How to choose and apply plaster on wood, which is better for walls

Plastering can be a great way to give your wooden walls a new, long-lasting coat of paint. Your wooden surfaces will be protected for a long time if the proper plaster is applied and the appropriate type is chosen. Knowing the proper techniques for plastering over wood is crucial, whether you’re updating a contemporary area or restoring a historic house.

Because wooden surfaces naturally expand and contract in response to temperature and humidity variations, plastering wooden surfaces poses special challenges. This means it’s important to choose a plaster that can withstand these movements without chipping. Certain plasters are designed specifically to stick to wood well, leaving a stable and smooth surface.

Plastering wood requires meticulous technique and preparation. Before you begin, the wood needs to be dry, clean, and free of any loose materials. To make sure the plaster adheres properly, you might need to use a bonding agent, depending on the kind of wood and its state. A perfect finish can be achieved by using the right tools and knowing the appropriate consistency for your plaster.

With so many plaster options at your disposal—including gypsum, lime, and clay—it’scriticalto take your project’s particular requirements into account. Your decision should be guided by elements like the wall’s location, the desired finish, and the surrounding circumstances. You can turn your wooden walls into gorgeous, durable surfaces by taking your time when selecting the appropriate plaster and carefully applying it.

Choosing Plaster	Applying Plaster
Use breathable plaster for wood surfaces to prevent moisture buildup.	Prepare the wood by cleaning and ensuring it"s dry and dust-free.
Lime-based plaster is a good choice due to its flexibility and breathability.	Apply a primer or bonding agent to help the plaster adhere better to the wood.
Gypsum plaster can be used, but ensure it"s suitable for wood to avoid cracking.	Apply the plaster in thin, even coats for a smooth finish and allow drying between layers.
Avoid cement-based plasters, as they can trap moisture and damage wood.	Sand the surface lightly after the final coat for a polished look.

When choosing and applying plaster on wood walls, it"s important to select the right type of plaster and apply it correctly to ensure a smooth, durable finish. Start by considering options like lime, clay, or gypsum plaster, each offering unique benefits such as breathability and ease of use. Lime plaster is a great choice for its natural properties and flexibility, while gypsum provides a smooth finish ideal for interiors. Before application, ensure the wood surface is clean, dry, and properly primed to enhance adhesion. Apply the plaster in thin, even layers, allowing each to dry thoroughly before adding the next. This careful approach ensures a long-lasting, visually appealing result that enhances the beauty and function of your wood walls.

Is it possible and why to plaster wood with mortar

Shingles are used to finish wooden houses in order to add aesthetic appeal and insulation, and then a layer of plaster is applied.

• insulation of walls;
• leveling surfaces before finishing (applying decorative plaster, painting, wallpapering);
• increasing the level of noise protection;
• increasing the fire-resistant and aesthetic characteristics of a wooden building;
• preventing wood rotting, mold, fungi;
• protection against damage to walls by rodents;
• prevention of cracking and drying out of the structure;
• increasing the durability of the repair;
• protection from precipitation;
• implementing a combined design of facades or interior decoration;
• adjustment of joints, cracks, etc.D.

Plastering wooden walls inside the house with your own hands

• preparation of walls and internal partitions (cleaning, antibacterial treatment, hemp, and t.D.);
• fixing the fight on logs or the joints of wooden elements;
• installation of beacons or mesh;
• application of plaster;
• grouting, grinding;
• decorative finishing.

Preparation of walls

• repair in the presence of distortions, deformations;
• removal of unnecessary metal fasteners;
• cleaning surfaces from mold, grease stains, bitumen;
• treatment of partitions with antibacterial compounds;
• caulking cracks on both sides or eliminating large cracks using special mounting foam;
• if wooden walls adjoin structures made of other materials, the surfaces are treated with concrete contact;
• in rooms with high air humidity, waterproofing materials (roofing felt sheets, polyvinyl chloride film) are attached to the walls or waterproofing solutions are used;
• remove sockets, de-energize electrical wiring;
• seal window frames with tape;
• walls are dried.

In certain situations, fiberglass reinforcing sheets or steel mesh can be used to seal the cracks in place of laths.

Fastening the laths

The laths are fastened on a wooden house before plastering. Thin wooden slats, three to five millimeters thick, are used for reinforcement. They are fastened to the wall and intertwined to create a mesh of cells.

