Types of plaster mixtures for interior and exterior work

Selecting the appropriate plaster mix is crucial for attaining optimal outcomes when plastering. The mixture you choose has a significant impact on the plastered surface’s longevity, appearance, and general performance, regardless of whether you’re working on an interior wall or the external facade of a building.

Plaster mixtures for the interior and exterior are made to withstand various environmental conditions and to fulfill specific requirements. Some are designed to withstand the rigors of outdoor weather and exposure, while others are more appropriate for smooth, ornamental finishes indoors. Making the best decision for your project can be aided by your understanding of the distinctions between various mixes.

This post will discuss the different kinds of plaster mixtures that are available for use on the inside as well as the outside, emphasizing their special qualities and the environments in which they function best. Understanding your options will enable you to apply a high-quality, long-lasting finish on any surface, whether you’re a professional or a do-it-yourself enthusiast.

Type of Plaster	Application
Gypsum Plaster	Best for interior walls and ceilings, provides a smooth finish
Cement Plaster	Ideal for both interior and exterior surfaces, durable and water-resistant
Lime Plaster	Used for interior walls, breathable and prevents moisture buildup
Acrylic Plaster	Perfect for exterior facades, flexible and resistant to cracking
Silicate Plaster	Common for exterior use, highly durable and weather-resistant

It is important to know the various types of plaster mixtures available for both interior and exterior applications when selecting one for your home. Whether you’re looking for a finish that improves your interior spaces or something sturdy for exterior walls, each type has advantages and perfect applications. You can guarantee a more aesthetically pleasing and long-lasting outcome that is customized to your project’s requirements by choosing the appropriate plaster.

What types of plaster are there for interior work

Plaster compositions vary depending on the intended use for interior finishing of walls and ceilings in buildings. They are employed in additional tasks such as decorating, insulating, and leveling. The solution’s binders dictate its primary characteristics. In addition to serving a crucial purpose, fillers and additives that facilitate the mixture’s application also give the final coating extra characteristics.

Types depending on the base

Plaster mixtures are categorized according to the type of binder base used in the solution, which dictates most of the final finish’s benefits and drawbacks. There are one or more binders in the solutions.

Cement

Cement serves as the primary binder of the base and provides strength to the composition. The earliest known use of this kind of binder was by the Romans. The qualities of the cement used in plaster mixtures vary, including grades (compressive strength) and frost resistance. Any kind of premises can use cement mixes. Plaster made of white cement is used as a decorative plaster. A finishing coat must be applied to other types of cement coatings. Materials on this kind of foundation are employed for both automated and manual labor.

Cement plaster is applied to all types of bases, except gypsum plasters (after priming).

Moreover, cement is combined with polymers, clay, and lime as binders. One of the most affordable kinds of dry mixes (DM) is this one.

• frost resistance;
• strength;
• availability of materials with different qualities (versatility);
• moisture resistance due to the density of solutions (suitable for damp rooms);
• good adhesion;
• availability;
• easy application;
• low price.

• high specific gravity of the composition (not suitable for weak walls);
• the limit of layer thickness requires multi-layer coating;
• for full strength gain it takes up to 3-4 weeks;
• without special. preparation does not stick to a smooth wall;
• not suitable for covering wooden walls.

Gypsum

Possesses ancient roots. generates a welcoming microclimate in the space. It is created by grinding and drying natural stone in ovens. It is employed in interior design. There are already dry gypsum plaster mixes (SGShS) available that are meant for outdoor construction. It is used as a decorative filler with fine grains and as a leveling filler with medium and large grains. The solution can be created without using any of the readily available parts. Plastering can be done mechanically or by hand. Gets along with clay and lime.

• natural;
• lightweight;
• highly adhesive;
• shrink-resistant;
• repairable;
• easy to sand;
• highly plastic;
• non-flammable;
• quickly gains strength.

• too fast setting (application time is limited);
• increased sensitivity to compliance with technology;
• more expensive than clay and limestone;
• not moisture-resistant;
• more expensive than cement.

