Plaster grout. Plaster grouting: execution technique, necessary materials and tools, step-by-step work instructions and expert advice. How to properly level surfaces with putty

Often modern masters began to use plaster for the manufacture of the finishing layer. In this case, the surface must be subjected to special processing in order to give it a good appearance or the necessary texture.

This process is called grouting plaster, and it is performed both during the application of the material and after it has solidified.

Types of work and their execution

To begin with, it must be said that professional masters belong to this stage works very responsibly. The fact is that it cannot be carried out along certain guides or focusing on the markup. All work is carried out in visual control with properly selected lighting.

Smooth surface

  • Conventional grouting involves creating a perfectly smooth surface on which you can apply a dye or varnish. Also, similar techniques are used when choosing wallpaper as a finish coating.
  • It must be said that it is best to overwrite gypsum mixes due to its viscosity. cement mortars at the same time, they can crumble heavily, and in order to eliminate this phenomenon, professional craftsmen recommend adding a small amount of plasticizer to the solution when mixing it.

  • The question of how to overwrite the plaster deserves special attention, since it causes a lot of controversy among the masters. However, the answer to it is quite simple, especially if you come across such work every day.
  • The fact is that in order to apply a uniform layer, which in itself will be perfectly smooth, it is best to use a metal grater. In this case, to work with a hardening surface, it is worth using a tool made of polyurethane. It is strong enough not to rub off in one go and will not damage the plaster as it is malleable.

  • This work is carried out when the surface of the plaster begins to harden. In this case, you can slightly moisten the grater with water and proceed with vertical and horizontal movements, the purpose of which is to smooth out small particles, distributing them evenly over the entire area.
  • Professional masters recommend instead of water. It will serve as an excellent binder and create a kind of film. At the same time, the installation instructions say that in this case the surface must be treated completely so that there are no dry spots left.

Advice!
Special attention must be paid to the corners.
When working in their location, it is better to use measuring instruments in the form of corners.
Otherwise, even a small defect will be noticeable in this area.

decorative surface

  • If everything is clear with a flat and smooth surface, then it is rather difficult to answer the question of how to rub plaster when creating decorative systems. This is due to the fact that there are many various kinds similar materials that have their own unique way installation. Also, some masters use when grouting homemade tool, which creates unique coatings.

  • Considering this feature, for example, it is worth considering the process of installing bark beetle type plaster in order to understand the manufacturing principle.
  • It should be noted right away that such a surface is very easy to create with your own hands, which is why craftsmen use such compositions so often.

  • First, using a metal grater, the composition is applied to the wall. At the same time, it should be said that it contains rather large inclusions of auxiliary elements that begin to scratch the layer. Therefore, the work is done in small jerks so that solid lines are not obtained.
  • As a result, such scratches very much resemble traces in wood from a bark beetle. However, the surface itself remains rough and not suitable for indoor installation. Therefore, it is necessary.

  • It is worth noting that a special tool is needed for such a wall. Its price is not very high, since in fact it is sandpaper or a grid for grouting putty. However, it is best to buy special device for holding replaceable abrasive segments.
  • This work should be done only after the surface has completely hardened, so as not to damage the previously created pattern.

  • After that, a brush or brush is passed along its surface to remove all debris and dust from the furrows.
  • At the final stage, professional craftsmen advise to treat with a primer in order to fix the relief, protecting it from shedding small particles. Also, such an action will significantly reduce the level of absorption of the material, which will significantly reduce the cost of dyes or glue during the subsequent stages of installation.

Advice!
Start work with decorative species coverage is best from places that are not conspicuous or will not be visible.
So you can practice the technique of applying and grouting.

Output

After watching the video in this article, you can get more detailed information on how such a procedure is performed, and find out all its features. Also, based on the text presented above, it should be concluded that there are several options for the work of this work, which directly depend on appearance final product.

The final processes of finishing plaster are coating and grouting. Instead of grouting, plaster is often smoothed down. The cleanliness of the finished surface largely depends on the quality of the prepared coating solution. Well-prepared on fine sand of normal fat content, the mortar is easily, quickly and cleanly rubbed or smoothed, which increases the productivity of plasterers. To prepare the coating solution, fine-grained sand is used. Coarse-grained sand is of little use, as it gives a rough, rough texture.

