Finishing a house with facade plaster: choosing the best mixtures for outdoor work and covering the walls using technology

Facade plastering is one of the most popular options for improving the outside of your home. It gives your house a modern, eye-catching appearance while simultaneously acting as a barrier against the weather. Selecting the appropriate plaster mixture is essential to getting a long-lasting and appealing finish. It’s important to know which combinations work best outside because there are a lot of options.

The different kinds of plaster mixtures that work best for facade applications will be discussed in this article. We’ll go over their characteristics, benefits, and how to choose the one that best suits your requirements. In addition, we’ll walk you through the plastering procedure, providing helpful hints and methods to guarantee a seamless and polished finish.

When it comes to DIY projects or planned renovations, understanding the correct way to apply facade plaster can make a huge impact. You can create an exterior that is both aesthetically pleasing and long-lasting by using the best materials and adhering to the correct procedures.

Type of Plaster	Best For
Mineral Plaster	Durable and breathable, suitable for most outdoor conditions
Silicone Plaster	Water-resistant and flexible, ideal for harsh weather
Silicate Plaster	Highly resistant to pollutants, good for urban environments
Acrylic Plaster	Quick-drying and versatile, suitable for various surfaces
Application Technique	Details
Base Coat	Apply a primer to ensure better adhesion and durability
Finish Coat	Choose a finish that complements your plaster type and environment
Curing	Allow adequate drying time as per the manufacturer"s instructions

Applying facade plaster correctly and choosing the appropriate mixtures for outdoor use are essential steps in creating a long-lasting and appealing finish for a home. This article will help you select the best plaster types for your external needs and show you how to apply them with efficiency to ensure a high-quality finish that improves the appearance and durability of the facade of your home.

How to choose plaster for facade walls

The following features should be considered when selecting facade plaster:

• Bending and compressive strength. indicators that reveal whether a material can withstand loads without breaking and not collapse.

• Hue. There are already numerous plaster mixtures available in a variety of colors. Additionally, plaster mixtures for painting and pure white compositions appropriate for tinting during solution preparation exist. If given the option, it is preferable to go with the plaster’s tint rather than the painting. This is because the coloring pigments in the plaster will hold their color over time, but the paint layer may deteriorate.

• Feel. On the exterior walls, you can imitate a variety of natural materials (wood, stone), as well as reliefs (fur coats, bark beetles, mosaics, etc.), by using different kinds of decorative plasters. Typically, the manufacturer specifies the desired texture of the mixture on the packaging.

• The plaster mixture’s base. Mineral, acrylic, silicate, silicone, and silicate-silicone are all possible. We’ll take a closer look at them below.

• The drying period. It can take anywhere from 24 to 72 hours for various kinds of mixtures.

• The maximum and minimum thickness of a layer. When completing different surfaces (such as brick, concrete, wood, etc.). n.) Various plaster layer thicknesses are required, and these are supplied by varying plaster mixture compositions.

• Solution viability. For a novice craftsman, this indicator is crucial. It shows the duration for which the mixture made in the container is appropriate for use.

• Ingestion. When there are multiple options, the quantity of solution needed to cover one square meter of surface is considered.

• Resistance to frost. The number of freeze-thaw cycles that the plaster can withstand without suffering obvious damage is how this parameter is expressed.

• Stickiness power. The better the plaster clings to the base, the higher this indicator goes.

• Is the mixture meant to be applied manually or by a machine?

Let’s now examine the compositional differences in finishing solutions. With the exception of cement plaster, every type of ready-made decorative coating mentioned below is one.

Mineral plaster

Chips of quartz or marble are found in mineral plaster mixtures. Benefits of mineral plaster for facades:

• high vapor permeability;
• mold resistance;
• frost and fire resistance;
• resistance to precipitation;
• easy to clean surface;
• easy to apply.

The limited color selection of mineral plaster mixes is a drawback, but this can be overcome by painting the plastered walls. This is a good option for finishing outdoor walls overall.

