1. Materials for leveling walls, what is best to use.
2. What tool is needed to achieve the best result.
3. Preparing the surface for wallpapering.
4. Specifics of leveling walls for wallpapering.
5. Putty, features of finishing leveling.
6. Subtleties of wall alignment as a rule.
Smooth, smooth walls are a sign of a good, solid and expensive renovation. But is it always necessary to pay good money for smooth walls? This article describes various ways leveling the walls for wallpapering, as well as some features of other types of room decoration, which directly depend on the evenness of the walls.
Final shaving process - the best choice when it has a structure to be restored, characterized by old plaster or where patches need to be made at specific points on the wall. Shaving also has the purpose of making the wall ready to be covered with wallpaper or other coatings that require a perfectly smooth wall, compact and as uniform as possible.
Specifics of leveling walls for wallpapering
Any type of wall can be subjected to this treatment, be it outer wall, which will be painted, or an interior that will undergo a series of subsequent treatments and various materials applications. Through the shaving process we give the wall the correct porosity to obtain an optimal result both from an aesthetic point of view and from a durability point of view; this last aspect is of paramount importance, and therefore all work must be done in the strictest sense of the word; when one step of the entire job is not carried out properly, the result may not be optimal and therefore it is also possible to choose a team of professionals who carry out this type of work regularly.
1. Materials for leveling walls, what is better to use
Today there is a fairly wide selection of materials for leveling walls, these are various plaster mixtures, sand-cement and gypsum, for manual and machine application, as well as various types of putties, cement, gypsum and polymer. All these materials are created to ensure that the desired result is achieved easier and faster.
Shaving walls is not easy to achieve and depends greatly on the type of wall being treated and the difficulties you may encounter, the materials you choose and the tools to apply the products. In most cases, there are walls with minor defects that can be easily resolved by applying paste or plaster to cover cracks or general imperfections; In other cases, especially when it comes to older houses with special moisture conditions, plastering may not be sufficient as a solution unless it is useless, and therefore more massive and flexible operations must be resorted to.
Sand-cement plaster mixture is a thing for all times. This plaster mixture has a number of advantages:
It is very cheap compared to gypsum mixtures;
- universal, can be used both indoors and outdoors;
- very easy to use;
- Suitable for manual and machine application.
Disadvantages:
How to Shave Walls
Anyone who decides to use this operation must know the material being used and all the equipment required for the application. To achieve shaving, calcium lime is used: calcium hydrate made by quenching lime with excess water to produce an elastic and fine paste. This material is a natural air binder consisting of calcium hydroxide and water; it is very versatile and is used by artists, painters, division specialists, but also for independent studies.
Not plastic, for plasticity it is necessary to add milk of lime;
- consumption increases finishing materials, at least twice;
- extremely difficult to apply concrete bases, it is impossible to apply a thin layer of 2-3 mm, it may fall off.
Gypsum mixtures are by far the best for interior decoration, and with skillful use, in some cases you can do without putty. All gypsum mixtures are divided into two groups, machine and manual application, their main difference is the setting time, the viability of mixtures for manual application is approximately two times shorter than that of mixtures for machine application. Another difference is the price; a machine-applied plaster mixture is much cheaper, and since their properties are the same, it can be used for manual plastering.
Calcareous lime is used primarily in the preparation of mortars for its ability to give them excellent workability and plasticity; you can easily buy it for your own developments, and this is confirmed by the exact directions on the product sheet. It is therefore important to select first of all the material to be used for the work you wish to undertake; There are also many types of smoothing plasters to choose from, which may be gypsum based rather than cement based.
These latter preparations are also used to refine and smooth out uneven areas. different types plaster. Through the tool, the product is quickly applied to the wall, shortly after the plaster is crushed to compact, some pressure is applied to eliminate excess product.