Clay

Among the earliest kinds ever used by humans. The preparations are underway with raw materials. Hence, you have two options for creating a solution: either choose the composition on your own or purchase it as SS. Fillers such as sawdust, pine needles, chopped straw, chaff, and horse manure have been used for a long time. These elements strengthen the plaster’s ability to insulate against heat. Clay-coated walls feel warm to the touch. Plasticity is adjusted with sand; the amount of plasticity is empirically measured using easy methods. The clay solution can be supplemented with cement or lime. Used for leveling, insulation, and aesthetic (colored clays) purposes.

• eco-friendliness;
• cheapness;
• repairability;
• keeps heat well;
• does not deteriorate over time;
• can be applied in a thick layer;
• suitable for wooden surfaces;
• naturally regulates humidity in the room;
• reusable, waste-free (pieces of old plaster are soaked and put into use).

• soaks in the presence of water;
• long drying time (1-2 months);
• minimum layer above the surface of the shingles (wood) – 15 mm, just on a flat wall – 10 mm, otherwise the clay will crack.

Polymer

Plaster type on polymer binders. Water-soluble dispersions, epoxy resins, and polyurethanes form the foundation of polymer plaster compositions:

• styrene-acrylic;
• polyvinyl acetate;
• butane-styrene;
• acrylic.

Epoxy resin and polyurethane-based plasters create incredibly strong, well-adhered, wear-resistant coatings. They oppose combustion and are not frightened of hostile environments. Mixtures are not compositions that dissolve in water. The resinous components of the mixture’s base disintegrate at temperatures higher than 140 °C.

Cyanides are released by polyurethane coatings, while compounds of chlorine are released by epoxy coatings. Polyurethane compounds are therefore not used in interior work.

Dispersed compositions soluble in water do not have this significant disadvantage. Acrylic mixtures are resistant to UV light and temperatures as high as 90 °C. vapor-permeable, extremely adhesive, and resistant to moisture. While styrene-acrylics are more waterproof and vapor-permeable than acrylics, they become yellow at temperatures higher than 65 °C. Combinations of butadiene and styrene suffer from the same temperature disadvantage as well as decreased vapor permeability. Mixtures of polyvinyl acetate are resistant to UV light and have good vapor permeability. There is limited water resistance. Permit 90 °C temperature conditions.

All polymer compositions are thin and elastic, and they lay down easily. It is simple to tint mixtures. produced either ready-made or in the form of SS. The primary drawback of the mixtures is their expensive cost. They cost less than silicone, though.

Silicone

Expensive plaster mixtures are made on the basis of silicone. Consist of silicone resins, fibers, and other additives. These are the most elastic (stretchy) coatings, which after drying are resistant even to impacts. Such a coating is difficult to remove or scratch. Silicone coatings are waterproof, so they fit perfectly into the conditions of damp rooms. They do not fade, are resistant to UV rays. They cope with sharp wide temperature fluctuations: frost-resistant – up to -50, heat-resistant – up to +70 ° C. Steady in aggressive environments. Long (> 20 years) resist the effects of time, remaining like new. Due to the high adhesiveness of the mixture, it does not require priming. Sold ready-made, as well as SS.

Mixtures have decorative and leveling uses. It is not advised to approach paint, varnish, or oil coatings. The mixtures sit nicely on top of wood, gypsum, lime, concrete, and gas silicate blocks. Avoid shrinkage and cracking. Non-toxic and not a fire hazard. When thickening water, diluted.

Silicate plaster

Silicate plasters are made from liquid glass. These plastering compounds release hazardous compounds when applied, so they should not be used for interior work. Ready-to-use mixes that have been diluted with water are sold.

The benefits consist of:

• durability;
• resistance to temperatures of both signs;
• thermal insulating properties;
• good hitch with mineral wool, polystyrene surfaces;
• light laundering from dirt;
• resistance to aggressive environments.