Mineral plasters under the Ceresit, Quick-mix, and Weber-Vetonit brands.

Acrylic plaster

Constructed using acrylic polymer resins. While not very durable, these finishing mixtures have a lot of benefits:

• plasticity, no cracks;
• good adhesion to mineral bases;
• surface hydrophobization (repel water);
• easy to apply;
• large selection of colors;
• service life up to 25 years.

One drawback of acrylic plasters is

• tendency to fade;
• unsuitability for application to metal;
• attracts dust and easily gets dirty.

Reduced vapor permeability is another crucial characteristic. As such, the facade of aerated concrete cannot be painted with acrylic plasters. This may cause the pores to overflow with moisture and cause the walls to crack.

Numerous acrylic plastering mixture brands, including Terraco Terracoat, Farbe Akryl, and Ceresit CT60.

Silicate

"Liquid glass," an aqueous solution of potassium and sodium silicates, is the building block of silicate plasters. Silicate plaster mixtures’ benefits include:

• suitable for finishing plasterboard, lime bases, concrete, etc. p.;
• no smell;
• high vapor permeability;
• does not attract dust due to antistatic properties;
• suitable for application over polystyrene foam due to fire safety.

These solutions have the drawback of drying quickly. Use a bucket that is open right away!

Various brands of mixes for silicate plaster:

Baumit Silikattop Rille/Kratz: for both manual and machine application, this alternative structure (rough, scratched) is suitable for both internal and external work.

Granular in texture, TM Green Line SilikatStone resembles closely spaced pebbles.

Ready-made decorative plaster with marble chips up to 1.5 and 2 mm thick is called ATLAS SILKAT N and R.

Silicone

The self-leveling qualities of silicone resins serve as the foundation for silicone plaster. Benefits of plaster blends:

• self-cleaning during rain;
• high vapor permeability;
• dust-repellent properties;
• strength;
• elasticity;
• moisture-resistant surface;
• can be easily tinted;
• high adhesion to all surfaces to which it is applied.

The decision may not be in their best interests due to the high cost of silicone mixtures.

Several well-known brands include StoSilko MP, Weber Pas silikon, and CAPAROL AMPHISILAN FASSADENPUTZ K15.

Plasters that combine the benefits of silicone and silicate mixtures should be placed in a different group. Examples are Weber.Vetonit and Ceresit ST 175.

Cement

Cement is the most basic material for facade plasters. primarily used for base layer creation for decorative coatings and wall leveling. However, they can also be applied as a last detail. For instance, rough masonry can be replicated with cement plaster.

Benefits of this kind of finishing

• Low price due to its simple composition – a mixture of cement, sand and a small amount of additives.
• Possibility of self-cooking. The composition of the plaster will depend on the brand of cement and the quality of the sand. For example, for 1 part of cement grade 400-PTs II take 5 parts of sifted sand. To increase plasticity, lime is added to the solution.
• High strength;

Because of its higher vapor permeability, this kind of plaster mixture is not appropriate for finishing walls composed of aerated concrete. The requirement for finishing and quick drying of the final solution are the drawbacks.

Brands of cement plastering mixtures: featuring a Frontpro perfection, Knauf, and Junis.

Gypsum mixtures

Gypsum-based white plaster has a low resistance to mechanical damage and precipitation, hence it is not used to finish facades. Mixtures of gypsum can be used to decorate interior spaces.

DIY technology for plastering external walls

Let’s start by determining how to level and ready exterior walls for the application of decorative finishing.

Preparing the surface of the building facade

1. Remove the old finish.
2. Clean the walls with a hard steel brush.
3. Inspect the surface to identify cracks and dents (roughness on wood, burrs), etc. p. If they are, then clean them with sandpaper.
4. Wash the wall with a damp sponge (with soap if necessary) and dry.
5. Use a plumb line or level to check the verticality of the walls.

