Types of bathroom plaster

Only materials with good moisture resistance are suitable for finishing rooms with high levels of humidity. Certain types of plaster will fit perfectly into the bathroom, as they tolerate high humidity, temperature changes and exposure to household chemicals well. Such compositions can be used as a base coat for further finishing, as well as as a decorative topcoat.

For bathroom furnishings, special requirements are imposed on the materials. Not the most favorable operating conditions have been created in the room. High humidity, frequent temperature changes negatively affect the finish and contribute to the appearance of dampness, mildew and mold. Plaster is not a suitable material for bathrooms.

There are several types of plaster for the bathroom. The performance characteristics of a particular mixture primarily depend on its composition.

However, all bath plasters have a number of common advantages.

• Good vapor permeability.
• The coating does not allow moisture to pass through and does not absorb it.
• Resistance to the spread of microorganisms. Such a coating will not develop fungus or mold, even in conditions of constant humidity and poor ventilation.
• Like any plaster mixtures, bathroom compounds mask well defects on the surface of walls and ceilings, and also level the base.
• On the construction market, you can find many decorative moisture-resistant compounds that will perform not only a protective function, but also play the role of a beautiful finish.
• The plaster is suitable for application to almost any material.

• The starting layer of moisture-resistant plaster can be painted, tiled, covered with decorative mixtures or any other finishing materials.
• Low consumption per square meter. An exception may be decorative compositions. Certain application techniques require more topcoat consumption.
• Good adhesion.
• Ease of application.
• High drying speed.
• Resistant to cracking.

Disadvantages of bathroom plasters mainly depend on the specific type of material used.

Let's consider the main disadvantages of most mixtures.

• Decorative plaster is a rather expensive material. In addition, certain application techniques require a high mixture flow rate.
• Gypsum mixes do not tolerate direct contact with water and too high humidity levels in the room.
• Most decorative compounds require certain skills and craftsmanship to apply them. It is not so easy to do the finishing work with your own hands. If the material is handled incorrectly, it will not be possible to create a reliable and beautiful coating.
• Decorative mixtures are difficult not only to apply to the walls, but also to dismantle them.
• Cement-based plasters can crack if applied incorrectly or too thick.

On the construction market, you can find a wide variety of plaster mixes for wet rooms. For bathrooms, both base and finishing compounds are available. The type of plaster will determine its technical characteristics and decorative properties. Most of the formulations are made on a cement or gypsum base. According to their composition, decorative plasters for the bathroom can be divided into several types.

• Mineral. Such mixtures are made on the basis of various minerals (most often marble or granite chips) with the addition of high-quality Portland cement and lime. This type of plaster is often used for finishing the facades of buildings, which indicates the good resistance of the material to external negative factors.
• Acrylic based. This plaster contains acrylic resins, which play the role of the main binder. This coating is highly durable and crack-resistant. When applied correctly, the material can last more than 25 years without loss of appearance and performance.

• Based on natural silicone. This composition perfectly aligns the walls, and also plays the role of a decorative coating. In addition to silicone, such plaster contains special components that prevent the formation and spread of microorganisms and protect the treated substrate from dampness, fungus and mold.
• Silicate. The basis of such mixtures is an aqueous alkaline solution of sodium and potassium silicates with the addition of antiseptic components. The plaster does not deteriorate from contact with water and has good moisture resistance.

According to the form of release, plasters are divided into ready-made mixtures and dry powders. Ready-made formulations are convenient in that you do not have to spend additional time preparing the solution.

Venetian plaster combines aesthetics and practicality. The material is made on the basis of slaked lime. Dyes, microcalcite, acrylic and other polymer additives are used as additional components. Due to the presence of ground marble in the composition, the coating perfectly imitates the structure of natural stone. Instead of microcalcite, Venetian plaster can contain granite and onyx dust, quartz flour or other fillers.

Venetian mixes are excellent for decorative finishing of small premises. The shimmering coating seems to fill a small room with light, which allows you to visually increase the free space. This type of finish not only has a great look, but also excellent performance.

