Plastering walls on beacons is a simple way to level the surface of walls

One of the easiest and best ways to get a smooth, level surface is to plaster walls on beacons. When traditional plastering methods are difficult to use due to visible irregularities in the wall, this technique is frequently employed. Plaster can be applied to a wall with uniform thickness if beacons are used as guides.

The procedure entails regularly fastening vertical metal or wooden strips, known as beacons, to the wall. By serving as rails, these beacons aid in the even application of plaster. The beacons are taken out and the surface smoothed for a perfect finish after the plaster is applied.

This approach is easy to use and yields great results for both novices and experts. Time is not only saved, but it also makes the process easier to handle, even for individuals who are not very skilled at wall finishing.

How to level a wall with plaster

First things first, novices want to know how to properly plaster walls using guides and level curved surfaces with plaster using their hands.

Given that there are several characteristics:

• of the structures themselves;
• of the materials from which the walls, ceilings and partitions of the house are made;
• of plastering materials;
• of the degree of curvature of the base.

The right technology is chosen for leveling based on this.

Because the leveling layer is thin, minor deviations that don’t amount to more than a few millimeters can be removed without the need for extra precautions.

However, the leveling plaster layer may be more than 20 mm if the wall plane collapses or if there is a significant height difference. The technology of plastering walls on beacons—supporting guide strips installed on the structure being leveled—is primarily utilized in this situation.

Plasterers don’t need to have years of experience to align with beacons; in fact, it’s quite possible for novices as it makes it easier to achieve a level surface—a prerequisite set by the SNIP tolerances.

How can beacons be used to plaster walls? Nearly all technologies consist of multiple sequential phases. Beacon-based plastering of walls is also done step-by-step and in a sequential manner.

1. Removal of old finishes, for example, old wallpaper, whitewash, cladding, paint (in case of repairs). If the old plaster finish turns out to be unusable upon inspection, it is removed completely or partially.
2. Determine the degree of unevenness visually, as well as instrumentally.
3. Prepare materials, tools, devices.
4. Prepare the base (repair, clean, prime, reinforce).
5. Mark the surface, install beacons.
6. Apply splash, primer sequentially, leveling the created wall surface using beacons.
7. Remove beacon strips, seal grooves.
8. Apply cover (if painting or wallpapering is planned).
9. Carry out grouting.
10. Let the plaster composition dry.
11. If necessary, grind.
12. Clear the dust.

Explanations are also needed for each step.

Determination of wall unevenness

The majority of the anomalies are readily apparent. Nonetheless, the proper evaluation of irregularity or curvature, as well as the location and technique of wall leveling, are aided by instrumental methods. Applying the rule reveals the plane’s unevenness. Above the depressions, which are essentially recesses between the wall and the rule, is a gap that, if needed, can be measured. The rule also detects a profile fracture.

Simple instruments like a level, plumb line, square, or laser level are used to identify and measure the parameters of the wall’s collapse or oblique position (the position’s geometry in space).

Since the wall can "go like a screw," the verticality of the structure is verified using a rule and a level. The rule is applied to the wall vertically (in accordance with the level) in multiple locations. A plumb line can be used to determine whether a wall is tilted inward or not.

Either a square or basic geometric constructions are used to measure the angle at which the walls connect to one another.

The Pythagorean rule check is carried out as follows: strictly horizontal lines are drawn from the inner corner on the walls that adjoin it. One and a half meters are measured from the corner on one of them, and two on the other. These three points make up a triangle along with the third, or corner. The hypotenuse’s length should equal 2.5 meters if the right angle is observed. The angle is acute if the measured distance is less; obtuse if it is greater.

If baseboards are removed, construction can be done directly on the floor. In this instance, utilizing a square produces more visible results and enables you to accurately plan the correction right away. Finding the point where the base protrudes the most (zero) will be possible by computing the amount of plaster material required and the minimum distance between the plane of the future wall top and the current surface.

Marking

Special guide profiles, or beacons, are mounted on the base for plastering along beacons. These slats can be made of wood or plastic. Purchasing metal profiles is a common way that plasterers install walls beside beacons. But after the walls are plastered, these slats are all taken out. Site-made profiles composed of gypsum mortar are an exception.

