When buying an apartment in a new building or in the secondary housing stock, almost every homeowner is faced with the problem of leveling the walls. More recently, this time-consuming process was entrusted to specialists. But thanks to modern materials and the latest developments, even a novice builder can handle this. Before proceeding to a fine finish, you will have to level the surface in a popular way today. This is plaster walls on lighthouses.
What do you need to work?
To do quality work with your own hands, you should purchase some materials and tools:
- Metal profiles or wooden bars. However, due to the fact that the latter are subject to decay, they are practically not used.
- Mixture for plastering, which is divided into two types: gypsum and cement. The choice will depend ondesires of the homeowner, but many experts advise using gypsum, as it has the best qualities. It does not shrink, and cracks form on it. In addition, the gypsum mixture will serve as an additional plus when creating sound insulation and maintaining heat.
- You will need a primer and application brushes.
In addition, it is necessary to prepare spatulas of various sizes, self-tapping screws, dowels and a building level.
Ways
An even and smooth wall surface can be achieved by several methods: puttying, suitable for a working area with small differences, as well as plasterboard sheathing with and without beacons. But such a finish has a negligible service life. More practical and durable is such a method as monolithic wall plastering under the lighthouse. The meaning of the option is to apply the finished solution of building mixtures directly to the walls and ceiling of the room. The positive qualities of the wet method include the fact that it is suitable for use on any surface in rooms with high humidity. So, the method is perfect for decorating bathrooms and utility rooms.
It will be possible to achieve evenness of the surface if you follow the rules of application and a certain order. The plastering of the walls along the lighthouses will help in this difficult matter. It is quite possible to do it with your own hands.
Varieties of mixtures
When leveling the walls, you can prepare mixtureson your own or buy ready-made, available in hardware stores. By purpose and composition, they are divided into several groups:
- Clay compositions are mainly used for lining stoves and fireplaces. Hydrated lime and sand are added here in small quantities.
- In rooms with low humidity, lime mixtures with the addition of cement are perfect. They have a long service life and low cost, so they are available to everyone.
- Cement-based plaster contains sand, the amount of which is adjusted depending on the base intended for plastering. Other components may be included in it (for example, lime to improve the elasticity of the solution).
- Gypsum mixture is considered more in demand. This is an environmentally friendly product that has good plasticity, does not shrink, and is resistant to temperature and humidity changes. It is also breathable, so the walls do not collect condensation.
Now there are different brands of gypsum plaster on the market, designed for both indoor and outdoor use. Another feature of this material is its fast adhesion to the work surface and ease of use.
Selection of lighthouses
For further work, the right choice of beacons is no less important. First of all, you should pay attention to the quality of the goods. It must have a flat and smooth surface. Only in this way will the plastering of the walls with the help of beacons be of high quality.
They are made fromvarious materials:
- Tree. Used many times, but currently almost never used.
- Metal. These are relatively inexpensive and easy to use products. However, they have a number of disadvantages. Due to slight damage during operation, they cannot be reused, as the rust that has appeared can appear on the surface of the walls.
- The most practical beacons are made of plastic or other similar material, which is not inferior in its rigidity and strength. The only drawback of these devices is the high price. Masters with extensive experience replace them with strips cut from drywall, pre-impregnated with a water-polymer emulsion. They are attached to the work surface with adhesives.
- Skilled craftsmen often use floating beacons. Plastering walls on gypsum beacons requires a lot of skill and certain skills, but the end result is worth it. The surface will acquire special strength and durability.
Marking under the crate
Before the installation of beacons for plastering walls begins, you should carefully prepare the base with your own hands. It is necessary to clean the surface of exfoliated old plaster, remove dust and dirt with the help of improvised means. After that, marking is carried out for attaching profiles.
Using the building level, you need to determine the places of the greatest difference in the walls. Vertical and horizontal markings are applied. ATat intersections, you need to drill holes and hammer in dowels, and screw in self-tapping screws.
Preparing the work surface
The next step is the direct preparation of the walls for plaster. Using a brush, a deep penetration primer is applied, which will ensure a strong adhesion of the solution to the work surface and reduce the penetration of moisture.
After the walls are completely dry, you need to proceed to the installation of profiles. During this moment, you should be extremely careful. The plastering of the walls along the lighthouses and the general appearance of the finished apartment will largely depend on this.
Installation of beacons
There are several ways to expose: on the prepared solution or with the help of special fasteners. You should first prepare a small amount of the mixture, scatter it at the location of the profile, attach a beacon and press it into the solution. In this case, it is recommended to check the correct location with a level.
The next method of fastening beacons involves installing them at the place where dowels and twisted fasteners are driven in. When the structure is leveled, it is required to finally fix the profiles by adjusting the thickness of the coating using self-tapping screws.
Base for lining
Plastering of walls on lighthouses is carried out on various surfaces with certain solutions and mixtures. For walls made of concrete, you can use a cement mixture with sand or lime, to which cement is added. For a better gripsolution with a working surface, it is recommended to make notches or use a reinforcing mesh. Plastering walls with cement mortar on beacons is particularly strong and durable during operation.
Any plaster is suitable for brick surfaces. But in order to save the mixture and money, cement mortar should be preferred. For plastering walls in wooden buildings, a reinforcing mesh is necessarily attached before applying the working solution. It is intended for the strength of the connection between the solution and the base. In this case, clay or gypsum-lime compounds are used.
The most difficult for plastering are walls made of foam or gas blocks. For them, a suitable solution is to use gypsum or lime-gypsum compounds.
Applying plaster
After completing all the preparatory work, you should start preparing the solution. It is worth paying attention to the information from the packaging, otherwise incorrect ratios will lead to poor quality work. Water is poured into the prepared container. Next, the mixture is poured and with the help of a special mixer it is brought to a homogeneous consistency.
The density of the finished solution will depend on the height of the layer to be applied to the surface. In work, you should use a large spatula, on which the solution is laid out with a slight excess and applied to the wall. Can firstsketch and then begin to level the walls with plaster on the lighthouses. Work must be done from the bottom up, holding the rule perpendicular to the surface. It should be moved from side to side to evenly distribute the solution over the entire working area. Sand until the surface is smooth and even.
If the plastering of the walls along the lighthouses is performed under any finishing material, then the work is nearing completion. Painting and wallpapering requires their removal, because there is a possibility of rust. In this case, the place where they were is carefully sealed with mortar and leveled.
So, we found out how the walls are plastered on lighthouses with our own hands. As you can see, the operation can be performed in different ways.