Venetian plaster is not afraid of moisture and temperature extremes, and is also highly durable. This decorative finish is ideal for bathrooms.

This plaster is a heterogeneous mixture, which may include various natural fibers, small stones, crushed rocks. Thanks to such fillers, the textured coating can imitate various textures. A distinctive feature of this finish is the relief created on the surface.

Textured plaster has excellent technical characteristics, which allows you to use it in rooms with unfavorable operating conditions. The coating can be washed with household chemicals or regularly wiped off dust with a damp cloth. The material is also resistant to mechanical stress and is not afraid of contact with water.

Gypsum plaster is an environmentally friendly material. The mixture is used for interior finishing works in order to prepare and level the surface before finishing.The composition can be applied to the walls with a thick layer, which allows you to mask almost any defects in the base. In this case, the wall is not pre-plastered.

Gypsum plaster is suitable for application to almost any material. The mixture has good adhesion due to special additives that are used in the production of the mortar.

Under the influence of high temperatures, the absorbed excess moisture comes to the surface and dries quickly. However, when wet, the gypsum coating may delaminate. It is worth using this mixture for basic wall decoration in a bathroom only if there is good ventilation in the room, and the starting coating is finished with a waterproof material.

Cement-based plasters are superior in technical characteristics to gypsum mixes. This coating is strong and durable. The material is resistant to moisture and temperature extremes.

By composition, cement plasters are divided into the following types:

• cement-sand;
• cement-lime.

Substances called sanitizing solutions are a system of two or three components.

• Priming solution. Instead of a primer, some manufacturers produce a base plaster for a sanitizing mixture.
• Sanitizing plaster composition.
• Finishing sanitizing putty coating. This component is optional and is not available as part of sanitation systems by all manufacturers.

These systems are necessary to protect walls and finishing materials from moisture. The plaster retains salts in the water, which facilitates rapid evaporation of moisture. The plaster coating has a porous structure, which prevents the accumulation of salt deposits and deformation of the finish and walls.

Sanitizing solutions are easy to apply to the surface and are fast drying. Such a coating is resistant to external negative factors and is not susceptible to cracking. The sanitizing plaster material does not belong to the finishing decorative finish, but is used only as a protective layer. This surface can be painted, tiled or other materials.

Sanitizing systems are not recommended for the treatment of gypsum walls. The base for such plaster must be of high strength. It is possible to apply the solution only on a clean, grease-free surface, cleaned from the old finishing layer. The mixture can be applied in several layers, the total thickness of which should not be less than 2 centimeters.

When choosing the type of plaster for the bathroom, you need to familiarize yourself with the technical characteristics, as well as take into account the advantages and disadvantages of each type. The type of base to be finished also plays an important role.

For concrete walls, cement or polymer-based compositions are perfect. Both cement and gypsum mortars fit well on brick bases. For finishing aerated concrete, it is recommended to purchase special compounds designed for this material.

And it is also important to decide whether the plaster will play the role of a topcoat or a base layer for further finishing. For finishing, special decorative mixtures are produced that have excellent aesthetic properties and high technical characteristics.

Plaster mixes in bathrooms should be used with great care. Such plaster does not tolerate exposure to a humid environment.If water gets on the surface, plaster delamination may occur.

Whichever type of plaster you choose, it is important to consider several factors when purchasing material.

• It is necessary to carefully study the description and characteristics of the composition on the package. The product must be marked that it belongs to the category of waterproof materials.
• In order for the coating to be reliable, strong and durable, you should not save money on buying bathroom plaster. Previously, you can get acquainted with the rating of popular manufacturers and reviews of their products.
• When buying, it is also important to pay attention to the expiration date of the product. Expired materials may not correspond to the declared qualities, as they partially lose their technical characteristics.

The technology for applying plaster largely depends on the selected material and the surface to be treated. The starting finish with plaster mixtures practically does not differ, regardless of the type of composition. The application of decorative mortars offers great design possibilities due to the possibility of using various finishing techniques.