Marking the base of a beacon requires drawing straight, parallel lines across the surface. It is best to keep the distance between beacons between 1.0 and 1.3 meters if this is your first time plastering walls beside beacons by hand. Plasterers with experience set the beacons farther apart (but still no more than the rule’s length, shortened by 20 cm). The extreme beacons are spaced 10-15 cm from the apartment doorways and 15-30 cm from the wall corners.

Priming the base

Priming is a step in the plastering process that involves preparing the base from any material. The primary purpose of the primer composition is to guarantee the plaster composition’s consistent adherence to the base, among its many other tasks. The primer composition can create more "roots" by deeply penetrating the structure’s material and creating a rough surface that the plaster composition can adhere to.

Furthermore, fire retardant (fire-resistant) additives and antibiotic agents are included in primer compositions. Primers can also increase the strength of a base material by strengthening its weak, crumbling surface and encouraging the adhesion of its constituent particles. Primers’ ability to seal is also crucial. The primer’s particles clog and seal the pores, stopping water from being drawn out of the plaster mixture. Similar to sanitizing and waterproofing plasters, special primers are applied for both waterproofing and sanitization.

In order to prevent creating an intermediate buffer layer that could lead to technological flaws, the primer is chosen based on the type of base material and plaster mix. usually applied using a roller; in situations where a roller cannot be used to prime, a brush is employed instead. More often than not, two applications are required, and the product must be allowed to dry for at least a day between applications.

Installing a beacon profile

Installing the profile on the wall requires keeping a specific space between the wall’s and the strip’s surfaces.

Installing metal profiles on visible screws is the most straightforward task for a novice.

1. Mark the installation locations of the beacon strips using a laser level, and if there is none, use a plumb line and a construction cord.
2. On the beacon installation lines, retreating from the floor (ceiling) by 20 cm, drill holes in the base and install wooden dowels. In addition to them, 3-5 intermediate dowels are also made on each line.
3. Screws are screwed into 4 corner dowels, after which a cord is pulled: horizontally (under the ceiling and above the floor), vertically, diagonally (crosswise). The most protruding (zero) point of the wall is marked with a cross.
4. Using a screwdriver and a level, the position of the screws is adjusted so that the stretched threads of the line lie in one vertical (zero) plane. There should be a distance between the zero plane and the zero point equal to the minimum permissible thickness of the plaster coating.
5. Screw screws into the remaining wooden dowels, ensuring that their heads are adjacent to the zero plane.
6. Check the accuracy of creating the zero plane by applying a rule with a level to the heads. Remove the line, using a rule installed on the heads of the screws, adjust the position of the first screws.
7. Wrap the wire around the screws, leaving antennae for attaching the strips.
8. Along the lines between the screws, gypsum composition (brands) is placed in slides protruding above the zero plane. Place the beacon profile and press it with a rule until the beacons stand on the screw heads. Excess mortar of the slides is squeezed out through the holes in the profile shelves. It helps to fix the profile. If necessary, the beacon strips are additionally secured with mortar.

On top of the screw head is the beacon strip.

A "cabinet" with a flat top is constructed out of gypsum mortar and fastened around the dowels with screws to create a mark, ensuring that the profile rests firmly on the heads.

Watch the video to gain a better understanding of the beacon manufacturing process.

Laying the plaster mortar

Plastering along beacons is done in layers, similar to plastering without guides: splash, primer, and cover. The top soil layer will level out, making a difference. Proper plastering is done in a stepwise manner, filling in the pathways between the beacons one at a time. One-meter-long sections of the composition are applied.

In order to increase adhesion, the soil is laid in multiple passes if a thick plaster coating is required, without leveling the tops of the intermediate layers. After applying the composition, the top of the plaster layer is leveled using a rule when the soil starts to show through the beacon strips.

After positioning the rule bar on the beacons’ edges, move the tool from bottom to top along their edges while shaking it from side to side. Using a spatula, remove the cut solution gathered on the rule and place it into a container or add it piecemeal to areas where there isn’t enough.