Drawbacks of mixes of silicates:

• short grasping deadline;
• the need for silicate primer and silicate coating, which will rise in costs of the finish;
• high acidity (not applicable in rooms where people live).

Lime

An additional old hand in the plaster clan. Lime, a natural binder that is bactericidal and environmentally benign, demonstrates these qualities in plaster compositions. used as a decorative textured plaster or as a leveling agent. Ideal for painting murals. The mixture creates a breathable, fire-resistant, bactericidal, and environmentally friendly coating. welcomes mineral binders as allies, such as gypsum, cement, and clay; lays down smoothly and sticks to bases composed of mineral materials. generated in the SS format. It is possible to independently compose and prepare the solution. 0.8 mm is the minimum layer thickness.

• low requirements for base defects (hides small irregularities);
• inexpensive;
• does not require antibiotic additives;
• participates in the regulation of the microclimate in the rooms;
• plastic, easy to apply;
• non-flammable, odorless;
• low-cost composition.

• afraid of water (the disadvantage is corrected by applying a wax coating or introducing additives);
• It is necessary for several days to set strength, allowing, for example, to drive out nails).

What types of plaster are there

To avoid becoming lost in a store full of buckets, plastic banks, and craft mockers, familiarize yourself with the various plaster finishing compositions and their benefits and drawbacks.

Dry

Dry stucco mixtures and drywall sheet material are two distinct finishing materials that enthusiasts refer to as "dry stucco." This word’s finishes refer only to the completed sheet coating. This is a ready-made, roughly 90% gypsum coating with additives that is reinforced on both sides with cardboard or heavy paper sheets. Part: leveling walls in preparation for finishing touches like wallpaper. Adhesive is used to adhere sheets to the wall’s surface.

• The costs of forces are reduced, the speed of the finish grows (2-3 times);
• ease of wall alignment;
• the coating works as a soundproofing screen;
• gypsum is non-flammable, prevents the spread of flame;
• environmental friendliness;
• gypsum board is cheaper than gypsum plasterboard;

• low strength (heavy objects cannot be hung on the wall);
• ability to get wet when heavily humidified (if the apartment is flooded, the gypsum board sheets will have to be replaced);
• in case of uneven walls, it is necessary to install a frame.

Monolithic

Plaster composition, also known as "wet" or monolithic plaster, is a coating composed of decorative or building materials.

• regular (applied in an even layer);
• decorative (finishing coating);
• special (coating with additional properties).

By quality, regular is split into:

• high-quality (smooth finish, used where there are high quality requirements);
• simple (which is used for facades, basements, and other auxiliary rooms);
• improved.

The color and texture of decorative varies. Painting or cladding are not necessary for this finishing touch. Different kinds of ornamental plaster:

• textured;
• colored;
• sgraffito;
• stone.

Particular ones consist of:

• X-ray protective;
• acid-resistant;
• heat-insulating;
• acoustic;
• waterproof.

Decorative

Replaces conventional plaster and finishing to some extent. Different bases for plaster compositions (mineral, acrylic, silicone, etc.) are used. Color (tinting), relief, multi-layer translucent coating (Moroccan, Venetian), structure, pattern application techniques, and molding all contribute to the effect. They can be textured to conceal uneven walls or smooth, requiring a flat base.

The elements of the plaster solutions that are utilized define the strength, vapor permeability, durability, fire resistance, decay resistance, eco-friendliness, and other characteristics of decorative coatings. Likewise, but with drawbacks. The first benefit of decorative plasters is their beauty and individuality; the second is the enjoyment of making patterns by hand.

One of the drawbacks of using a lot of different types of plaster for interior decoration is that it can be hard or impossible to make repairs without leaving marks. The cost of ready-made mixtures is a drawback.

Handcrafted ornamental compositions are less expensive than ones purchased from stores. Additionally, they use homemade tools like films, paper, nets, brushes, spoons, and more to apply patterns.