Before applying the plaster, it is necessary to prepare the base. The surface is cleaned from the old finishing layer. If the mortar is applied to a painted, bleached or previously plastered surface, the new topcoat will put stress on the old coating. The old finish can begin to fall off after a while along with the new layer.

If there are deep cracks in the wall, they must be cleaned and sealed with a solution of cement and sand. Then the walls must be cleaned of dust, dirt and grease stains. If a brick wall is to be plastered, then before finishing work it is necessary to deepen the seams of the brickwork to 0.5 cm for better adhesion.

On too smooth brick or concrete substrates, it is recommended to make notches with a depth of no more than 0.4 centimeters. To improve adhesion, it is recommended to treat the surface with a primer. It is best to choose an antiseptic primer.

In certain cases, it may be necessary to install beacons. Lighthouses are necessary if the bathroom has a fairly large area, and the irregularities are more than one centimeter. This process consists in fixing T-shaped perforated profiles. Fixation is carried out using a plaster solution, which is spread in small strokes along a vertical line. The profiles are pressed into the plaster mix in increments of 1 to 1.5 meters.

The spraying procedure is performed for a more reliable adhesion of the plaster to the base. Thanks to spraying, cracks, chips and other defects on the wall surface are filled. This process involves the use of a liquid cement-sand mortar. To prepare the mixture, it is necessary to mix one part of cement with three parts of sand and dilute with water to the consistency of sour cream.

Before applying the mortar, it is recommended to moisten the wall well with water. The mixture is spread over the entire surface of the substrate using a plastering trowel by throwing it on. The thickness of the continuous layer can be in the range from 0.5 to 0.9 centimeters.

After the spray has set a little (this may take no more than three hours), it is necessary to prepare a mixture for the rough layer. In this case, the solution should be slightly thicker than for spraying. A mixture is also made of cement and sand in a ratio of 1 to 3.

The resulting composition is distributed over the previous unaligned layer. If beacons have been installed, then the mixture is applied between two adjacent profiles. Then, using the aluminum rule, it is necessary to level the applied composition. Movements should be carried out up the profiles.

The finishing stage involves the application of a layer of plaster before further cladding or the distribution of the last decorative coating. The difference will be in the thickness of the layer of the mixture. The base coat should not exceed 2 millimeters when the topcoat is applied 4 to 7 millimeters thick.

All work is carried out after partial drying of the rough finish. If the rough layer has had time to harden well, it is recommended to moisten the surface with water. Using a narrow trowel, the plaster mixture is applied to the wide tool. At an angle of no more than 20 degrees, use a large spatula to distribute the solution over the wall surface. At the same time, movements should be smooth and smooth.

For finishing the surface in the corners of the room, it will be more convenient to distribute the mixture by moving the spatula horizontally. Areas adjacent to corners are easiest to finish using vertical movements. The slightly hardened coating is treated with a plaster float, making circular movements counterclockwise. In areas where protrusions have formed, it is necessary to press harder on the grater.

When using a textured mixture, the application process will be slightly different. Use a narrow metal spatula as the main tool. The direction in which you need to move the tool will depend on the chosen technique for applying decorative plaster.

For information on how to plaster the walls in the bathroom, see the next video.

If plaster is used in the bathroom as a base layer, then such a coating needs additional waterproofing. Especially when it comes to a gypsum mixture, which is important to reliably protect from direct contact with water. On the building materials market, you can purchase special products based on cement with the addition of polymers.

For working with decorative plasters, in most cases, a perfectly even coating is required. The hardest thing to work with is Venetian mixes. If you apply such a composition to a base with defects, they will be visible through the finishing layer of plaster. The solution is spread over the surface in thin layers, the number of which can reach ten.

Despite the fact that textured plaster is resistant to the spread of microorganisms, it is not worth creating a coating of high relief. There is a high probability, under the influence of a humid microclimate, of the formation of mold in the shallow recesses of the coating.