Repair is a delicate matter and requires a responsible approach. In order for it to stay fresh longer, everything must be done with high quality during its implementation. Alignment of walls is one of the most important and difficult work in repair. This is usually done with plaster. But if you do not want to invite a master for such work, you should first thoroughly find out how to properly level the walls with plaster. To do everything accurately, you need to carefully study the issue and consult with knowledgeable people. How to level the walls with plaster, we will tell in the article.
A little about the material
Plaster is a building mixture based on gypsum, lime or cement with sand. It is white and colored. Used for finishing. If it is decorative, then it is the last stage of repair.
If it is noise or waterproofing, heat-shielding or special, then you need to glue wallpaper on top of it or paint it with finishing paintindoors or outdoors (highly resistant to moisture, temperature extremes, UV rays and wind).
Before leveling the walls with plaster, you need to decide which one is right for your work.
Types of coverage
Decorative plaster has several more varieties:
- textured;
- structural;
- Venetian.
The first 2 types form a rough surface, for which they are called "embossed". And the latter covers the wall in a perfectly even layer and makes it smooth.
According to the binder used, plaster is divided into:
- acrylic (the main substance is acrylic resin, such a building material is highly elastic, it can be painted in any color, but it is sold only in finished form and tends to crack quickly from exposure to UV rays);
- mineral (the cheapest type of mixture based on cement; it tolerates sunlight well, suitable for rooms with high humidity and the street, but is afraid of mechanical damage and strong water pressure);
- silicone (in which the binding component is synthetic resin, it is available in the form of a ready-made mixture and in different colors, it is resistant to damage and rays, it is used to cover walls in any room and street, because it forms a durable layer);
- silicate (liquid glass, which underlies it, increases water-repellent properties andresistance to mold and decay; is the most reliable type of coating, can last more than 30 years without major repairs).
What kind of plaster to level the walls, everyone decides for himself based on the characteristics of the surface, material, and also the room. Any of the above is environmentally friendly.
Wall preparation
Alignment work is carried out after all work on the laying of electrical cables, pipes and other materials has been completed. Before leveling the walls with plaster, you need to clean them from the old layer of wallpaper, paint and other materials, and also level the surface. This can be done using special mortars and a spatula, as well as building skins.
Next, you need to check the walls for irregularities and verticality. To eliminate roughness, you can resort to a metal mesh that is attached to the surface with nails. Also, it must first be cleaned of dirt and dust, otherwise the mixture simply will not hold.
If the wall was covered with plaster, you need to tap it with a wooden mallet to determine the areas where it has lagged behind the wall, and remove it completely in these places. If there are cracks on the surface of the coating, they can be cleaned with a damp brush. But all the mold (if any) must be completely removed along with part of the coating, because otherwise it will continue to grow, destroying the coating.
After that, it is necessary to treat the surface with a primer that does notallows the first to absorb moisture from the plaster. After the primer has dried, for a full and high-quality finish, the walls should be covered with putty in order to completely level the wall for plaster. It is sold both in the form of a powder for dilution with water, and in the form of a ready-made mixture, which is applied directly to the wall with a spatula. It is especially important to follow all stages of preparation if the final layer is a decorative coating, because it will not hide the imperfections of the surface if it has not been processed.
Important moment
Plaster and putty are two different mixtures. Many confuse them or do not see the difference. The first is designed for processing a large surface area, and the second is for correcting small defects (cracks, seams, etc.).
Check for verticality
Before leveling the walls with plaster, you need to find out how smooth the vertical surfaces are. This is done in many ways, professional builders and finishers have special sophisticated tools for this that give accurate results. At home, you can use a straight rail from ceiling to floor or a plumb line. Such a tool should be perfectly straight and not bend. The batten is applied parallel to the wall, and the maximum gap between them will mean the maximum required layer of material for leveling.
The plumb line method is somewhat more complicated. It is necessary to hammer a nail under the ceiling, tie a string with a load to it and visually orusing measuring instruments, determine whether the wall and the string are parallel to each other.
Stucco leveling
When all the previous work is done, before leveling the walls with plaster, you need to prepare the mixture. How to dilute the plaster, which is sold in powder form, is written on the package. If you bought ready-made, then follow the storage conditions, otherwise it will dry out quickly. Next, with a spatula, we apply casts from top to bottom and with a tool called the "rule" we level the coating. If it is not there, you can do it with other tools, but it will not turn out so smoothly.
During work, it is necessary to use protective equipment - a mask and goggles so as not to inhale the powder or vapors (may be an allergy). And you should also take into account the maximum thickness of the applied layer - it is indicated on the package, and different brands may be different.
Gypsum board leveling
There are several more ways to level walls without plaster. Often resort to a method consisting in the use of drywall. Drywall is 2 sheets of cardboard, between which is dry gypsum. It does not pass moisture and holds its shape well for a long time. Fastened with metal profiles or mounting adhesive. The seams between the sheets are covered with building mixtures. It is usually easier to stick wallpaper on it than on other surfaces, especially concrete. The advantages of this method are lower time costs, low pollution of the apartment and the ability to align the walls withany irregularities.
But it also has disadvantages: drywall cannot be used for wet rooms and outdoors, it is difficult to lay tiles on it, because it is too smooth, and cement-based adhesives may not adhere well. Also, it is better not to resort to drywall in rooms with a small area, because it takes up space.
Visual alignment
Walls can be aligned visually. In this case, global work is not required, it is possible to level the surface with building mixtures only in the corners and under the ceiling. And when finishing, the skirting boards will be glued at the right right angle, which will visually align the walls.
How to level the walls after plastering, if necessary
The drying time of the coating depends on the thickness of the layer. So, a layer about 1-3 mm thick will dry in 1-2 days, but finishing the outer walls with 5-10 mm plaster can take up to a month, during which the coating will dry completely.
If covering the wall with plaster was the finishing step before painting or wallpapering, then after complete drying it can be cleaned with construction sandpaper (sandpaper). She will remove all the flaws and make the wall perfectly even, if it was not so. The main thing is not to overdo it, so as not to erase too much.
If the plaster is decorative, then sanding can be done, but very carefully and only if necessary, because you can erase the color layer and have to recoat. If the material containsmarble chips or other additives to create unevenness, then additional processing is not required.
