Installation of beacons for wall plastering

Installation of beacons for plastering walls is an important stage in all work. The evenness of all coatings depends on how correctly the beacons are exposed, therefore it is important to approach the installation procedure in a comprehensive manner.

Plastering walls is an obligatory stage of repair work. Correctly applied plaster makes the walls even, the topcoat on such walls adheres perfectly. However, in order to properly perform all plastering work, you must first install beacons.

Plastering itself is designed to completely improve the appearance of the walls, transform them. It's about hiding irregularities and imperfections. In addition to eliminating all defects, using plaster, you can level the walls, and sometimes even change the proportions of the room by adjusting the length and width of the walls.

Lighthouses come in different types, but the purpose of their use is the same: to help align the walls as much as possible. Also, lighthouses greatly simplify the plastering process, because they are based on the rule.

By installing the beacons correctly, it will be possible to minimize the consumption of the mixture. There will be an opportunity to save on material. This is especially true, since usually buying plaster and plastering work is decent. However, it should be borne in mind that the amount of material is influenced not only by the correct installation of the beacons, but also by the quality of the surface. If it is badly damaged, uneven, then a lot of material will be needed. Levels will greatly reduce the amount of material required if the surfaces are relatively flat.

The choice of the height for the installation of beacons is also influenced by the choice of the mixture. In particular, the level of fixing the beacons depends on the composition of the plaster mixture. For some of them, preliminary installation of the plaster mesh is required, which also affects the distance between the lighthouse and the wall. It also plays a role in the fact that some plaster compositions are applied with a relatively thin layer (5-10 mm), and some with a thick layer (up to 60 mm). When placing beacons, every factor must be kept in mind.

Plastering beacons are not specialized. They can also be used when leveling the ceiling, if such a time-consuming and expensive design method as plastering is chosen for it. A feature of the lighthouse installation schemes is precisely their versatility: they can be used not only for walls, but also for ceilings.

The specificity of the installation of beacons in niches, as well as around door or window openings, is important. This step needs to be given special attention.

Some professional plasterers advise using lighthouses, the other half discourage them from doing so. It is worth investigating in more detail why such contradictions have arisen. The benefits of using beacons include:

• The speed of work. After the lighthouses are installed, the work on leveling the walls will go much faster.
• Simplicity. It becomes much easier to align the walls after the beacons are installed, so even a beginner can do the job.
• Perfectly flat surface... If you do not use beacons, then you will not be able to align the walls so well.

There are also disadvantages here:

• Increased material consumption. Thus, the plaster layer increases by the thickness of the lighthouse, which leads to increased financial costs.
• The need for additional time.The work of installing beacons takes additional time, requires additional effort, so some people neglect this preparation. But in vain.
• Possible deterioration of the topcoat. If poor quality metal beacons are used, they can rust over time. Rust stains will appear on wallpaper or other decorative finishes, and repairs will have to be redone.
• Also, someone can be stopped from using beacons by the fact that the wall will have to be specially prepared for their installation.

Everyone has the right to decide whether or not to install beacons for plastering walls, but we strongly recommend that beginners do not neglect this step. It can be difficult for experienced builders to level walls without lighthouses, let alone inexperienced people. There are several types of lighthouses. This means that there is always an opportunity to choose the most suitable option.

In addition, one of the negative features of using beacons is the need for dismantling. After plastering, beacons that are not made of plaster must be removed, because if they are left, unforeseen incidents and complications may arise. Dismantling beacons is also a difficult process, because it is important to remove foreign devices from the coating carefully so as not to damage the plaster layer.

There are several types of lighthouses. Each of them has certain advantages and disadvantages due to the material from which they are made, as well as their size. Allocate metal, plastic and plaster beacons. There are also plasterboard and wooden beacons, but they are used much less often, so it makes sense to consider only three popular varieties.

• Metallic. Metal beacons come in different lengths and heights. In length, varieties are distinguished in 250 cm and 300 cm, and in height - in 6 cm and 10 cm.There are T-shaped and L-shaped profiles. The former are used when working with the plane of the walls, the latter are used for fixing at the corners. Builders choose metal lighthouses more often than others, because they are easy to work with, they are affordable, and come in a variety of sizes. The wizard gets the opportunity to save a lot of time when installing such models. In addition, they are quite durable.

They also have their drawbacks. For example, during installation, a metal beacon is easy to deform if you make any awkward movement. It is dangerous to "forget" such beacons in the walls, as they can rust, and this rust will appear on the topcoat. Lighthouses must be fixed with a mortar that will provide their rigidity (for example, gypsum).

