Types of beacons for plastering walls

The quality of plastering is essential to getting even, smooth walls. Beacons are a crucial component of this process because they act as guides to guarantee that the plaster is applied evenly throughout the surface.

Beacons come in various varieties, each suitable for a particular set of requirements and wall conditions. Knowing your options will enable you to select the best type of plaster for your needs, whether you’re working on a major renovation project or a small repair. This will improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the plastering process.

This post will examine the various kinds of beacons for plastering walls, going over their features and appropriate applications.

Type of Beacon	Description
Metal Beacons	Metal strips that are fixed to the wall to guide the plaster application, ensuring an even surface. They are durable and commonly used for most wall plastering tasks.
Wooden Beacons	Simple and cost-effective, wooden strips serve as a guide for plastering. However, they are less durable and can warp with moisture.
Plastic Beacons	Lightweight and resistant to rust, plastic beacons are easy to install and are ideal for less demanding plastering jobs.
Adjustable Beacons	These beacons can be adjusted in height and are useful for uneven surfaces, allowing for precise control over the plaster thickness.

What is a plaster beacon

On top of the wall is a long strip that serves as a beacon. The location of the auxiliary plane, or the future surface of the leveled wall, is determined by its upper edge.

In other words, a beacon is an additional component that facilitates the plasterer’s task of processing and leveling the wall surfaces of buildings and other structures. Beacons can vary in size, shape, and material, but they all serve the same function.

The advantages of using beacons for plaster include:

• obtaining impeccable surface geometry of a layer of rough plaster, which is otherwise impossible to obtain;
• reducing the time of leveling plastering;
• good quality of leveling by people with little plastering experience or those who do not have such experience;
• reducing the consumption of plaster materials for leveling walls.

Purpose

When applied, the plaster mass is malleable and flexible. One trowel cannot even remotely level the mass of mortar over a large area to produce an even, geometrically perfect plane. Wide spatulas, tiny spoons, and regulations that call for even, rigid guidelines are used for this. One kind of such landmark is a lighthouse.

Since the lighthouse serves as a guiding point, it does not provide the plasterer with a rule or other tool to enable them to approach the surface closer than intended when aligning the applied solution. The master removes extra mortar by advancing the rule along the guide rails, leaving a leveled mass with the appropriate thickness in between the rails. When all guide rails are installed correctly, their tops, or working surfaces, come together to form a single auxiliary plane.

Guide rail installation is done with a plumb line or level (bubble or laser). In this manner, the auxiliary plane can be strictly set horizontally for the ceiling or floor, or vertically for walls or partitions. A curved surface can also be set with guide rails, as in the case of plastering curved walls or columns. Guide rails are also utilized for plastering complexly shaped openings, corners, and window or door slopes.

Types of guide rails for plastering walls

"Guide rails" are available in different variations. Plastering guide rails, for instance, can be paths or barriers with a trapezoidal or rectangular cross-section made of hardened mortar. Leaning on the roller from the solution, they can also be constructed from stretched strings. A metal profile fixed to the corner in the shape of a T or a profiled corner can serve as a beacon. The edges of plywood sheets or planed hewn boards that are fastened to the side of a corner or arched opening can also serve as beacons.

A great video about the different kinds of beacons and how to install guides. The seventh minute of the video contains information on the types.

Beacon types according to material:

• mortar;
• wooden;
• metal;
• plastic.

We become familiar with the designs of beacon slats made of different materials, as well as their benefits and drawbacks, in order to properly determine which type of profiles is better to choose.

Metal

Metal, a substance that has long been used to make a variety of tools and crafts, enables equipment manufacturers to create any profiled slat with the necessary size and cross-section. Often used metal beacons are elements with profiles. Steel or aluminum alloys are two possible materials for the profiles.

A variety of fasteners designed for standard beacon products composed of metal profiles have been developed. They make it easier to quickly assemble and disassemble the rails. Tin can strips can be cut into simple fasteners on their own.

Metal beacons easily deform because of the thinness of the strip from which they are bent. Additionally, when under load, they frequently sag. As such, mortar platforms or marks must be placed beneath them as frequently as feasible.

The profile section typically has a T-shaped form. It is possible to identify a rib that has two shelves at the base that enable the profile to be fixed on the surface and a working surface for the beacon at its top.

Metal pipe

The three types of metal profiles that typically fall under this category are tubular, square, and rectangular.

These kinds offer the following benefits:

• provide higher rigidity (successfully used for installing screeds);
• possibility of reusable use;
• possibility of using sections of different lengths.

• high cost of material;
• used only when the thickness of the leveling layer is large;
• may be deformed when removed;
• Only profile products whose geometry and surface quality are not compromised are suitable for use as guides.

Iron lighthouses without coating

Metal profile slats consisting of thin, perforated strips that cut down on weight and metal usage. Typically, they share the same T-section design.

• easy to install;
• have standard sizes;
• when fixed with dowels, they are immediately ready for use;
• standardization of sizes allows you to choose the most suitable ones for specific conditions;
• accessibility;
• low price;
• easy to cut into beacons of the required length.

• do not have a protective coating, so they cannot be left in the body of the plaster coating (removal is required to prevent rusty spots from appearing);
• they are quite easily deformed, so their geometry must be checked upon purchase, they must be carefully delivered to the place of use, and they must be tamped with gypsum mortar;
• when removed, their geometry easily changes and, most often, they are not reused.

Steel beacons with a coating

Products’ surfaces are coated with galvanizing to prevent corrosion. It is thought that plaster layer thickness can accommodate galvanized profiles made from galvanized strip. Experienced plasterers, however, advise against doing this for a number of reasons.