It is advised to apply an antiseptic solution to wooden facades. In Pustoshkov, masonry is used if the walls are composed of brick, stone, or gas blocks (with incomplete filling of seams on the front side). Better adhesion between the wall surface and the plaster will result from this. If this isn’t done, jointing is done before plastering (the seams are cleaned with a brush and chiseled and hammered to a depth of 1 cm). Create notches on concrete walls that are 5 mm deep and 5 to 10 cm long, with a maximum step of 4 cm, using an axe or hammer drill.

A primer is pre-applied to enhance the plaster’s adherence to the facades’ surface. The selection of its composition is based on the type of wall surface—brick, concrete, wood, etc. For a day, primed walls are allowed to dry.

How to plaster: stages of applying a leveling layer

To get a good result, apply the plaster mixture in three layers:

1. Splash (starting) – from 3 to 9 mm (depending on the nature of the surface, a thicker layer is needed on wood).
2. Soil – from 7 to 8 mm, if plaster includes gypsum, then 9 – 12 mm.
3. Cover (finishing) — from 2 to 4 mm.

The plaster mixture is applied to the reinforcing mesh to reinforce the facades and guarantee a rigid adhesion of the leveling layer. This is accomplished by applying the first layer of plaster and embedding the mesh in it after the primer has dried. The same mesh or shingles—narrow wooden slats nailed diagonally crosswise—can be used to reinforce wooden facades. An adhesive solution is used to fix the mesh if the walls are insulated with mineral wool or a comparable material. For instance, PALADIUM PalafiX 402, Glims KF, ARMIERUNGS-GEWEBEKLEBER 215, and others.

The hierarchy of facade plastering technology is as follows:

1. The reinforcing mesh is installed on the street wall or on the insulation.
2. If necessary, guide beacons made of metal profiles are attached. They are fixed to the wall with plaster mortar, and the level is checked verticality.
3. Throw the plaster mix with a spatula or paint bucket, starting from the bottom and gradually moving up. When plastering by machine, a compressor and a pneumatic bucket are used for this.
4. The applied layer is leveled with a rule. When using beacons, the rule is placed on two guides and raised upward, leveling the plaster layer.
5. The second layer is applied after 24 hours. Nots or grooves need to be made on the fresh layer to ensure better adhesion to the finish. A notched trowel can be used for this.
6. Another 24 hours later, apply the last layer – the cover. Dilute the plaster for it to a creamy consistency.
7. After the finishing layer has dried, use a special float to rub it in. Press the device tightly to the surface, making circular movements clockwise. After processing the entire facade, rub it again in a straight line. If you need to achieve a perfectly flat surface, wrap the float in felt or felt.

If leveling plaster is to be the basis for the facade decoration, then start creating a pattern or relief as soon as the final layer is applied, without waiting for it to dry.

Trowels, stamps, and stencils, as well as specialty rollers with patterns, are used for this. There is a wide range of design possibilities. Stamps are inconvenient because they require frequent washing and their expression of the pattern varies depending on the pressure applied. Using a trowel, all you have to do is make random movements on the wall to create the illusion of stone. If painting the plaster, the texture is created, allowed to dry, and then the plaster is primed once more before paint is applied.

The durability and external appearance of your home can be greatly affected by selecting the appropriate facade plaster and applying it properly. There are many different combinations available, so it’s important to choose one that complements your particular climate and style preferences. Whether you choose a more contemporary acrylic or silicone-based mixture or a more conventional cement-based plaster, each type offers unique advantages that can improve the appearance and durability of your home.

Just as crucial as the selection process is the proper application of the selected plaster. To attain a smooth, durable finish, make sure the surface is clean and well-prepared and follow the recommended techniques. A stunning, long-lasting facade that can withstand the weather and increase the value of your house will be the consequence of taking the time to comprehend the application procedure and the particular specifications of your selected mixture.

You can enhance the external appearance of your home and guarantee that it stays attractive and well-protected for many years to come by making wise decisions and applying facade plaster correctly. Long-term structural advantages and visual appeal can be obtained by making quality material and technique investments.

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