Mortar preparation and coating application

The homogeneity of the mortar plays an important role both in the process of its application and in the grout. If in some places the coating solution is fatter and, conversely, the grout will have a different purity. Therefore, attached or ready solutions it is necessary to sift through a fine sieve before applying and mix again. The coating is performed with a solution of the same composition as the previously applied layers of plaster. Grease solutions give a rougher surface, with more streaks and unrubbed streaks. These solutions are more suitable for smoothing. Lean solutions are not strong enough and are poorly overwritten.

For 12 - 20 minutes before applying the coating, the surface of the applied solution should be moistened with water. With moistened soil, the coating adheres more strongly, due to which the formation of a monolithic plaster crust is achieved. The solution is applied to the surface of walls and ceilings in thin layers and leveled with trowels. The cleaner and more thoroughly the mortar is leveled, the easier it will be to grout.

Nakryvka can also be applied from the falcon by spreading. To avoid puttying and to paint directly on the plaster, a sandless coating is used. It is made from lime paste and gypsum. Lime dough is taken with a density with a draft of a standard cone of 12 cm.

Gypsum and lime paste are passed through a sieve with holes no larger than 1 x 1 mm. When preparing a new portion of the coating, the lime dough is well mixed so that it has a uniform density.

  • Wet ………..1:3
  • Slightly damp..1:2
  • Dry ……………1:1

The solution is prepared in small portions without gypsum setting retarders. Slightly set or rejuvenated solution is not used.

The soil must be well leveled before applying the covering.

After plastering the walls, what to do next

If it is dry, then it is thoroughly moistened with water. The prepared solution is applied with a layer of 2 - 3 mm, leveled and smoothed with metal trowels. When joining the cap, the edge of the previously applied section of the solution is cut at an angle of 30 and only a new portion of the solution is applied to the cut part.

Grouting plaster with floats

Grouting is performed round and round. Overclocking grout is cleaner, it is most often performed with high-quality plaster. Round grout is performed as follows. With one hand they take a grater, press the canvas against the surface of the plaster and make circular movements counterclockwise. Tubercles and irregularities are cut off with the ribs of a grater. The solution moving over the surface fills individual depressions and rubs the coating. Press the grater with different strength: where the surface has a convexity, it is stronger, and where the concavity is weaker. In the process of grouting, the cut solution is collected on the edges of the grater. Periodically, it must be cleaned and used to grease the sinks. Over time, the coating dries up and rubs off with difficulty. To make it softer, the rubbed surface of the plaster should be periodically moistened with water using a petrified brush. When grouting the plaster in a circle, slightly noticeable circular traces remain on its surface without shells and grouting. Therefore, with high-quality finishes, round-round grout is supplemented with overrunning grout. Overclocking grouting is done like this. A grater, well cleaned of the solution, is pressed tightly against the surface and begins to produce with it rectilinear movements- wave. Thus, all traces of rubbing around are eliminated.

Overclocking grouting is best done after round grouting. Having rubbed a small surface (0.5 - 1 m) in a circle, it should also be rubbed in a run. If the surface of the plaster, rubbed in a circle, has dried up, then it is moistened with water, and then rubbed over. After grouting, there should be no scratches, shells, rubbing, notches, bumps and other defects on the surface of the plaster. When grouting walls up to 4 m high, they should have only one joint, for which the grout is carried out in two strokes: one from the top from the ceiling to the floor scaffolding. The cleaner the surface is rubbed, the less it requires corrections during painting work.

The quality of the worn surfaces must meet the following requirements. When grouting in a circle, the circular traces left by the grater should be of the same size without grout, unrubbed places, gaps, shells, protirin, tubercles. With skillful grouting over the coating with a solution on fine sand, staining is often performed without putty.

Smoothing plaster with trowels.