Stone

The binder for liquid stone, also known as stone plaster, is translucent acrylic or polyurethane glue. Such mixtures contain crushed, cleaned, and fractionated stone materials as filler. Stone chips are occasionally painted to serve as décor. One type of stone, such as granite, shungite, marble, quartz, tourmaline, malachite, etc., can be found in stone crumble, or mixtures of breeds can.

The masters make the ready-made mixture themselves; it is not frequently found on the shelves. These plaster compositions vary not only in the kind of rock but also in the size of the filler grains. It is recommended to use fractions of acrylic glue, ranging from 0.5 to 2 mm, to finish walls in buildings. These compositions do not release any harmful substances when applied and allowed to harden.

Benefits of finishing stones:

• service for many years;
• high strength;
• resistance to UV radiation;
• elasticity of the finished finish;
• resistance to atmospheric and mechanical influences;

Terrazite

This type is utilized more frequently for work on facades. Among the elements are:

• slaked lime;
• portland cement (~ a third of the lime);
• stone materials (sand, flour, mica, chips);
• additives.

Interior work uses fraction fillers that are fine (up to 2 mm). Pigments are added to the mixture to tint it. When mica is added, a sunny day’s rainbow glow is created.

Water is added to ready terrazite dry mixes to dilute them. Depending on the size of the filler, they are identified by either a letter or a number:

• №1 (M) – grain 1-2 mm (fine grain);
• №2 (C) – size 2-4 mm (medium grain);
• №3 (K) – 4-6 mm (coarse grain).

• Versatility (for indoor and outdoor work);
• using special techniques, different textures are obtained, for example, torn stone with a natural shine;
• durability depends on the brand of cement (50-100 years);
• simple technology;
• high maintainability;
• washed under pressure from a hose using household chemicals;
• eco-friendliness.

• Application and processing are a little more complicated than lime-cement compositions.
• To remove the rubbed film that has formed during grouting, sanding is required, during which up to a quarter of the plaster composition used for application crumbles.

Sgraffito

Colored plaster produced utilizing an age-old method. The word "carved" captures the essence of the method. Different colored plaster layers are combined to create a multi-layer coating. The coating layers that lie above the layer of the desired color are then cut out to achieve the desired color in the pattern.

A white solution was mixed, divided into portions, and each part was tinted in the past.

Finishing is simple, accessible to novices, and doesn’t require sophisticated equipment. It is possible to prepare the solution apart from:

• lime dough and quartz sand 1:3 (parts by volume);
• cement additives (10-15% of the dough volume);
• pigments.

Three groups comprise cutting tools:

• for cutting the solution;
• for picking it out;
• for cleaning.

Another method of sgraffito involves using stencils or templates to apply a colored solution.

Venetian

Venetian plaster is used in the room’s exquisite decoration. The eye is drawn to the smooth multi-layer coating, which also entices you to reach out and touch the wall. It is carried out using stone flour solutions on a wall that has been leveled smoothly. Apart from the traditional approach, there exist alternative techniques for implementation. There is only one layer in Venetian; the base is a rough, stretched layer. The others are coming to an end in their own ways. To create the effects of craquelure, polished marble, silk fabric, and cork wood, specific application techniques are utilized. Wax or varnish is applied to the surface.

It is possible to prepare the plaster solution’s composition separately, even from putty. In this instance, the cost of manufacturing the finish will be significantly lower because pre-made decorative compositions are pricey. These are essentially mineral compositions made of acrylic or lime.

Only stainless tools are used by Venetians.

This type of finish’s primary benefit is aesthetic. This decor is always distinctive. The primary drawbacks include high labor costs, application complexity, and cost.

Special plasters

A special composition of plaster is used to give the walls extra properties. These consist of several varieties of specialty plasters:

• heat-insulating;
• acoustic;
• X-ray protective;
• fireproof;
• acid-resistant;
• sanitizing
• other highly specialized types.

A few varieties of special purpose plaster mixes are described below.