Typically, leveling requires two or three passes with a rule. A rule is also drawn on a level portion of the solution from top to bottom in order to fix the composition on the base. The solution no longer has a tendency to slide after this.

Alignment of corners and slopes

After plastering the entire wall, the corners are finished. Internal corner alignment is accomplished in the same manner as for the entire wall; however, two lines of beacons on one side of the plastered area serve as the rule for leveling. After sealing the grooves and removing all installed beacons from the plastered wall, you can also plaster the corners. In this instance, the corner solution is leveled using a rule and placed on the leveled wall. Use profile corners with mesh counter-sharps and an angle spatula to align the corners.

Masking tape is used to protect window and door frames before leveling the slopes. In order to regulate the thickness of the applied layer, a strip is fixed on the corner along the slope’s edge and a vertical beacon is placed on the mortar next to the window. Following composition, it is leveled using a rule by positioning the rule horizontally and resting it against the bar and beacon. Once the solution has stood for some time, align it while maintaining the rule’s vertical position. After removing the guides and filling the groove, the slope is rubbed in the same manner as the wall.

Removing beacons

The beacon bars are taken out of the laid solution once the soil starts to solidify (before becoming stronger or, less frequently, after the coating has hardened).

The following factors are taken into account when doing this:

• metal profiles begin to rust when moisture gets on them, rust appears on the surface in dirty spots, spoiling the appearance of the finish;
• the bar can eventually move away from the base and pull the plaster along with it, covering a large area with cracks;
• when installing dowels, you can inadvertently hit the bar, which will lead to the formation of cracks along the entire beacon.

Check out the articles on our website to learn how to fix cracks and other flaws in plaster.

Since there is no insurance against such circumstances, plastering makes it simpler to take out the beacon profiles. The only exceptions to this rule are beacons built with gypsum mortar or walls faced with ceramic tiles.

If the strips are covered in decorative plaster or putty, you may need a magnet, pliers, a chisel, and a narrow scraper to remove the beacon profiles.

If the beacon strip is clearly visible, it is lifted with pliers and pried up from the end using a chisel. Using pliers, the edge of the profile is grasped and gradually removed by wrapping it around itself.

Following the strip removal, a solution with the same composition as the leveling coating is poured into the grooves created. They are leveled in accordance with the surrounding areas using spatulas.

Grouting

Grout is used to level the setting solution. Floats are used to rub the surface. Prior to use, the mortar section is moistened, and the tool is used to level the area in a circular motion. Here, pressure is used to move the tool.

Over the bulges, the pressure is higher; over the depressions, it is lower. The milk that gathers in front of the grater fills the pores as the tool is moved, cutting off different lumps with its edge. The surface is even and smooth as a result.

For grouting, there are two methods available:

• circular (circular hand movement, usually against the sun),
• running (forward and return rectilinear movement of the grater).

Grouting is only done by running if the finishing is wallpaper, decorative plastering, or cladding.

Grouting is also done using the second technique, making vertical movements during the first pass and horizontal movements during the second, in preparation for painting after such grouting. You can use a small amount of covering mortar on the surface while grouting. Following grouting, the wall is left to dry for a day, and then sandpaper or a grinder is used to smooth the coating’s top.

To achieve a smooth and even wall surface, plastering walls on beacons is a simple and efficient method. This method makes it easier to level walls by using beacons as guides to ensure that plaster is applied consistently and evenly. This method is a popular choice for both do-it-yourselfers and pros searching for an easy fix for wall imperfections because it is doable even by someone with only rudimentary plastering skills.

Which plaster is better for leveling walls using beacons

People who are just getting started are curious about the best mixture to use for leveling the walls. The decision is based on both financial resources and the structure’s placement within the building. Use a calculator because the leveling mixture has fairly large volumes. If you use low-cost compositions, you can save costs.

This entails the use of mineral materials derived from solutions of gypsum, cement, lime, or clay.

Mineral blends are well-liked for reasons other than just their affordability. They are inexpensive (clay can be picked up for practically nothing), fireproof, reusable, and environmentally friendly. The answer is within your reach.