The process of smoothing the covering with trowels differs little from the work of a trowel when leveling the mortar with it. Smoothing is done in two ways. In the first case, the applied coating is first leveled with wooden trowels, and then smoothed with a trowel in one or two directions. The pressing force on the trowel is adjusted so that after its passage along the cover there are no traces left. On the walls, the covering is first smoothed in the vertical direction (from the floor to the ceiling), and then in the horizontal direction (along the length or width of the floor). On the ceiling, first smoothing is performed across the rays of light coming from the windows, and then in their direction.

In the second case, the covering solution is smeared and leveled at the same time, and then it is smoothed down. When smoothing, work is best done by two people. One applies the mortar and smoothes it, and the other smoothes it.

When smoothing down with a rubber trowel, the surfaces look like fine sandy textures. When smoothing with metal trowels, the surface of the plaster becomes as if iron. Since the sandless coating is applied in a thin layer, there should be no defects on its surface. A well-worn coating has a fine-grained smooth texture that does not require puttying with a simple color. This increases the productivity of painters and reduces the cost of finishing work.

Plastering works. Shepelev.A.M.

Plastering works. Shepelev.A.M

  1. Textbook title. Plastering works. Author. Shepelev.A.M.
  2. Classification and main parts of buildings.
  3. Finishing and construction work.
  4. Occupational safety and fire prevention measures in construction.
  5. Requirements for scaffolding and ladders.
  6. Scaffolding.
  7. Cradles, scaffolds, ladders.
  8. Plastering tools.
  9. Plastering inventory.
  10. Preparation of wall surfaces intended for plastering.
  11. Sequence of plastering of various buildings
  12. Stuffing a metal mesh under thick layers of plaster.
  13. Plaster wooden walls. Preparing for plastering.
  14. Wall plastering. Preparation of stone, brick and concrete surfaces.
  15. Preparation of adobe, fibrolite, reed and straw surfaces.
  16. Preparation of joints, channels reinforced concrete slabs, steel beams for plastering.
  17. Arrangement of mesh-reinforced structures for plastering.
  18. Safety engineering. Plastering works.
  19. Safety precautions when carrying out plastering works.
  20. Organization of plastering works.
  21. Throwing plaster. Applying plaster.
  22. Plaster. Preparation and application of plaster solutions.
  23. Application of simple and improved plaster.
  24. Making high quality plaster
  25. Covering, grouting, smoothing plaster.
  26. Plastering of husks, mustache and chamfers.
  27. Plastering of internal and external slopes.
  28. Sgraffito plaster.
  29. Requirements for the quality of various types of plaster.
  30. plaster defects. Cracks, peeling, dutiki.
  31. Waterproof plaster mortars
  32. Repair work on facades
  33. Repair of surfaces trimmed with sheathing sheets.

"Rotband" is an elastic gypsum-based composition designed for leveling and plastering walls and other surfaces. Unlike mixtures based on cement and lime, gypsum does not crack, does not shrink and hardens much faster.

You can calculate the required volume of the rotband based on the following indicators: for plastering 3.5 m2 with a layer thickness of 1 cm, you will need 30 kg of dry mix. For a full day, a non-professional can process up to 15 m2 with a leveling layer thickness of up to 2 cm.

Important. Rotband can be used at a temperature of +18-22 °C

Preparatory work

Before plastering, the surface should be cleaned of dust using a wet and dry cloth. After that, you need to apply 1-2 layers of a deep penetration primer. If work is performed in a room with high humidity, it is recommended to use solutions with antiseptic property. This precaution will prevent the occurrence of fungus or mold.

Removing dust from walls

When the primer dries, proceed to the installation of beacons, which will set the thickness of the plaster layer. For this purpose, galvanized perforated profiles with a rib width of 6 or 10 mm can be used. The latter are much stronger, but require much more plaster mixture.

Important. You can only install a flat profile. Therefore, when buying lighthouses, you need to make sure that they do not have any curvature.

How to set beacons?

  • when installing beacons, the main task is to observe a strictly vertical direction. Since these perforated profiles are quite long, a 100-150 cm bubble level is required. Work steps:
  • a thin layer of rotband is applied to the outer side of the profile;
  • the profile and level are applied to the wall and aligned vertically;
  • the upper part of the profile profile is rubbed against the wall with a rotband;
  • observing the vertical, a layer of plaster mortar is placed under the lighthouse;
  • performing this task, you can use a plumb line;
  • if the distance between the wall and the profile is too large, put wooden dies and fasten them to the wall;
  • rotband rub the profile along its entire length.