• Plastic. Plastic beacons are similar in design to steel ones, but they also have their own characteristics. So, for manufacturing, high-strength plastic is used. Plastic products are lighter and stronger than metal products, making them easier for beginners to work with. Plastic beacons do not deform, unlike metal ones, but they break if you apply force. Another positive feature is that the beacons can be left in the plaster without worrying about something happening later, because the plastic does not rust or oxidize.

However, not everything is as simple as it might seem at first glance. Plastic beacons are only suitable for plastering interior walls, since plastic does not tolerate low temperatures. Also, if you install the beacons incorrectly, then they are deformed under the pressure of the rule. This, in turn, will lead to the walls not being perfectly flat.

• Plastering. Only professionals can make such beacons. They are formed immediately during the plastering work from the plaster itself, after which the rule gives them the desired shape. An obvious plus is to save material, but a minus is the inaccessibility of manufacturing for a beginner.

Also recently, the so-called string beacons have appeared, which are a metal cable stretched between two carabiners. It has a common disadvantage of all metal options - susceptibility to rust, but it is much easier to work with it. All levels are flawlessly even if the carabiners are correctly attached.

Depending on what type of beacons is chosen, the consumption of material also depends. It is logical to assume that in the first place are plaster beacons as the most economical representative. There is no need to spend additional plaster even on fixing the beacons.

In second place are string beacons. You will need to spend a little more composition just to seal the carbines, but otherwise the plaster is practically not needed to seal the cables themselves. They are quite thin and are almost invisible in the thickness of the coating.

Slightly more expense will be when installing metal beacons. It is impossible not to take into account the fact that a sufficiently large amount of mortar will be required to seal the cracks after removing the beacons. It is important to take into account the correct installation of the beacons. Do not make the distance between the lighthouse and the wall surface more than necessary. Remember that if you reduce the plaster layer by only 1 cm, you can save up to 10 liters of plaster per 1 m2.

Maximum plaster consumption - when using plastic beacons. This is due to the fact that of all the listed options, plastic samples are the thickest. According to statistics, the layer of material when using such options is 6 mm larger than when installing metal ones, which is precisely due to the difference in the thickness of the lighthouses themselves.

As for calculating the required number of beacons themselves, it is done quickly and easily. First you need to measure the length of the wall. So, you will need:

• one lighthouse on each side of the wall;
• one beacon on each side of the door or window opening;
• one beacon for every 1-1.3 m of the wall surface.

If we assume that it is necessary to calculate the number of beacons for a 7 m wide wall with a door, then we get:

2 (on the sides of the wall) + 2 (on the sides of the door) + 4 (one beacon for every 1.25 m of the surface) = 8 beacons.

The easiest way to calculate the number of beacons is when you have a ready-made room plan in your hands. On it you can depict where the levels will be.

When choosing the distance between the beacons, start from the length of the rule you have. So, the step between them should be less than the length of the rule, so that in the process of work it freely rests on the beacons.

Before putting up beacons, you need to acquire the necessary tools and materials. They will greatly facilitate the work with lighthouses, help to carry out all events quickly and efficiently. Of the tools you will need:

• Directly the lighthouses themselves. If wooden bars are used as beacon profiles, they must be impregnated with a special antibacterial compound.
• Trowel or spatulas for applying the fixing solution. Moreover, it is necessary to purchase both large and small tools. They will be useful not only for direct fastening of beacons, but also for preliminary surface preparation.
• All kinds of levels: laser, hydro (spirit level), bubble. Each of the listed tools greatly facilitates the work of determining horizontal lines and further calculating the location of the beacons.

• Plumb line.It is necessary directly when determining the verticals on which the beacon profiles will be fixed.
• Rule. Along with the level and plumb line, this tool serves to define horizontal and vertical lines.
• Crayons and pencils for marking.
• Bright fishing line or cord. These materials will be needed for building levels, building diagonals.

• Perforator. Required for drilling dowel holes. In the future, beacons will be built along the fixed dowels. In addition to the hammer drill, you need to purchase a set of special drills of different diameters.
• Roulette. It is best to choose construction options made of metal with a length of 8 m, since this way you can capture the entire distance both vertically and horizontally, and along the diagonal of the wall.
• Screwdriwer set. Both cross-shaped samples and with a straight slot will come in handy, but it all depends on what kind of cap the dowel has.