1. The slats are soaked in water for several hours.
2. Then 1 row of laths is nailed at an angle of 45°, 25 mm nails are used in the work.
3. At the ends of the slats, 2 nails are nailed in place, keeping the same gap between the edges of the laths.
4. An additional layer is nailed on top of the first coating, for which 5 mm thick boards are used, the elements are located perpendicular to those originally installed.
5. The formed mesh is nailed in the areas where the slats intersect with nails.

Installation of beacons

Beacons must be applied and fixed before plastering a wooden wall, and the coating layer must be 1.5 to 2 cm thick in accordance with standards. By utilizing these components, you can produce a smooth coating. Installing beacon strips vertically involves making indentations up to 30 centimeters from the corners. 1-1.3 m is their placement step. Every so often, a cord draped over the extreme beacons is used to verify the strips’ location.

Application of plaster for wood on the walls inside the house

Wooden walls are plastered in phases utilizing technologies for splashing, priming, and covering. To avoid mold, wood is completely dried out before work is done. The structure needs to get smaller.

1. Splashing is done with a solution with a liquid consistency, work is carried out with a ladle. The thickness of the splash layer is up to 10 mm, the surface does not need to be leveled.
2. For priming, a dense solution is mixed, which is applied with a trowel. The layer thickness can reach 2 cm.
3. The composition is distributed between the beacons, in sections up to 1 m long.
4. The coating is slightly leveled with a spatula or trowel.
5. The second layer is distributed and leveled along the beacons, excess plaster is removed with a rule.
6. The gaps between the beacon strips are filled in stages.
7. Finally, the corner sections are plastered.
8. The layer is dried for 5 hours, then the surface is rubbed with a float in a circular motion.
9. Before covering, the beacons are removed from the plaster, the grooves are plastered with a solution.
10. For covering, a solution of medium liquid with fine-grained fillers is prepared, which must be applied with a thickness of no more than 2 mm using a spatula.

Grouting for interior work and exterior plastering

Walls and partitions are rubbed to create a smooth foundation. To prepare wooden surfaces for painting or applying wallpaper adhesive, the treatment is required.

Grouting may be longitudinal or circular. The first option involves applying slight pressure to move the float around the surface. When grouting longitudinally, the tool is moved up and down in a vertical manner. The float is then used to complete the second pass in a horizontal manner.

Water is sprayed from a spray bottle onto the plastered layer prior to grouting. After the irregularities are cleaned up, a spatula is used to remove any leftover solution.

It is important to remember that repeated covering and grouting won’t be necessary if a decorative composition is used for finishing work. Using a wide spatula, irregularities can be removed in a single procedure.

Technology and features of plastering a wooden house from the outside

Prior to applying exterior plaster to a wooden house, professionals advise becoming acquainted with the subtleties of finishing:

1. External plastering is carried out only after internal work on applying plaster to prevent dampness of the walls, accumulation of condensation in the room.
2. The solution for external use should not contain gypsum and clay powder, because.. the materials are not waterproof or weather-resistant.
3. After the mixture has hardened on the facade (in 28 days), the building can be finished with natural stone blocks or decorative plaster can be applied to the surface.
4. When processing facades in the summer in sunny weather, the walls must be regularly moistened to prevent the formation of shrinkage cracks.

Combinations of facade finishing options are useful in country cottage décor. Traditional design solutions or ones that fit the author’s project can be used. Plastering is an option for the building’s lower portion, while blockhouse or clapboard is used for the upper stories. For external finishing, coniferous species like pine, larch, spruce, and cedar are frequently utilized. Before being plastered, painted, and varnished, boards need to be pre-impregnated with antiseptic agents.

The better to plaster the surface of the wall of wood

The selection of plaster is contingent upon the specific operating conditions, such as air humidity, temperature, etc.

• for exterior decoration;
• processing of the premises in the building;
• universal purpose (for facade work, interior decoration, use in unheated places, etc.d.).

• standard – for leveling the base;
• decorative – used for the final stage of finishing;
• heat-insulating;
• moisture-resistant;
• barite with protection from ultraviolet rays, etc.d.

• sand-cement;
• lime;
• cement-lime;
• gypsum;
• cement-gypsum;
• clay-sand;
• lime-gypsum;
• clay (with the inclusion of fiber or straw);
• clay-cement;
• clay-lime, etc..

