Is it possible to plaster in winter

Winter plastering can present some difficulties, but it’s not impossible. Many builders and homeowners are unsure about whether plastering in the winter is possible and what precautions they should take to guarantee a good finish. Plaster can be affected by low temperatures, so it’s important to know the risks and take the appropriate safety measures.

The temperature of the space or surface where the plaster will be applied is one important thing to take into account. It is important to keep the environment warm and stable because cold temperatures can shorten the drying process. Furthermore, to get the best results in the winter, you might need to use specific methods and supplies.

In this post, we’ll look at the potential benefits of plastering during the winter, talk about potential difficulties, and offer helpful advice to ensure a quality finish. We can help you with winter renovation planning or just general inquiries about the procedure.

Plastering work in winter

In fact, can a wall be plastered during the winter? It is fortunate for those who have central heating. However, what happens if plastering is needed outside or in a cold room? We respond to frequently asked questions by novices.

The ideal temperatures for common mixtures are between +18 and +20 o C. Warming up the space is therefore the best course of action if it is feasible, as it will allow for the use of traditional compositions as well as the maintenance of ideal conditions for the composition’s setting and strength gain. Plastering the facade is a more complicated case.

It is possible to plaster in the winter, but to achieve the best results, careful preparation and adjustments are needed. Plaster performance and the curing process can be negatively impacted by cold temperatures, so it’s critical to use the right materials, keep a suitable workspace, and adhere to certain methods to avoid problems like freezing or incorrect setting. Even in the winter, you can achieve a smooth, long-lasting finish by following these precautions.

Features of plastering indoors and outdoors

When the season arrives, plastering with traditional mixtures and techniques is no longer feasible, even with light frosts. In the dead of winter, with no wind or precipitation, the temperature in an unheated room is essentially the same as outside.

The process of plastering walls without heat inside a private home or apartment is the same as it is outside, but in this instance, heating the interior space can be accomplished. Thus, plastering has its own quirks during the winter, both indoors and out.

Plastering requires that the walls be free of ice before applying the mixture, regardless of where it is applied.

Preparing the walls for plastering in the winter also requires them to be dry. The maximum humidity for walls should be 8%.

In the event that the plaster mixture is applied mechanically, the mortar unit is kept warm to maintain the consistency of the continuously supplied mixture.

Winter plastering of the facade

Warming up the facade in the winter is not feasible.

Thus, for outside work during the winter:

• use antifreeze additives;
• apply a heated mixture (at subzero temperatures not lower than -20 o C).

Plastering in winter in an unheated room

In the unlikely event that plastering is scheduled for the winter, be ready for the cold snap ahead of time:

• in a new house, door, window frames, as well as blocks must fit tightly;
• door panels are installed, windows are glazed;
• interfloor ceilings are insulated;
• gaps around door and window frames are sealed;
• slopes are plastered with insulation;
• block access of cold air from the attic;
• the walls are dry.

You can heat the room quickly and with minimal heat loss by taking the aforementioned steps. As a result, the circumstances needed for the application and solidification of the solution can be met.

Prior to starting to heat the room, check the thermometer readings under the ceiling, where the air warms up more quickly, and at the outer wall, which is half a meter above the floor. The air temperature in the room is +10 o C, the walls can only be allowed to be +8 o C, and the maximum temperature that can be read on the thermometer at the ceiling is +30 o C. The plastered surface is moistened when the air is heated to +23 degrees.

Why is it dangerous not to comply with the temperature regime

You must realize that the plaster solution contains water, which solidifies into ice crystals when frozen, increasing the volume of the solution. The bonds that have started to form between the composition’s particles are broken by the crystals when the water in the applied mixture freezes quickly. Additionally, the mixture becomes dehydrated when the ice dries without going through the liquid stage.

If the plastering temperature regime is temporarily violated, the applied solution just thaws and slides off the wall. Prolonged hypothermia following thawing prevents the plaster composition from solidifying into a stone-like coating. It comes off the base easily and crumbles and peels off.