2. What tool is needed to achieve the best result?
To level the walls you will need the following tool, several trapezoidal rules of different lengths 3, 2 and one meter. Mixer and container for mixing the solution. Level and rectangular rule for installing beacons, if necessary. Hammer drill, screwdriver, dowels and self-tapping screws of various lengths. A roller for priming and to simplify the placement of beacons, a laser level that can show planes. Something like this:
The pressure that is applied in this phase and the technique used is of paramount importance: if too much pressure is applied, too much material will be removed, if the pressure applied is too low, the material will tend to be excessive and will disturb good characteristics work.
Laying a razor can be simple, in fact it is a special movement that requires minimal experience; this activity is often left to experienced operators who have the ability to unify as much product on the wall as possible and avoid creating heights between the area and the other wall in question.
3. Preparing the surface for wallpapering
The degree to which walls are ready for wallpapering largely depends on the choice of wallpaper itself. The dependence is as follows: the thinner the wallpaper, the more carefully the walls are prepared, because thin wallpaper not only shines through, but also highlights all the unevenness. Very important point lighting, the closer the lighting fixtures are to the walls, the smoother the walls should be. But all these problems are solved by themselves if the walls are plastered under the lighthouse, in this case everything is simplified, since the walls are brought to ideal condition. Before you start leveling the walls for wallpapering, they need to be prepared. To do this, you need to remove the old wallpaper, if any, remove all sockets and switches, insulate the ends of the wires, prime the walls, concrete surfaces treat with concrete contact.
An important and not secondary aspect is the condition in which the wall is intended to be shaved, whether it is an ancient structure or a new structure. Usually this drying phase for new buildings also includes a period of thirty days or, in any case, a period sufficient to use sandpaper and does not risk removing the wrong material, thereby jeopardizing the entire job.
When it is necessary to plaster walls that need to be shaved
After going through this drying stage, you can actually move on to the painting operation, only after passing a soft brush through the wall, which will help remove the dust and small pieces of plaster that were attached to the wall. An inconvenience that necessarily implies postponing wall painting is the formation of holes or craters visible in the backlight and viewing the walls from the front and side.
Next, we proceed directly to leveling using any of the methods listed below, finishing the leveled walls with putty, sanding sandpaper or diamond mesh and prime before wallpapering to even out the absorbency of the walls.
Leveling for putty
When it comes to such a situation, action must be taken to try to fill these deficiencies by using a can of plaster or wall pasta; The material should be applied with a soft trowel and care should be taken not to overfill: it is recommended to use very small quantities to prevent future plastering due to adverse weather conditions such as excessive humidity.
Leveling surfaces in the kitchen and bathroom
Plaster and moisture are enemies among them: the former does not adhere to certain moisture conditions, such as in non-traditional basements or crawlspaces, and can therefore become separated from the walls, causing damage to the paint or any applied wallpaper on the wall.
4. Specifics of leveling walls for wallpapering
Leveling walls with plaster mixtures for wallpaper can be divided into three methods. The first method is the most expensive and simplest: plastering on beacons, the walls are smooth in all planes.
The second method is more economical, aligning the walls according to the rule. The difference between the second method and the first is that the planes of the walls are aligned, but without maintaining the level. Savings occur by reducing the amount of mixture by at least 2.5 times and the work costs 20-30% less. In this case, the walls will be smooth, but there will be some restrictions on the wallpaper; you should avoid wallpaper with a vertical striped pattern and wallpaper with a trim, since vertical stripes will immediately indicate the absence of a vertical level, and wallpaper with a trim will not match in the corners due to the displacement of the pattern .
Finishing work in the process of shaving walls
Obviously, paste plaster is finer in granulometry and therefore less effective in optimally renewing the support relative to powder plaster, which is more suitable for qualitatively better renovation of walls. Once you have an opening without any holes or craters, you can begin to attach the fixative, which is very important to complete the preparation of the wall for painting or wallpapering. The fixative is a sealant that is applied either with a roller or a brush as it allows for deeper penetration into the product.