Sanitizing

Salt-containing materials were used in the construction of old buildings, so sanitizing (healing) plaster compositions were created for their restoration. Efflorescence appears on walls due to capillary suction-induced wall wetting. These kinds of compositions have porosity and are highly vapor-permeable. Their capillary porosity and permeability are constrained at the same time. It keeps salts that rise with capillary moisture inside the plaster layer and prevents them from rising to the surface. A specific grain and chemical composition must be created in order to accomplish this (fractions, type and shape of grains). Furthermore, plaster compositions’ binders and fillers need to be resistant to salt.

There are two kinds of sanitizing plaster in use:

• leveling;
• sanitizing (air porosity> 25% and capillary water absorption> 0.5 kg/m2).

• prevents efflorescence;
• dries out walls;
• even when applied in a thick layer, does not crack when drying;
• environmentally friendly.

• cannot be used to protect against groundwater suction;
• cannot be applied to gypsum bases.

Waterproofing mixtures

The plaster composition becomes completely water resistant when water repellents are added to the mixture. Its application area includes the exterior walls of cellars, foundations, basements, and other trouble spots. There are primarily two kinds:

• cement-sand (with additives of bitumen, aluminosilicates, coal and plasticizers);
• asphalt.

Conversely, asphalt is separated into "hot" (bitumen, sand, and polymer filler) and "cold" categories, which include cement, ground cinnamon chips, lime-bitumen filler, and latex.

One way to manually prepare the solution is by using:

• M400 cement;
• ground coal;
• fine quartz sand;
• bitumen supplements;
• stone flour;
• gibrophobisators (ceresit, liquid glass, etc.).

Both manual and mechanical methods can be used. applying a 25 mm multilayer coating (with a 3 mm minimum layer thickness).

• frost -resistant;
• waterproof (can be used for plastering inside the tanks);
• A solution of cement-sand type low in cost.

• Requires a strong base

Acoustic plaster

Polystyrene foam and certain other materials are not as effective at absorbing noise as soundproof plaster. This is the most widely used method of noise reduction. The porosity, which is provided by light granular fillers (vermiculite, expanded clay, or pumice), is what causes the sound-absorbing effect. Their contribution is the small volumetric weight of the solutions. It is not advised to paint or apply wallpaper paste over the acoustic plaster coating in order to attain the typical qualities of sound absorption. Paints that disperse in water work well.

Plaster compositions are manufactured for both DIY and machine application. As advised by the manufacturer, you should follow the instructions to get the maximum effect. Manual application is not intended for mechanized plastering solutions.

• preliminary leveling of the base is not required before application;
• easy to apply;
• not easy for insects and rodents;
• resistance to changes in humidity and temperature;
• affordable price.

• finishing is required;
• the layer is applied in a large thickness.

Heat-insulating plaster

A warm plaster mixture prevents cold air from seeping into rooms and walls. The following are some of the parts of SS that are used as fillers:

• sawdust;
• crushed pumice;
• expanded vermiculite;
• granulated expanded clay;
• polystyrene granules.

Sand and moderating additives are added to cement or cement-cement-based plastering compositions in the traditional manner. Certain mixtures even include paper and clay.

Layers up to two centimeters thick of this kind of solution are applied to the walls.

• environmental friendliness;
• long service;
• frost resistance;
• strength;
• non-flammability;
• you can do it yourself (the addition of a plasticizer is required);
• often does not require reinforcement.

• a topcoat is often required;
• maximum coating thickness up to 5 cm.

For your project to have the desired finish and longevity, selecting the appropriate plaster mixture is crucial. Knowing the distinct characteristics of each mixture will help you choose the one that will work best for your needs, whether you’re working on exterior or interior surfaces.

Options like lime and gypsum-based plasters are easy to work with and provide smooth finishes for interior projects. Conversely, more resilient mixtures that can withstand weather and safeguard the underlying structure, such as plasters enhanced with polymers or cement, are advantageous for exterior surfaces.

You can choose the best plaster mixture for your project by taking the surroundings and your goals into account. This will ensure long-lasting results that satisfy both functional and aesthetic requirements.

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