Clay plaster for plastering wood

The mortar for clay plaster is inexpensive, simple to use, flexible, safe for the environment, and fireproof. The material does not degrade and can be stored for an extended period of time. It is also vapor-permeable, waste-free, repairable, and universally applicable (suitable for wood and brickwork).

Because clay plaster absorbs excess moisture, it lets you control the humidity level in the space. Since clay mixtures take a long time to dry, even inexperienced builders can use them for finishing work. Upon incorporating sawdust, straw, pine needles, and additional ingredients into the mixture, the plaster layer will consistently hold onto heat. You can utilize a variety of colored clays to create a unique design for the space.

It is imperative to consider the extended drying process of the mixture and its susceptibility to elevated air humidity levels. Only a thick layer of the coating—a minimum thickness of 10 mm—is applied.

The amount of fat in the clay determines how much river sand is included in the composition. Use less sand when mixing lean clays; more sand is needed when mixing fat clays. During the preparation phase, a specialist determines the proportions.

The typical ratio of sand to clay is 1:3. You can reinforce the clay solution by using polypropylene bags that have been cut into 1.5 cm strips.

Cement-sand

Plaster mortar made of cement and sand is universally used to complete both interior and exterior projects. High resistance to frost and wear, enhanced strength, strong adhesion to the base, water resistance, and temperature change resistance are some of the material’s distinguishing qualities. Manufacturers use plasticizers and other modifying additives to create ready-made cement mixtures.

You can use well-known recipes to make the solution yourself. The ratios of cement powder to sifted river sand for finishing wooden bases should be between 1:3 and 1:5. The application site is taken into consideration when choosing the cement grade. Lime can be added to a regular plaster mortar to increase its plasticity.

Gypsum plaster for wood

Only in dry air rooms are plaster compositions based on gypsum used for interior finishing. Increased adhesion, plasticity, quick hardening, environmentally friendly components, non-flammability, no shrinkage, repairability, low weight, and vapor permeability are some of the qualities that define the materials.

Gypsum coatings can be applied in a thin or dense layer using a mesh for plastering wooden walls, and they are simple to work with (sanded and used to create decorative textures). The materials are employed in decorative finishing work and base leveling.

The list of drawbacks includes coatings that crack at high humidity levels, high cost, fast solution curing, and poor resistance to frost. Gypsum plasters can be bought ready-made as dry mixtures or can be made on your own. Because the plaster’s plasticity is only preserved for around 30 minutes, the mixture must be prepared in small amounts because after that time it hardens and loses its application-specific qualities.

Lime for a wooden wall

In addition to being inexpensive and fireproof, lime plaster mix is also highly antibacterial and environmentally friendly. Simple (sand-lime) and combined compositions are produced, in which gypsum, cement, or clay are added to lime as a binding agent. These materials are versatile and can be used for both external and interior finishing. The coating is repairable, vapor permeable, long-lasting, and adheres well to a wood base.

Long curing (less than two weeks), average finish strength, high alkalinity, and the requirement to work while wearing protective gear (gloves, respirators, glasses, etc.) must all be considered.

Your walls’ longevity and aesthetic appeal can be significantly impacted by the plaster you choose for wood surfaces. Think about things like the type of wood, the surrounding conditions, and the desired finish when choosing plaster. Because of its flexibility and breathability, lime plaster is a popular choice for wooden surfaces as it helps prevent cracking. Conversely, gypsum plaster provides a smooth surface and is perfect for indoor applications where moisture is not as much of an issue.

To apply plaster on wood successfully, preparation is essential. Make sure the wood surface is dust- and debris-free, clean, and dry before proceeding. Plaster can be kept from peeling over time by using an appropriate primer or bonding agent to increase adhesion. If the wood hasn’t been treated, you might want to seal it first to prevent moisture absorption that could compromise the integrity of the plaster.

The type of plaster you use will determine the application techniques. Plaster should generally be applied in thin layers, letting each coat fully dry before applying the next. This layering technique guarantees an even finish and reduces the risk of cracking. A smooth, polished appearance can also be significantly improved by using the appropriate tools, such as trowels and floats.

In the end, the environment and your particular needs will determine which plaster is best for wood walls. Take into account variables like the intended finish, temperature swings, and moisture content. With careful material selection and application methods, you can give your wooden walls a plaster finish that is both long-lasting and aesthetically pleasing.

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