In finishing work, surface preparation often takes longer than the process of applying the material. This is due to the imperfection of the draft base, on which it is planned to lay the facing mortar. To facilitate leveling operations, special beacons for plastering allow, focusing on which, the master can easily get rid of depressions, irregularities and other surface defects.
How is the beacon used?
Close to perfectly smooth surface texture is not always required. Small flaws are often compensated for by laying mortar for future cladding - for example, tiles. However, the application of paint or wallpaper just provides for preparation "to zero". This means that the surface should be flat and as smooth as possible. But even a high-quality plaster solution will not allow you to achieve such a result without the right tactics for laying it onlarge area. After all, we are not talking about the accurate sealing of individual pits and cracks, but about the proportional restoration of the surface geometry in accordance with the requirements for finishing without level differences. It is for this purpose that beacons are installed on walls for plastering using additional fasteners. As a rule, these are long profile elements, the presence of which orients the master in the process of laying the solution. More importantly, beacon alignment is used not only for walls, but also in the preparation of the floor draft base and ceiling. Another thing is that in these cases the mechanics of work become more complicated.
Varieties of device
The conditions under which the surface is leveled may differ, therefore, the beacons are made in different design options. So, according to the functional purpose, mortar and reinforcing devices can be distinguished. The first are designed specifically for the orientation of the strip of the working mixture. In the future, they are not dismantled, but are included in the structure of the coating. In turn, reinforcing beacons for plaster serve not so much to guide the laying lines, but to strengthen the corner ledges. For example, when you need to create a small extension outside in the wall for decorative or structural purposes. If you leave the structure of the mixture without strengthening, it will simply collapse. However, the presence of a hard beacon at the base of the ledge will keep it alive for a long time.
A fundamentally important sign of the classification of lighthouses is the material of manufacture. Profile strips canmade of wood, plastic (polyvinyl chloride) and metal. Wooden products are good because they are inexpensive and are a suitable consumable for large volumes of work. A metal beacon will be beneficial where it is planned to apply thick layers of mortar - the supporting structure of the bar will allow you to cope with heavy loads. As for plastic elements, due to their elastic structure, they are advised to be used when applying thin, delicate coatings. In a small format, they are organically integrated into the cladding structure and do not cause problems when finishing the surface.
Sizes of lighthouses
Each guide bar has a load-bearing mounting base with perforations and a projection on a T- or V-shaped surface. The height of this protrusion is from 3 to 30 mm. Accordingly, from application in finishing coatings to the overhaul of the surface. The length of beacons for plaster can reach 6 m, but standard formats are more often used, designed for room heights up to 2.7-3 m. The width of the carrier base is 20-50 mm on average.
What other tools and supplies do you need?
Beacons are just a device that will help to lay the plaster in a quality manner, but the direct working operations will need to be performed by the following devices:
- Rule. The main tool in leveling surfaces "under zero". Allows you to distribute the working mixture along the contours of the beacons with the capture of large areas.
- Set of spatulas. Both narrow and wide models may be needed.
- Grater.
- Electric drill with a nozzle for stirring the solution.
- Construction gun for spot application of the mixture in hard-to-reach places.
- Auxiliary equipment. Mortar containers, scrapers, square, plumb lines, levels, etc.
Also, depending on the conditions in which the plaster beacons will be used, the following consumables may be required:
- Primer composition.
- Mounting foam.
- Reinforcing mesh to strengthen the coating structure.
- Scotch tape (painting tape).
- Fasteners for beacons. The choice of hardware depends on the characteristics of the base - it can be both small nails and large-format anchor connections.
How to set beacons for plaster?
Installing beacon strips is the most important task in the overall process of leveling surfaces to zero. There are two ways to solve it:
- Using a laser level. The slats are arranged vertically along the markings projected by the self-leveling device. The only problem is that laser levels are quite expensive, so they are mainly used by professionals.
- A more painstaking method that is implemented by improvised means. A plumb line is suspended at a distance of 25-30 cm from the corner of the room. The load line will be strictly vertical - it is along it that the first guide rail is installed. But how to put beacons on the wall under plaster relative to each otherfriend? The vertical is maintained in the same way, and the gap is on average 100-150 cm. Experts also have a formula for calculating this value, according to which the indent distance is approximately 10 cm less than the length of the rule.
Beacon mount
When the installation line is outlined, you can begin to fix the rail. To do this, an indent of 5-6 cm is made from the floor. At this level, it is necessary to install the first hardware (again, this can be a nail, anchor, dowel, etc.). Moreover, the installation of fasteners is carried out only for half of its length. A similar operation is performed in the upper part, where an indent of 5-6 cm from the ceiling is also made. When both edges are secured with fasteners, you can start adjusting the height. The hardware not completely driven into the wall is clogged to the level that will allow the mixture to cover the "hats" at the same height as the base layer. Next, you can proceed to the installation of the bar. How to install beacons for plaster on ready-made fasteners? The rail will be rigidly fixed through the perforated holes, on which it will stand at the points where the fasteners are located. The most important thing at this stage is to pre-apply the solution along the beacon installation line. You should get a thin strip into which you will need to literally sink the bar without the smallest voids between it and the wall.
Preparation of plaster
Usually dry mix comes in standard 25-30 kg bags. As the manufacturers themselves note, 27 kg will require 15 liters of water. Stirring is carried out with the already mentioned mixer at low speed until a homogeneous mass is obtained. In the process of preparing the solution, you can adjust the consistency by adding a little more water or a dry mixture. The operation is repeated 2-3 times with short pauses of 5 minutes. In order for the surface of the beacon to be plastered to optimally interact with the mortar (adhesive ability to adhere), special binders can also be added. This quality, by the way, will also be affected by the material used to make the rail. The same wood is not the most practical material for a beacon, but it adheres better than metal and plastic to different types of finishing mortars.
Applying plaster
First, the solution is applied to the surface with large slaps using a spatula, trowel or trowel between the installed rails. The entire work area should be covered from floor to ceiling without the slightest empty islands. Next, the rule is taken and the leveling of the laid mortar begins. It is desirable to direct the mass from the bottom up so that the beacons for the wall plaster remain in the center of the gripped strip. Joints, corners and transitions are separately leveled with a narrow spatula. After the solution has hardened, defective zones and unsuccessfully corrected places can be additionally sanded with an abrasive or corrected with a primer.
General advice from experts
Experienced plasterers also draw the attention of beginners to the following points:
- Working with corners. For internal and external corners, it is worth preparing metal squares in advance,the design of which will allow optimally maintaining the geometry of the site.
- Nuances of slope processing. Another tricky area that you can work with in different ways. In the simplest version, corner guides are used. But how to set beacons for plastering walls on slopes, if the design of the corner does not allow fitting a solid rail with the correct geometry? In this case, a system of separate strips is created, which will have to orient the laying of the mixture both on the sides and from the top of the slope.
- Working with large areas. The plaster rule does not always save if you need to get an even coating based on a viscous and dense solution. In this case, trowels are used - this is a large-format spatula that gives great coverage when working between beacons.
- The method of fixing the beacon must be strong enough, but balanced, since a rigid massive fastening over a large area will provoke the destruction of the base of the surface.
Conclusion
With the help of guides, even an inexperienced user can get an even surface for future decorative finishes. The main thing that is required for this is the right choice of materials, tools and the beacons themselves, as well as the careful execution of technological operations during the installation and fastening of the rails. If possible, of course, it is recommended to use effective marking tools like the same laser level, but experience with plumb lines will not be useless.