Frost-resistant plaster – types

Frost-resistant plasters are those that can be applied in extremely cold temperatures—up to -60 degrees Celsius. However, in actual use, this term refers to mixtures that can be applied at low temperatures, such as facade plasters applied at -10 o C.

Plastering walls with anti-freeze additives is a traditional technique for enclosing structures in partially or completely unheated rooms, as well as for plastering facades in the winter.

Among these additives are:

• calcium chloride, for example, mixed with table salt;
• ammonium chloride salt;
• diluted hydrochloric acid;
• potassium carbonate (otherwise known as potash);
• ammonia water;
• chlorinated water, etc.

Efflorescence formation is their shared drawback, with the exception of potash and ammonia water. After the coating has dried and the salts have appeared, sweep them off and rinse with water. When the weather is warm, do this.

Chlorine water

Plaster mortar is treated with chlorinated water to give it frost resistance. This is an additive for antifreeze. When using such a mixture, plastering is done outside, where the temperature does not fall below -25 °C. You cannot use these mixtures indoors. Since volatile chlorine is a caustic material, safety gear (respirator, gas mask, clothes) is required.

Making a chlorinated solution step-by-step for mixing:

1. Heat the water to +35 o C (chlorine evaporates at higher values).
2. Take 1.2-1.5 liters of bleach, add to 10 liters of water.
3. Stir until lumps disperse.
4. Let the resulting solution settle for 1-1.5 hours, drain the sediment into a separate tank.
5. On the settled warm (more than 10 degrees) solution, mix the plaster mixture (the colder it is, the warmer the chlorinated milk should be).

Settling is necessary because dimples and cracks arise when turbidity or silt enters the plaster composition.

Combine the following mixtures in the following ratios on chlorinated milk:

• for a concrete base – cement 1:2.5 to 1:3;
• for wood, cinder blocks and bricks – cement-lime 1:1:6, cement-clay 1:1.5:6 (cement, clay + slag, ground, sand).

Finishing can be done manually or by machine. After the previous layer of composition has thickened, each subsequent layer is applied. After the cover is set, grouting is completed. Alkali-resistant mineral dyes that are resistant to light, like mummy, iron red lead, and ocher, are applied to solutions containing a chlorine addition.

After eight days, chlorine solutions solidify completely. Chlorine evaporates during this period, making the compositions safe.

Potash

Potash is used more frequently in construction because, unlike chlorine, it is safe (although a respirator is still required). Potassium carbonate, or potassium carbonate, is this chemical substance. It is appropriate for solutions reinforced with mesh because it doesn’t cause metal to corrode. Efflorescence is not formed by potash coatings. Potash is typically added to water rather than a dry mixture. Next, either incorporate the potash solution into the already-composed mixture, or combine the plaster solution with this water.

Temperature conditions affect how much potash salt is used:

• at t ≤-5 o C, take 1% potash relative to the weight of the dry mixture (DM);
• if t is within -5 to -15 o C, add 1.5%;
• at t below -15 o C the additive is 2%.

Cement plasters or intricate mixtures of cement with clay or lime are used for plastering:

1. When preparing a cement-clay composition, dried clay is used. The proportions of the composition are 1:0.2:4 vary up to 1:05:6. You can first prepare a clay slurry, and then mix it with sand and cement.
2. Cement-lime compositions are prepared in the usual way, no more than 20% lime (relative to the weight of cement).
3. Cement composition 1:3.

The mixture is prepared and kept at +5–+10 o C in an insulated container. It must be used immediately after preparation, no later than one hour.

Beacons and marks are created using the same plastering solution as for leveling plastering. A sour cream-like mixture is applied rather than splashing. Wall plastering is done in 10 to 12 mm layers. To improve adherence of the cover, which is made on the thicker soil layer, the top of the leveled soil is scratched. Thickness of cover: 7-8 mm. Without getting wet, the cover is rubbed and leveled. precise placement of walls on beacons.