The third method is the cheapest, aligning corners and junctions according to the rules for choosing wallpaper, as in the second method. The difference between the third method and the second is that not the entire wall is leveled, but only 50-70 cm of the surface from the floor, ceiling and corners. This only creates the appearance of evenness, because you and I, without any measuring instruments or tools, see everything relatively, therefore, in the absence of the opportunity to finance a global and thorough renovation, but with the correct selection of wallpaper and lighting installation, you can visually level and update absolutely any room . But you shouldn’t think that if there are fewer things to do with leveling, then the task will become simpler, the opposite is true. Because many craftsmen are stumped by such tasks; it is easier for them to put up beacons and plaster on them than to think about how to make everything out of nothing.
The fixing application is part of the finishing phase and has the task of sealing the wall and completing the pre-painting phase. There are clear rules for the use of this material, so that there are no unpleasant surprises in the following phases: firstly, the proper doses for diluting it must be followed, as prescribed in the preparation instructions on each package, the preparation phase must be uniform over the entire size of the wall. It is necessary to wait for the correct drying time for the primer in accordance with the recipes and depending on the climatic conditions.
5. Putty, features of finishing leveling
Puttying is necessary in order to eliminate the shortcomings of plaster or leveling with coarser mixtures. Puttying is divided into 3 stages.
1. Applying a base layer - to remove large defects such as holes, pits, stripes and stains from the rule.
2. Applying a finishing layer - to smooth out minor imperfections in the base layer, it is not always necessary, only before painting or gluing thin wallpaper.
One of the most common problems is getting the thinning phase wrong: if the thinning is incorrect and the fixative is too much for the thinner, the risk is that the wall becomes too shiny and waterproof, and therefore makes it difficult, if not impossible, to tint the dye on next coloring phase.
If too much diluted product is used, you risk not getting enough wall for the painting phase and therefore the result will not be as satisfactory as expected. The primer or sealer should dry for approximately two to three hours, with slower drying times during hot, dry seasons such as spring or summer.
3. Sanding - to remove trowel marks and final leveling. The peculiarity of finishing leveling or puttying lies in the method of application and consistency of the solution. The solution should be thick enough so that when applied it can smooth out unevenness up to 3x4 mm. at a time and do not shrink when drying. It is better to apply the putty in a circular motion, rubbing in cross directions, so it doesn’t smooth walls ah, the maximum effect is achieved, and the thick solution will not allow the spatula to touch the wall, thereby preventing the so-called putty effect on stripping.
At this stage you continue to draw with a choice of colors or other finishing works: applying wallpaper, tiles, decorations, paintings with special materials. In fact, the purpose of shaving is to prepare the walls for a subsequent operation, which may consist of painting or coating, such as wallpapering, which requires a completely smooth base in order to have an optimal result and not encounter difficulties during the bonding operation.
The benefits of shaving are not only structural, but also aesthetic: the surface in question is more elegant and allows you to decorate walls with a wide variety of colors and create elegant and durable paintings. More complex decorative effects can be made, such as Venetian plaster, which requires a completely smooth background that only a haircut can provide. The shaved base can also be used to apply decorative tiles or decorative wood slabs.
6. Subtleties of wall alignment according to the rule
Aligning walls according to the rule has some subtleties. The most important thing is that all connections from the top and bottom, all corners, according to the rule, must be smooth; when installing ceilings and baseboards, the effect of good, smooth walls is created. The next moment, all doorways are leveled or very close to it, no more than 5 mm. to the full height of the door so that the installer can install the door correctly. It is better to plaster the walls in the kitchen, especially the part where the set will be located, and it is advisable to maintain an angle of 90 degrees with the wall where the corner part of the set will be, if provided for by the kitchen design. I don’t recommend doing this kind of work yourself if you don’t have the relevant experience, since the more you mess up, the more expensive it will be to fix it by specialists. Therefore, it is better to immediately turn to professionals and save your time. If everything is done correctly, you can get great results for less money.
The most important tip when you decide to shave your walls is to follow all directions on the packaging of the materials you purchase; Additionally, it is imperative that you do not miss any pass as they are closely related and good performance depends on correct execution each of these phases.
Finally, it is advisable to consider the condition of the walls being treated, whether new construction or neglected walls and make adjustments; at this stage we will consider the possibility independent work or relying on experienced personnel in the industry. From DIY to sophisticated methods: CEO to apply resin to the rule of art. Materials, tools for use and support preparation. How to get started with a smooth, smooth surface in a few simple but essential steps.
