With a great desire to make the interior of your home unique, interest in decorative plasters definitely comes. Attention-grabbing finished works with refined Venetian plaster or intricate reliefs of textured wall decoration, made of a simple cement composition, which were then brought to life with the help of bright and saturated colors and professional application. There are various types of decorative plaster for interior decoration, but when looking for a suitable option, the main feature of this type of wall covering is forgotten.
Textured and decorative plaster is not a specific appearance or execution style. The solution applied to the walls of the rooms should not be understood as a building material. This is an artist’s tool, the basis of a masterpiece, the like of which cannot be found anywhere else except at home. Various compositions, methods of application, styles are means for the implementation of creative ideas and approaches. It is precisely the modern set of the designer that is of interest, which compositions are applicable for creating textured plaster and what are their features.
What compositions of plasters are used
Mixtures for creating decorative plasters are similar in many respects. It is always an elastic solution at first, which is applied to the wall and then dries. Otherwise, the differences are more than significant.
Materials can be classified according to three factors:
- binder;
- filler;
- additives (to add special properties or color to the composition).
Let’s briefly consider the currently used compositions for a better understanding of the scope of tools for creating stunning canvases from decorative plaster.
As a binder, the following are used:
- Cement, gypsum, lime. Collectively, this is the basis for a group of mineral plasters.
- Sodium or potassium silicates. Many people know it as liquid glass. Water-soluble compositions that, when dried, form a strong surface similar in properties to glass.
- Polymers. A generalized group with a basis in the form of acrylic and butadiene-styrene dispersion solutions.
- Silicon. An organosilicon composition that has the appropriate properties to create a durable and aesthetic coating.
The operational characteristics of all types differ, covering together the entire possible scope of application of decorative plaster for interior decoration of premises. You should choose the best option for each specific room in order to guarantee the durability and stability of the finish.
The second important aspect is the choice of filler . To understand visually, it is enough to look at the Venetian marble plaster and the well-known “bark beetle”. In the first case, a combination of one substance is used, each of which contains a filler in the form of mineral grains of various types of rocks of very fine grinding. Particle size is measured in micrometers. The solution is more like a soft paste, in which it is impossible to distinguish individual sand grains and grains. As a result, when applied and combined, smooth and harmonious transitions, strict boundaries along with a smooth diffusion structure are obtained.
The table presents the comparative characteristics of different types of plaster:
| Mineral | Silicates | Polymers | Silicon | |
| Vapor permeability | high | low | average | high |
| Water absorption | high | low | low | low |
| Vibration resistance | low | low | high | high |
| Pollution | high | low | high | very low |
| Elasticity | low | average | high | high |
| Resistance to UV | high | high | low | high |
| Abrasion resistance | low | high | high | high |
The key factor is the presence of large grains up to several millimeters, which, when grouting a plastered wall, form grooves that determine the name – bark beetle.
Coarse-grained fillers allow you to get a rough surface and a complex texture. While accurate transfer of shape and pattern, as well as the creation of absolutely smooth glass surfaces, is available only to solutions with extremely fine grinding grains.
Type of filler . More precisely, the base material is supplemented by a binder, giving the solution specific properties, resistance to cracks, vibrations, strength, resistance to abrasion, elasticity, etc.
Additives determine part of the operational and technical characteristics of decorative decoration. These include:
- dyes;
- modifiers;
- polymer fillers;
- plasticizers
It makes no sense to focus attention on each individual element, additives correct and form the overall picture of the operational characteristics of the plaster. There is no sense or need to be guided in choosing the appropriate solution by which pigment was used, organic or inorganic, or which plasticizers give the solution better adhesion or elasticity during application, the presence of the final result is important.
Types of decorative plaster
It remains to proceed to the direct consideration of various options for performing artistic and decorative decoration of premises with the help of such a versatile material as plaster.
Structural plaster
First, about the simplest and, at the same time, no less spectacular execution option. Structural wall plaster is determined by the presence of relief on the treated surface. The necessary effect is achieved by using fillers with different grain sizes or by applying application techniques that create a unique relief pattern. The main representatives of this style are “bark beetle” and “under the fur coat”.
In the first case, after setting of the applied solution with a grout, furrows are created due to the drawing of large grains. In the second, it is enough to walk over the still wet surface with a soft roller with a pile of medium hardness, after which characteristic irregularities appear, or to apply decorative plaster under pressure, without leveling. Portion application methods are often used, as a result of which unevenness and humps remain on the wall.
Textured plaster
Not much different from the previous version. The drawing is formed in the plane of the wall without creating a protruding relief. Often, individual elements are painted or formed with solutions with various dyes and fillers, emphasizing their contours.
Textured plaster often uses mineral fillers of various types of rocks, from silicon sand to marble chips of varying degrees of grinding. The combination of size and color results in a unique type of wall covering.
Flock, silk plaster
The filler for decorative plaster can be virtually anything. Cellulose fibers and silk fibers are used to create a surface that resembles fabric in appearance and tactile sensation. An analogue and alternative to liquid wallpaper, only with greater strength and durability.
Unlike other types, silk coating has low thermal conductivity, and is able to “breathe”, having high vapor permeability.
Venetian plaster
The most spectacular decorative plaster. You can expect a really good result only if this technique is performed by a real professional, but even if you make it yourself, the result can exceed expectations. Venetian plaster creates the effect of polished marble on the walls in the interior, while not taking up much space and is colossally cheaper than laying real marble tiles.
Several types of soils and a layer of the main composition are used. After that, several more solutions of different shades are applied in the form of strokes and spots over the entire surface of the wall. As soon as the master begins to grind each subsequent layer to a perfectly smooth state, the overall picture of magnificence emerges. The finishing coating is a wax-based polish that gives shine to Venetian plaster for interior wall decoration.
Why stop your choice
It should be understood that the variety of decorative plasters does not end with the main listed styles. They can be combined or presented in a completely new amazing world. Plaster of any format is also an excellent basis for creating amazing paintings, structural and textured landscapes, a canvas for displaying artistic creativity.
The most difficult thing is to find a master and a creator who is able to realize something incredible on the walls of your house or realize your own fantasies and desires in such a strange way as decorative plaster for finishing walls in the interior. It will not be a problem to choose a solution that is suitable for its properties and operational characteristics, especially considering the variety presented on the construction market.