If we talk about additional materials, then you will need to purchase a primer. You will need a deep penetration liquid primer to treat the base and a pasty one to apply to the plastered surface. To attach the beacons, you may need plastic clips or so-called "ears". If you have a choice, then it is better to give preference to "ears": with them it will be possible to significantly save the plaster composition.

You may also need a thickener for the mixture or an adhesive if you plan to attach the beacons to the solution. Such additives will contribute to the quick setting of the mixture and, accordingly, the quick fixation of the beacon in the right place.

Before installing beacons, the surface must be prepared, regardless of which walls are planned to be plastered - brick, foam or aerated concrete, plasterboard, concrete or others. The process of preparing the foundation consists of several stages, each of which is very important. None of them can be missed.

The first step is to remove the old coating from the wall, and we are talking not only about wallpaper, but also about plaster, paint or something else. Pay attention to the specificity of the procedure. So, the wallpaper will have to be removed in any case, like water-based paint. If the walls are covered with oil paint (it is almost impossible to remove it), then you can leave the paint, having previously made notches in order to improve the adhesion of the plaster and the oil composition. Old plaster can also be preserved if it does not fall off, "does not bunch", but if there is even the slightest concern, it is better to dismantle the coating. It is imperative to take the time and clean the surface of the base well.

Further, the wall is washed from dust and dirt, particles of the remaining old coating are removed. The surface must be clean and slightly rough.

Walls are primed well using a deep penetration liquid primer. Please note that priming work is carried out 2-3 times. Each time you need to wait until the previous layer of primer is completely dry.

Depending on the type of surface, it may be necessary to apply a certain material to the wall before installing the beacons and plastering. So, for brick walls, additional processing is not required. Concrete surfaces must be grinded. Wooden and metal walls are additionally reinforced with special plaster nets, which are fixed between the lighthouses.

In principle, this preparatory work can be considered complete. Before starting any repair measures, you need to protect the adjacent objects and surfaces with masking tape: glue over the door frames, glue along a strip of tape on the floor and on the ceiling, where they adjoin the walls. So it will turn out to completely secure the environment and in the future it will not take much time to clean the adjacent surfaces.

It is important to determine exactly where to place the beacons.Not only the correct geometry of the exposure, but also the evenness of the walls depends on the correctness of the markup. The process of marking is called wall hanging. Its implementation is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. All you need is knowledge of the school geometry course. Stages of work:

• First you need to determine the evenness of the wall. To do this, apply a long rule to different sections of the wall alternately, marking protrusions or depressions with different colors. For example, green chalk can mark bulges, and blue - depressions.
• Measure from the top of the wall 2 m down. It is best to measure at the junction of two walls in the corner. Line up the horizontal line using the laser level. Then measure 2 m up from the line adjacent to the floor, and also build a horizontal line.
• Measure 10 cm from the corner joints along the upper horizontal line. Drill holes in these places and install screws in them.

• There is an easy way to create straight verticals. For this, a plumb line is used. A plumb line is attached to the upper screw and lowered until the distance from the floor is 3-4 cm. As soon as the plumb line stops fluctuating, mark the points on the lower horizontal. Here, holes are drilled and screws are also installed.
• Further, 10 cm are measured from each screw and the holes are drilled again, installing the screws. The outermost lighthouses will be located here.
• The distance between the points of the location of the extreme lighthouses must be divided into several approximately equal parts about 1-1.3 m in length. Please note that it is better to lay the points along the upper horizontal, and mark the corresponding ones with a plumb line on the lower one. At each of the new points, drill holes and insert screws.
• If there is a door or window opening in the wall, then you need to retreat from it 10-15 cm on each side. Additional beacons will be installed here. Be sure to determine the evenness of the door or window opening using a level or plumb line. Even if the opening is even, it is still better to define the verticals with a plumb line.

• Now pull the line between the outermost screws along the perimeter and diagonally. Then screw in the screws until the line just touches the most protruding place. Diagonal lines should touch slightly, be on the same level, lie in the same plane.
• Further, all the screws that determine the position of the beacons are unscrewed until they are slightly in contact with the line. It is important that they just lightly touch, and not rest against the fishing line. This is the thickness of the plaster layer. Make sure that the screws lag behind the wall at a distance no less than the height of the selected beacons. If this is not the case, then re-adjust the position by unscrewing all the screws an equal distance.