Mineral compositions have drawbacks in addition to benefits. Because gypsum and lime compositions are water-sensitive, they should not be used for leveling facades or plastering bathroom surfaces that are subjected to moisture.

The apartment’s damp rooms and facades are finished with a cement composition. Surfaces that are subjected to elevated loads during operation are also leveled using cement mortar.

The inability of mineral solutions to withstand building shrinkage, even in the case of minor seismic impacts and building shaking near railroad tracks, is a common drawback. Consequently, homeowners of newly constructed homes must either wait a year for the building’s primary shrinkage or select more costly leveling compositions, such as silicone, acrylic, or polymer, which have superior elasticity qualities.

Types of plaster beacons

Slats of various kinds are used when plastering walls on beacons. They can be prefabricated or handmade. Additionally, pre-made beacons are categorized; our article has more information on this. Prefabricated options comprise aluminum or galvanized steel metal profiles and corner strips, which are available at hardware stores. Plaster mortar guides and flat wooden slats (used for plastering wooden bases) are examples of self-made ones.

Refer to the "Installing a beacon profile" section and follow steps 1-4 when installing markers and beacons from mortar. Next, create "cabinets" with a flat top around the screws using the mortar. On top of the hardened "cabinets," a rule is placed, and mortar is thrown underneath it to ensure that the rule and the wall are flush. Gypsum beacons are used when applying gypsum plaster to level walls.

A spatula is used to cut off any excess mortar vertically. In this manner, the rule produces a rectangular mortar rib. The rule is carefully removed from the mortar rib after it has been shifted along its vertical axis and allowed to set. Utilizing a spatula, fill the pores and depressions on the upper side of the rib to create a smooth supporting surface (along which the rule will be guided when leveling along the beacons) after the plaster beacons’ mortar has hardened.

Preparatory work

You must get ready for the procedure before you begin using beacons to plaster the walls. Get rid of outdated, useless finishes, rid the surface of stains from different sources, and "heal" chips and cracks. In order to guarantee a solid bond between the leveling finish and the base, this step is crucial.

Dust and debris need to be cleared from the surface. In addition to removing extra metal components, like nails, and insulating the remaining portion, preparation work is required before leveling the walls with beacons. After cleaning, the surface is reinforced and primed. Allow the foundation to dry.

Necessary tools and equipment

For do-it-yourself beacon plastering, get ready the following equipment and tools in addition to beacon profiles:

• mixer;
• containers;
• spatulas;
• rule (for a beginner, it is better to use a 1.5 m long one);
• level;
• plumb line;
• fishing line (nylon cord);
• trowel;
• grater or half-grater;
• roller;
• screwdriver (for screws);
• pliers;
• brushes;
• masking tape;
• roulette;
• chisel;
• reinforcing mesh (shingles);
• stepladder (or scaffolding);
• rags;
• protective equipment;
• film to protect the floor of the room.

Of course, you have to have enough plastering materials ready.

Beacon plaster: pros and cons

The smooth surface of the plastered structures is the primary benefit of the beacon-based plaster wall leveling technique. Applying and leveling the solution is made easier and faster, and less material is used in the process. The fact that beacon strips must be removed after plastering and are challenging to mark and install are among their drawbacks.

Step	Description
1. Install Beacons	Attach metal or wooden strips (beacons) vertically on the wall to guide the plaster.
2. Apply Plaster	Spread plaster evenly between the beacons using a trowel.
3. Level the Surface	Use a straight edge or rule to smooth the plaster by sliding it along the beacons.
4. Remove Beacons	Once the plaster starts to set, carefully remove the beacons.
5. Fill Gaps	Fill the gaps left by the beacons with plaster and smooth them out.

Beacons are a simple and efficient way to achieve a level surface when plastering walls. It makes it possible for people with little to no experience to construct smooth, polished walls.

Because the beacons provide as a guide for evenly applying the plaster, this method is perfect for dealing with uneven walls. You can make sure that the outcome is accurate and aesthetically pleasing by carefully following this process step-by-step.

Plastering on beacons makes wall leveling accessible to anyone looking to improve their living space, provided they have the proper equipment, supplies, and attention to detail.

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