Advice. The choice of the distance between the beacons depends on the length of the rule that will align the rotband.

How to cook a rotband?

When working with a rotband, it should be noted that this mixture hardens rather quickly. On average, its viability is not about half an hour. Therefore, it is recommended to do kneading in small portions.

To prepare the mixture, use a container with a volume of 10-12 liters. 1/3 of it is filled with clean cold water. The mixing process will be easier and easier if you use a drill with a special mixer type nozzle. A rotband is gradually added to the container in small portions, immediately mixing it with water. When the consistency of the mixture reaches a creamy state, the stirring is stopped.

How are puttying and plastering walls done?

The mixture is left for 8-10 minutes and again it is stirred.

Preparation of plaster mixture

Rotband plastering technology

  1. At one time, it is recommended to apply a layer no more than 1 m high.
  2. The plaster solution applied to the surface is “pulled out” long rule with bevelled outer edge.
  3. Alignment is performed as follows: the rule is tightly pressed against both beacons and moving it in the direction from top to bottom, remove the excess rotband.
  4. The plaster adhering to the rule is removed with a spatula and the process is repeated until the plastered surface between the beacons becomes sufficiently even.
  5. If too much rotband is removed as the rule moves, the plaster mixture is again applied to the wall and the leveling is repeated.
  6. 45-60 minutes after applying the plaster, the rotband between the beacons is smoothed down. For this purpose, a mixture is prepared, the consistency of which resembles liquid sour cream. This composition is applied with a trowel to the wall and carefully rubbed until a smooth surface is obtained.

Applying rotband plaster

Important. While working with the rule, it should be taken into account that the rotband is an elastic mixture and, when applied in a fairly thick layer, it can float under its own weight.

Features of plastering with a rotband

If the surface is prepared for wallpapering, it should be taken into account that the plaster can shine through them. Therefore, it is not recommended to stick wallpaper light colors directly on the rotband, 1-2 coats are required finishing putty. Go to wallpaper dark tones this recommendation does not apply.

It is desirable to protect the corners with a special corner profile. Moreover, it is better to use canvases made of galvanized sheet, but not aluminum. The reason for this is the lack of rigidity of the latter.

Plaster on reinforcing mesh

If the surface is being prepared for painting or finishing textured plaster, the rotband layer must be reinforced with fiberglass reinforcing mesh. Optimal Choices- reinforcing material with a mesh of 2 × 2 / 5 × 5 mm. The grid is glued with a liquid plaster mixture.

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  2. Bedroom Design - Drawings and Photos of Bedroom Interior
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  4. Breeding lime for whitewashing with your own hands

Preparation of the solution and application of the coating. The final process of finishing the plaster is coating and grouting. Instead of grouting, plaster is often smoothed down.
The cleanliness of the finished surface largely depends on the quality of the prepared coating solution. Well-prepared on fine sand of normal fat content, the mortar is easily, quickly and cleanly rubbed or smoothed, which increases the productivity of plasterers.
To prepare the coating solution, fine-grained sand should be used. Coarse-grained sand is of little use, as it gives a rough, rough texture.
The coating is performed with a solution of the same composition as the plaster primer. Add plaster to mortar it is not recommended for coating, because during grouting it quickly rejuvenates and the strength of the coating layer decreases. Grease solutions give a rougher surface, with big amount nataskov and unruined stripes. These solutions are more suitable for smoothing. Lean solutions are not strong enough and are poorly overwritten.
For 12-20 min Before applying the coating, the soil should be moistened with water. With moistened soil, the coating adheres more strongly, due to which the formation of a monolithic plaster crust is achieved.
The solution is applied to the surface of walls and ceilings in thin layers and carefully leveled with trowels. The cleaner and more thoroughly leveled the solution, the easier it will be to rub it. Nakryvka can also be applied from the falcon by spreading. With the appropriate skill, it turns out to be quite clean and even.
Grouting plaster with floats. Grouting is performed round and round. Overclocking grout is cleaner, it is most often performed with high-quality plaster.
For grouting plaster by hand wooden grater(Fig. 51, a). The handle of the grater, made of wood of any species, must exactly fit the hand of the worker. Attach the handle to the canvas with wooden dowels or nails. The cloth of the grater is made from pine or spruce. It should not have knots and tars.