After the markings have been made, it is necessary to decide how exactly the beacons will be fixed. Fasteners depend on the type of beacon used, on the material from which it is made. There will be no problems if you make lighthouses directly from plaster with your own hands. Lighthouses made of other materials - metal, plastic, wood - can be fixed in two ways:

• Used by plaster mortar... For fasteners, both the solution used for plastering work and a modified equivalent can be selected: plaster with additives responsible for the setting rate, gypsum mortar and others. The solution is applied with slaps from top to bottom along the line on which the beacon will be mounted. Then the metal or plastic profile is tightly embedded in the solution until it is completely level with the screw heads. The evenness of the profile relative to the vertical is checked using the rule. If the profile is deformed in the process, then it is promptly replaced with another. After the profile is installed as it should, excess plaster is removed from it, and then proceed to the installation of the next beacon.

• Fastening without mortar. This option is more modern, because specially designed devices are used here - plastic fasteners or "ears". If there is a choice between plastic clamps or "ears", choose the latter, since here the thickness of the fixing element itself is insignificant, therefore, a smaller layer of plaster will be required in the future. The clamps are screwed in place of the screws used for marking, and then the profile simply snaps into the fasteners. Note that removing plastic fasteners from the wall is difficult, so many leave them right in the wall.

The technology for making mortar beacons is quite complicated, especially for a person without experience, but a certain plus is that the fixator is not needed here.

The first step is to apply a sufficiently thick strip of plaster between the marking screws. Please note that the solution must be applied immediately before making the guide, and not immediately on the entire wall. With the help of the rule, it is necessary to form a beacon by flattening it on both sides and on top.

In addition, it is possible to expose drywall guides. When the walls are relatively flat, then this option seems to be one of the most acceptable and cheapest. You can use drywall scraps left over from repairs.

First, the plasterboard scraps must be cut into strips 3-4 cm wide. The solution is applied to the preliminary surface with slaps. The distance between the tubercles of the mortar should be 20-30 cm. This will ensure good adhesion, at the same time, drywall under the rule will not bend.

Next, the strips are pressed against the wall with the mortar and aligned with the rule according to the screws screwed in when marking. The result is a flat surface on which it is convenient to guide the rule. In this case, the drywall strips will not bend and the wall will not be aligned incorrectly.

Wooden guides are not used in modern practice, since it is extremely problematic to pull them out of the wall after the plastering work is completed. As a result, the tree may start to rot, and signs of decay will appear on the topcoat. However, it is necessary to install wooden beacons using the same technology as metal or plastic ones. Wooden blanks will be slightly wider, otherwise the fixing procedure is the same.

String beacons require a slightly different approach to installation. When installing them, you need to follow the following instructions:

• After the surface is twice primed and well dried, it is necessary to fix the brackets of the string device in the places where the dowels were installed during the marking.
• Next, you need to pull the strings between the clamps. Their placement and distance from the wall should be the same as determined during the layout.
• The strings are stretched to the so-called ringing: if you touch them with a pluck, a characteristic ringing sound should appear.
• Next, the string is fixed with a solution. This is done so that in the process of plastering it does not sag and the evenness of the wall is not threatened.
• After the embedded mortar has completely hardened, you can start plastering the walls.

Regardless of which type of fastening you have chosen - with fasteners or with mortar, the installation of profiles or guides of other types will not cause difficulties. The main thing is to carefully prepare the surface, and then follow the instructions step by step.

Professional plasterers share useful tips to help you set up your runners before plastering. The most relevant recommendations were the following:

• The primer must be allowed to saturate the surface well.This is done so that the beacons on the solution hold better and the plaster does not fall off in the future.
• Although many call for abandoning the installation of beacons, this should not be done. Firstly, they greatly facilitate the work of leveling walls when a large area needs to be processed. Secondly, the plastering work will be carried out faster. Thirdly, the surface will turn out to be perfectly flat, provided that the beacons are set correctly.

• Do not leave profiles or guides made of other materials in the wall after finishing work. Over time, they can make themselves felt with spots on the wallpaper or decorative plaster. With plastic profiles, everything is slightly different. If they are made of toxic cheap plastic, then over time they can release harmful substances into the air that adversely affect the health of people and animals.
• To save material, choose the smallest profiles if the curvature of the walls allows it. For example, when processing surfaces in a new block building, it is permissible to do without lighthouses at all, while in an old brick house, where the walls are lined crooked and unevenly, lighthouses with a height of 10 mm or more will be needed.

For information on how to quickly and efficiently install beacons for wall plastering, see the next video.