Manual/mechanical application. Bayramix.
• CT-79 – elastomeric decorative pebble composition for basements, parking lots, garage entrances, reinforced with a complex of polyacrylamide, carbon fibers, and fiberglass. The composition contains silicone modifiers. Grain 1.5 mm. Extended range of operating temperatures. Zeresit.
• Capa-Rollputz-Flex – ready-made facade mortar with grain – 0.4-1.5 mm. Caparol.
• Multiflex – two types Nano and Nano lux – ready-made decorative, waterproofing compositions for universal use. These materials are distinguished by the amount of stretch (106% nano, 200% nanolux) and adhesion to concrete – 1.6 MPa. Color white. Application by brush, roller. Suitable for covering pool bowls. Polymer Megapolis.

If you want to protect and enhance the appearance of your external walls, elastic plaster is a wise choice for facades. This multipurpose material not only hides flaws but also adjusts to movement and temperature changes to keep cracks from forming. It’s an elegant and robust solution that improves the look of your house and offers enduring weather protection.

How to properly store the composition

One year or more of shelf life is guaranteed. Dry and ready mixtures that have been sealed and kept out of direct sunlight between +5 and +35 °C. Throughout storage and transit, avoid letting the completed mixture freeze as this will cause it to lose its properties.

Anyone wishing to improve a building’s external appearance and durability should consider using elastic plaster. It provides a flexible solution that adjusts to a structure’s natural movements, avoiding cracks and other common problems that traditional plasters frequently encounter.

This kind of plaster offers a multitude of design options in addition to its practical uses. You can design a distinctive and fashionable facade that matches the specific requirements of a project or expresses your own taste thanks to the variety of textures and colors that are available.

In the end, using elastic plaster to protect your building from the weather and give it a modern, fresh look is both practical and aesthetically pleasing. This material is a flexible and dependable option for finishing new construction as well as for remodeling existing ones.

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