In the process of work, the grater cloth wears out and dowels or nails begin to scratch the plaster, so they should be gradually deepened into the cloth.
When replacing the grater blade, the handle often breaks. In addition, periodic wetting and drying of the grater leads to warping of its web. As a result, the grater blade starts to work with only one of its half, which reduces labor productivity and worsens the cleanliness of the treated surface. Felt or felt linings stuffed on such a canvas also wear out quickly.
These shortcomings are devoid of a grater, the canvas of which is made of galvanized steel or duralumin with a thickness of 1 - 1.5 mm. Holes with a diameter of 1.5-2 are drilled from the end sides of the canvas mm at a distance of 10-15 mm one from the other and three or more holes on the other two sides. At the end sides, the sides are bent with a height of 10 mm where all the holes are located.
The handle is nailed to the bottom of the canvas with nails with wide heads, the ends of the nails are bent on the handle. The handle can be nailed so that the sides are either up or down. To the grater, in which the sides are bent up (Fig. 51, b), felt, felt or wooden cloth is attached. The metal sheet does not warp, so felt or felt rubs the surface with its entire plane.
To a grater with sides 5 high mm bent down (Fig. 51, c), you can nail a wooden sheet, consisting of several slats. Nails for fastening the rails are driven into the holes drilled in the sides. Such a canvas overwrites like a regular Wooden one, but does not warp at all, since it consists of narrow slats (25-30 mm). A felt or felt lining can also be nailed to such a canvas, bending its edges to the canvas.
When fastening the rack web, the nails should be driven incompletely and bent so that it is more convenient to pull them out during the replacement of the rails.
Grout around(Fig. 52, a) is performed as follows. With one hand they take a grater, press the canvas against the surface of the plaster and make circular movements counterclockwise. "The tubercles and irregularities are cut off with the ribs of the grater. The solution moving along the surface fills individual cavities and rubs the cover. Press the grater with different force: where the surface has a convexity, it is stronger, and where the concavity is weaker.


In the process of grouting, a cut solution is collected on the ribs of the grater. Periodically, it must be cleaned off and used for lubrication of protirin and shells.
Over time, the coating dries out and rubs off with difficulty. To make it softer, the surface of the plaster to be rubbed should be periodically moistened with water using a brush. The brush can be made of hair, bristles, grass or matting.
When grouting the plaster in a circle, slightly noticeable circular traces remain on its surface without shells and grouting. Therefore, with high-quality finishes, round-round grout is supplemented with overrunning grout.
Overclocking grout(Fig. 52, b) do so. A grater, well cleaned of the solution, is pressed tightly against the surface and begins to make straight movements with it - strokes. This eliminates all traces of grout around.
Overclocking grouting is best done after round grouting. After rubbing a small surface (0.5 - 1 m 2) round, it should immediately be wiped over. If the surface of the plaster, rubbed in a circle, has dried up, then it is moistened with water, and then rubbed off. After grouting, there should be no scratches, shells, rubbing, notches, bumps and other defects on the surface of the plaster.
When grouting walls with a height of up to 4 m they should have only one joint, for which the grout is carried out in two strokes: one from the top from the ceiling to the scaffolds, the other from the scaffolds to the floor. The cleaner the plaster surface is rubbed, the less it requires corrections during painting work.
The greatest purity of worn plaster is achieved when the work is done first with a wooden grater, and then with a grater, the canvas of which is upholstered with felt or felt.
Currently, various trowels are widely used for grouting (see § 20).
Smoothing plaster with trowels. Smooth the plaster with wooden or metal trowels (Fig. 53, a). TO wooden canvas 1 trowel nailed soft rubber 2 in the form of a continuous strip, so that it extends beyond the edges of the canvas by at least 20 mm.