There are other reasons why the plaster coating could be flawed besides corrosion. Different thermal expansion properties of plaster and metal can result in distinctive cracks. Moreover, driving a dowel into a beacon and unintentionally striking a beacon embedded in the plaster can split the coating all the way along the beacon rail.

Additionally, there are reusable items like galvanized metal profiles. They are made stiffer for frequent use. But, in order to prevent the strips from bending, such profiles should be eliminated before the solution solidifies. One drawback of these more robust slats is their expensive cost.

Plastic

Standard beacon profiles are also made of plastic, a substance impervious to corrosion. Slats are composed of high-strength plastics, such as PVC. The cross-sections of the profiles themselves resemble those of their metal equivalents. Because plastic profiles are flexible and lightweight, moving the slats won’t be a hassle. The low cost and chemical resistance of the material, which permits the placement of beacons within the plaster’s body, are further benefits.

Low impact resistance and "fear" of high subzero temperatures (brittleness appears) are among the drawbacks. Plastic slats are prone to bending, so a lot of mortar or plasterboard beacon marks are needed to secure the installation.

Homemade

For plastering, homemade beacons are frequently the least expensive option. Wooden slats can be fashioned from leftover profiles from other projects, such as plasterboard frames. One common explanation for disadvantages is low cost. As a result, choosing profiles that are the necessary height is far more difficult than purchasing pre-made ones that are comparable in size. However, the amount of plaster composition consumed is greatly increased by a slight increase in plaster thickness on large surface areas.

The second kind of do-it-yourself beacons are guides made of mortar. Their benefit is that no additional procedures are needed to fill the grooves left by the extracted profiles; the wall becomes monolithic after application.

The following technology is used in their manufacturing:

1. Align the screws or dowels (depending on the wall material) plumb and level in one vertical plane along the line of the future lighthouse.
2. Apply the flat side of the plaster rule to the screw heads.
3. The resulting space between the wall and the rule is filled with mortar, thereby forming a plaster beacon.
4. After the mixture has dried, the guide is ready for use.

Strings

Even now, string beacons are regarded as novel. A metal string stretched over stops serves as the supporting (for rule) element or working part in these products. In order to guarantee rigidity, a mortar roller runs the length of the string. The three components of the design are a wire (string) that defines the auxiliary plane, two stops (one simple and one with a tensioner).

• cheapness;
• reusability;
• ease of removal after plastering (minimum amount of plaster corrections after removal);
• easy removal;
• time saving;
• ability to plaster with a minimum number of beacons on long walls (you will need only two strings installed horizontally);
• the smallest possible rough plaster layer thickness (less than that of metal profiles);
• ability to make from improvised means and replace parts.

• more complex installation than that of a wooden block or metal profile;
• twisting of the wire and its failure due to accidental bends;
• presence of vulnerable spots, for example, the possibility of clogging the bolt threads with mortar.

Corner

Use of an angular beacon profile yields a geometrically correct angle. These products are typically made of steel or aluminum that has been galvanized, but PVC corners are also manufactured.

In the coating’s body, corners are left. A mesh is fastened to the shelves of the corners on both sides of the structure to reinforce the corner.

Wooden

Plastering beacons are made of 4 cm-wide wooden bars with a square cross-section. These bars are screwed or nailed to the base so that the heads do not obstruct the supported tool’s movement. The slats are soaked in oil, such as drying oil, to keep the wood dry and protected from moisture and swelling. The mortar between the beacons is leveled with bevels to create a thinner layer at such a high reference point. Bevels are wood (or other material) leveling strips with support cutouts at the ends.

Boards or plywood guides are examples of wooden ones as well. Wooden surfaces in the vicinity of potential contact are taped over to shield the mortar from moisture.

The affordability and adequate stiffness of wooden reference points make them ideal for plastering walls. The capacity of wood to swell and warp as well as its low surface abrasion strength (when leveling the mortar with a metal rule sharp edge) are drawbacks.

The type of beacons you choose can have a significant impact on plastering walls. Every variety, be it wooden, plastic, or metal, has advantages and disadvantages of its own. Gaining an understanding of these will enable you to finish more precisely and smoothly.

Although metal beacons are robust and long-lasting, they can be challenging to use if you’re not experienced with plastering. While wooden beacons are a more conventional choice that is still effective for many applications, plastic beacons are more flexible and easier to handle.

The optimal option ultimately depends on your level of experience and particular needs. Your walls will be level and ready for finishing if you choose the appropriate beacons and use them properly.

Selecting the appropriate beacon type is essential for plastering walls in order to achieve a smooth, uniform finish. There are several kinds of beacons that are available, with distinct advantages. These include metal, plastic, and adjustable models. While plastic beacons are simple to install and cut, metal beacons are robust and long-lasting, and adjustable beacons provide flexibility for various wall surfaces. Selecting the ideal beacon for your particular plastering project can be facilitated by being aware of the variations and uses of these beacons.

Video on the topic

Horizontal or vertical? What is MORE CONVENIENT? Plaster beacons. Plastering walls.

How to install FAST BEACONS? New technology, fast string plaster beacons

Types of STRING BEACONS. What is their MAIN DIFFERENCE? Plastering walls.

How to choose a beacon for plastering. 6 mm or 10? Plastering correctly!

A proven method for installing beacons!

The most accurate and simple way to install beacons on a wall!

7.Beacons for plastering. Plaster beacons – types, selection and installation.