Ammonia water

When using ammonia water as "antifreeze," no efflorescence forms on the plaster. Since ammonia is more heat-sensitive than chlorine, water preparation should only be done at temperatures up to + 5 °C. Ammonia water prepared under industrial conditions is simpler to use. There is a concentrate (15–25%) that can be purchased; it is diluted with cold water to a maximum ammonia content of 6%:

• at 15% per liter of concentrate take 1.5 liters of water;
• at 25% — 3.16 (rounded 3) liters of water.

Only cement-lime or basic cement compositions use ammonia water. It is forbidden to dilute other plaster compositions with ammonia water.

Materials utilized in winter plastering:

• for concrete – cement from 1:2 to 1:4;
• for brick, wood, cinder blocks – cement-lime-sand 1:1:6 to 1:1:9. The formula indicates the proportion of lime dough diluted with ammonia water at a temperature of at least +5 o C.

When using plaster solutions with an ammonia addition, the air temperature should not drop below 30 o C. The temperature of the prepared mixture should be:

• not less than +5 o C, if the negative air temperatures are -15 to -25 o C;
• +2, +3 o C, if the temperature conditions are within the range of up to -15 o C.

In order to produce solutions with these qualities at the output, heating the components prior to mixing is necessary. An insulated container holds the solution.

Modern materials

The challenge of plastering walls during the winter has not been abandoned by building material manufacturers. Products from the company include frost-resistant stainless steel for use outdoors during freezing weather.

For instance, at -10 o C, the St. Petersburg-based company KREPS provides two varieties of frost-resistant mixtures for application on facade and interior walls: "Extra-light" and "Extra-light winter." Perfecta company mixtures, such as "FrontPro LIGHT," are used under the same temperature conditions. Applying the IVSIL GROSS facade mixture occurs when the temperature falls below -15 o C.

We refer to these compositions as winter.

They exhibit attributes like:

• durability;
• high strength;
• water resistance;
• quick drying;
• elasticity.

Cons: difficult to lay flat and heavy weight.

How to dry plaster in winter

It is necessary to adhere to wall drying technology when plastering during the winter. The compositions require the right drying conditions because their chemical compositions differ. Airborne carbon dioxide is needed for mixtures with a lime base to harden.

Accelerated drying of lime mixtures is prohibited because of its small quantity in the room. Lime and gypsum-lime solutions need to be ventilated frequently (at least a few times a day) and can dry for up to two weeks. Rapid drying causes the finish to become weaker and more prone to cracking.

Humidity is necessary for cement compositions to become stronger. As a result, they and compositions made of cement and lime are dried without drafts. For about a week, the drying process goes on. Additionally, gypsum plaster is dried for a week. For ventilation, a small gap in the window is sufficient.

Aspect	Details
Temperature	Plastering in winter is possible if temperatures are above freezing. Ideal conditions are usually above 5°C (41°F).
Materials	Use winter-grade plaster that is designed to withstand lower temperatures. Regular plaster may not set properly in cold weather.
Preparation	Ensure surfaces are free of frost and ice. Use heaters or enclosures to maintain a suitable temperature during application.
Curing	Allow extra time for curing as cold weather can slow down the drying process. Keep the plaster warm and protected until fully cured.

Winter plastering is definitely feasible, but it calls for extra caution and modifications. Plaster’s curing process can be impacted by cold weather, so it’s important to take precautions to guarantee the best outcomes. Even in the winter, you can successfully finish your plastering projects by using the right methods and supplies.

Use winter-grade plaster or setting and drying additives to mitigate the difficulties caused by low temperatures. Maintaining a warm and draft-free workspace is crucial for ensuring appropriate curing. Despite the bitter cold of winter, you can still achieve a smooth, long-lasting finish by following these guidelines.

All things considered, winter plastering can be just as successful as any other time of year with a little planning and attention to detail. You can make sure that your plastering projects turn out well regardless of the outside weather by adapting your approach to the colder conditions.

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