The process of smoothing the cover with trowels differs little from the work of an ordinary trowel. Smooth out in two ways.
In the first case, the applied coating is first leveled with an ordinary trowel, and then smoothed with a trowel in two directions. On the walls, it is recommended to smooth the covering first in the vertical direction (Fig. 53, b), and then in the horizontal direction (Fig. 53, c). On ceilings, the covering is smoothed first across the rays of light coming from the windows, and then in their direction.
In the second case, the covering solution is smeared and leveled at the same time, and then it is smoothed down. The cleanliness of the surface depends on the skill of the worker.
When smoothing down with a trowel upholstered in rubber, the surfaces look like fine sandy textures; such surfaces are suitable for finishing with adhesive paints. When smoothing with metal trowels, the surfaces become iron-like, as it were. They are suitable for painting with oil paints.
Sandless coating. To avoid puttying and paint directly on the plaster, sandless coating is used. It is made from lime paste and gypsum. Lime dough is taken with a density of a standard cone draft 12 cm. Gypsum and lime paste are passed through a sieve with holes no larger than 1X1 mm. When preparing a new portion of the coating, the lime dough should be mixed well so that it has a uniform density.
The following ratios of gypsum and lime paste are recommended (by volume):
for wet plaster...1:3;
for slightly damp......1:2;
for dry ..........1:1.
The solution is prepared in small portions without gypsum setting retarders. Slightly set or rejuvenated solution is not used.
The soil to be coated must be well leveled. If it is dry, then it is thoroughly moistened with water. To apply a sandless covering, trowels are used (Fig. 54, a, b), cutoffs (Fig. 54, c), spatulas (Fig. 54, d).


The prepared solution is applied to the soil with a layer of 2-3 mm and then it is well leveled and smoothed with metal trowels. When joining the covering (Fig. 55), the edge of the previously applied section of the solution is cut off by cutting off at an angle of 30 °, and only a new portion of the solution is applied to the cut part.

Grouting surfaces for painting without puttying. To prepare the solution, it is necessary to use thick, well-aged lime dough (preferably greasy) and fine sand with grains of 0.3-0.6 mm. Lime paste and sand for mortar preparation should be filtered through a sieve with cells 1X1 mm.
For grouting dry surfaces, a 1:1 solution (lime paste: sand) is prepared, mixed well and filtered through a sieve for uniformity. The solution is applied in a layer 2-3 thick mm. As soon as the solution hardens, it is rubbed in a round or straight way with graters upholstered with felt or felt.
If the solution dries, it is moistened with water. A smooth, well-made coating is easily overwritten.
Since the sandless coating is applied in a thin layer, there should be no shells, potholes or other Defects on the soil surface. A well-worn coating has a fine-grained smooth texture that does not require puttying with a simple color. This increases the productivity of painters and reduces the cost of finishing work.

Surface plastering is the most effective method prepare the base for the finish coat, as well as one of the options decorative finishes. To give the plaster layer the desired texture, it must be processed, in other words, grout. The grouting process itself is not complicated, but it has its own subtleties and secrets, without which a high-quality result cannot be achieved.

Grouting plaster - photo

Grouting is the final stage of plastering work, which consists in eliminating the smallest errors, leveling and smoothing the surface by rubbing the dried mortar special tool. Using decorative plaster the main purpose of the grout is the formation of a certain relief of the working plane.

Before grouting, a “coating” is applied to the base - the finishing layer of the plaster mortar. The base layer, or primer, is very strong and therefore difficult to process, while the covering provides uniform filling of irregularities and maximum smoothness when grouting. Rub the plaster after setting the solution, but before it dries completely.

Tools for the job

In principle, only one tool is used for grouting plaster - a grater, which is a rectangular canvas with a handle. Graters differ in size and material of manufacture, and depending on this they are used for a certain kind works.

Types of gratersCharacteristics

Wooden grater suitable for cement and gypsum plaster, makes it possible to smooth the surface as much as possible and eliminate small irregularities. It can be made independently from an ordinary bar. At the same time, it has significant drawbacks - the tree is saturated with moisture, which complicates the work, the lower part is quickly erased, after drying the canvas can be deformed

As a rule, plastic floats are used to distribute the plaster mixture in small areas, with the subsequent formation of a smooth or embossed surface texture. Their use requires certain skills in plastering.