Ours.
Leveling walls with plaster may seem like a troublesome and overly costly process to some, but this is not the case at all. You can learn how to level walls quite quickly – just a couple of hours of practice is enough. As for the financial side of the issue, working with your own hands always reduces costs, you just need to be able to approach the matter competently. In this article we will tell you how to level walls with plaster with your own hands, gain useful skills and save a decent amount.
Resin, today, has become one of the most used materials in the construction industry. The practicality of this material, its economy and excellent aesthetic characteristics make the resin an excellent ally for the production of coatings suitable for all tastes and all needs.
In addition to the great material picture, the characteristics of excellent wear, scratch and chemical resistance also contribute to this. This is the reason the resin has been used for so long in industrial environments, but also in places such as hospitals and food production laboratories. Today, however, resin is adorned with new clothes and is becoming a precious component of home furnishings that can add jewelery and shine to homes.
Before you run to the hardware store for plaster and tools, you need to decide how you will level the walls. There are two types of such work:
Let's look at each method in more detail. Thus, it is convenient to level the walls “to the rule” when they are more or less even and do not have strong differences and cracks. The rule will only slightly correct deviations from the norm and that’s all. But, unfortunately, in real life Such cases of “almost perfect” walls are rare, and often we have curved walls with differences in vertical and horizontal directions. It is for such situations that there is a way to align the walls with beacons. It helps to achieve the most even vertical wall with a tolerance of 1 mm/1 m. No leakage and ease of installation are also positive features that point to resin winning on other types. building materials. So how does resin apply to any surface? What is the ultimate lightness? The main difference between tile laying and resin is the complete lack of leakage in the latter. In fact, while ceramic or terracotta tiles are laid onto the surface, inevitably using leaks and precision tools that ensure proper placement and correct planimetry, resin avoids these complex procedures because the material is applied with a simple trowel to level the resinous dough. Selection of plaster mixtureThe final result of the work depends not only on the choice of equipment and skills, but also on the type plaster mixture. Thus, in construction practice, mixtures based on cement and gypsum are usually used, and the latter are especially popular. Advantages of gypsum mixtures:
It can be seen that gypsum mixtures are ideal for interior work. But you shouldn’t completely write off cement compositions. They are superior in frost resistance, withstand moisture better, are more durable, and therefore are suitable for exterior decoration. Alignment by beaconsSince the method of leveling walls with plaster without beacons is used extremely rarely (in most cases, people are willing to put up with minor differences in walls), we will focus on a more complex and painstaking type of work. Plaster beacons or “beacon profiles” are a kind of “rails” that set the direction of the future plane. They are attached to the wall with a plaster mixture, rested on them, the solution is applied to the wall, and then the excess part is removed using the rule. The rule is a long board with one pointed end, which acts like a long spatula, spreading and leveling the solution over the surface. This tool is used on large areas - walls, ceilings and when applying screed to the floor.
ToolsWhether you're leveling plaster walls in a small bathroom or a huge foyer, you'll need the same tools. The size of the list is impressive, but most of the items are Consumables. Equipment (a hammer drill) can be rented, and the rest will pay for itself several times over. By the way, the price of leveling walls with plaster is quite impressive, especially when it comes to large areas. Required tools and materials:
Marking and primingWhen all the tools have been purchased and prepared, you can begin the preparatory work. Progress:  Installation of beaconsIf you have completed the previous stage, the remaining part will not cause much trouble. To install beacons, you will need:
Carefully check the evenness of each beacon after installation! Also, do not prepare a solution that is too “tight” so that you do not have to put too much pressure on the beacon. The beacons are quite soft, so bending them is not difficult. This video about leveling walls with plaster clearly shows how to work with beacons: Creating a flat surfaceWhen the beacons are securely glued, you can begin plastering. Prepare the solution based on the thickness of the applied layer - the thicker the layer, the thicker the mixture. Progress:  The walls are leveled after plastering using a grout, and then the finishing coat is applied.
|