Easy to use, lightweight and durable. Differs in low abrasion, suitable for all types of plasters

Affordable, easy to use and light grater, but very short-lived. It is mainly used for final grinding of the plaster layer.

The working surface of such graters is made of sponge different density as well as latex and rubber. It is used to form a decorative texture on the surface, finishing smoothing

Metal graters are designed to compact the plaster layer, forming a perfectly smooth base for painting.

The coating solution is kneaded in the same proportions as for the base layer:

  • cement mortar - part of cement and 3 parts of sand;
  • cement-lime - 1 part of cement and slaked lime, 3 parts of sand.

Table - Solution proportions

The only difference is that the finest sand is used for covering, with a grain size of not more than 1.5 mm.

Coarse sand is allowed only if the base is plastered under the tile. For high-quality grouting, the solution must have a normal fat content: lean mixtures do not have sufficient strength and crumble during surface treatment, and excessively greasy ones are poorly leveled and leave stripes.

Advice. It is not difficult to determine the fat content of a plaster mortar: if it sticks strongly to the trowel, it is a greasy solution, and you need to add sand; if it does not stick at all, it is a lean mortar that lacks cement. The normal solution is easily stirred, has a uniform consistency, leaves an even thin mark on the trowel.

Sand is sifted through a sieve with a mesh size of not more than 1.5x1.5 mm.

Pour cement into the mixing container, add sifted sand and mix dry. Next, pour water in small portions to achieve the desired consistency.

When mixing a cement-lime mortar, the lime dough should also be filtered through a sieve. The presence of even small grains will lead to the formation of marks on the surface, and it will not be possible to achieve perfect smoothness.

Procedure for grouting

Coating application

Step 1. The plastered surface is moistened with a sprayer. This increases the adhesion of the coating to the primer layer. It should be moistened evenly, without gaps and not too abundantly so that water does not flow from the wall in streams. This should be done 15-20 minutes before applying the solution. If the working area is large, you should divide it into squares, and wet only the area that will be processed.

Step 2 To apply the coating, you will need a trowel and metal rule, or a wide spatula.

The solution is thrown in small portions onto the wall, starting from the top, after which it is distributed by the rule over the entire plane. The rule must be pressed well with your hands so that the solution is more densely clogged into the slightest irregularities. Excess mixture should be removed. The thickness of this finishing layer should not exceed 2 mm.

Step 3 When the coating is slightly seized, take a grater and begin to rub the surface. Some plasterers prefer to grout at the same time as applying the mortar.

There is no fundamental difference here, and this does not affect the result in any way, the main thing is to grind the composition along the plane with high quality in order to eliminate irregularities. Let's take a closer look at both options.

Dry grout

So, if you decide to wait for the plaster to set, the grouting process is carried out as follows: they take a polyurethane or metal grater, moisten it with water, press it against the surface and smooth the plaster in a circular motion. You don’t need to press hard on the grater - this way you can tear off a fresh solution and have to repair scratches, but it makes no sense to rub too weakly.

Perform movements with the same effort, slowly moving along the plane from top to bottom or horizontally. At the joints of the walls, apply the grater sheet parallel to the corners and rub with vertical movements, and not in a circle. Where elevations are noticeable, the tool is pressed harder; on the recesses, on the contrary, the pressure force is reduced. A solution is collected on the side of the grater during operation, so it must be cleaned periodically.

When grouting large area the coating can dry out quickly and become more difficult to work with. To soften the coating, it is periodically moistened with water. You can use a spray bottle or put a bucket of water next to it and prepare a wide brush with long bristles. With the same brush it is convenient to remove excess mortar from the grater.

If grouting is carried out with the application of a mortar, the procedure will be as follows: the mortar is made a little thinner than the plaster mixture, they are collected a little directly on the grater, the tool is applied to the wall and the composition is distributed over the plane with pressure. The grater must be held at an angle to the surface. Having smeared the solution, press the cloth of the grater against the wall and carefully rub everything in circular or arcuate movements. Try to rub intensively, applying uniform efforts, then smoothing is faster and better.

Very little solution is required for this application, and it takes a lot of time to grout, and it is better to knead in small portions to avoid solidification. When processing one plane, the intervals between grouting adjacent sections should be minimal - take a break only to prepare the solution. Moisturizing each subsequent square, moisten the already worn edges a little - this will increase the adhesion of the solution and transitions will not be visible at the border of adjacent sections.

Grout "round" and "overclocking"

Surface treatment in a circular motion is called "circular" grouting. This method allows you to well compact the plaster layer, get rid of all the tubercles and depressions. But it still does not give ideal smoothness, since noticeable arched traces remain from the circular movements of the grater. Of course, under the tile or textured paint such a basis is quite suitable, but under regular paint these irregularities are clearly visible. Where the smoothest possible surface is required, it is necessary to grout in another way - “overclocking”.

Grouting "overrunning" must be carried out necessarily on wet plaster and immediately after grouting "round". Only if these conditions are met can excellent result. A solution is no longer needed here, and moisturizing is performed only if necessary. One more important point- the grater must be absolutely clean, even, with rounded edges. If the tool is not cleaned of the solution, hardened crumbs will leave scratches on the plane, as well as the sharp edges of the canvas.

Grouting plaster - methods

For convenience, the surface is treated small areas- about 1 m2. The grater is pressed against the wall and driven up and down the plane with measured, precise movements. During grouting, try not to tear the tool away from the plaster, and keep the same pressure all the time. Horizontal or circular movements are not allowed here - only vertical ones.

Surface Smoothing

Smoothing is the final, but optional, step in smoothing the surface. Some master plasterers replace grout with it, but only if factory plaster mixes High Quality. For smoothing, use a grater covered with felt or rubber, or metal. In general, the process resembles “overclocking” grouting, only the surface is treated twice: the first time the movements are performed strictly vertically from top to bottom, the second circle - horizontally.

The pattern of decorative plaster is formed in two ways - during application and after the mortar has set. In the first case, smooth trowels are used for grouting, which allow you to remove sharp protrusions on the surface and soften the relief of the pattern, in the second case, both smooth and textured trowels can be used, depending on the composition of the plaster.

1 way

A solution is applied to the prepared base with a spatula or trowel, making strokes in a certain order or randomly. Nothing needs to be leveled and smoothed, the main thing is that the layer of plaster lays down in approximately the same layer over the entire area, and there are no missed sections left. After application, you need to wait about 20 minutes until the solution grabs so as not to stick to the instrument. Next, they take a grater, moisten it with water, apply the canvas to the surface and, with light pressure, very carefully perform movements in one direction.

If you apply too much pressure, the plaster will smooth out and the pattern will be smudged. And so only sharp protrusions will be smoothed out, the recesses will take on a slightly more rounded shape. Periodically, the grater needs to be moistened for easier sliding.

2 way

The plaster is applied in a layer of 2-3 mm and carefully distributed over the plane with a metal spatula or a rule. The surface should be as smooth as possible, without traces from the spatula, transitions and other defects. Allow the solution to dry a little (15-20 minutes), and proceed to the grout. Here it is more convenient to use a plastic grater. Grouting is carried out in strips with a width of not more than 1.5 m.

Movements can be circular, vertical, horizontal, oblique and even zigzag, but always in one direction. Only in this way a clear pattern will appear on the surface.

Be sure to moisten the grater, and in the process of work, periodically clean it from adhering plaster - its particles fall into the recesses and lubricate the pattern. Perform movements carefully, trying not to cling to already completed sections. After processing one strip, immediately begin to overwrite the next. So that transitions between the strips are not visible, moisten the joints well with water. Do not allow interruptions in work, because the plaster dries quickly, and it will be impossible to form the desired pattern.

After grouting is completed, wait for the surface to dry completely and treat the walls with a foam grater. Such grinding will give the coating smoothness, remove excess particles of the solution, and at the same time will not damage the pattern at all.

Video - Grouting plaster