How to Effectively Plaster a Wall Part 1

A very important part of painting any surface is making sure it is well prepared to receive paint. Part of that is plastering a wall and making sure it is smooth and ready for use. Most of the time it is most important to leave the plastering of a wall to the professionals but here is how it’s done if you’re so inclined. Here are the first 5 steps to getting your plastering done right.

​The first step in your plastering process is to get your proper tools together and making sure your work area is prepared for the job. Make sure your plastering materials are as clean as possible before starting your job. That includes all your trowels and buckets or anything else you may be using for your plaster job. Old plaster needs to stay off utensils because it can compromise your whole operation by making the plaster not able to adhesively stay on walls. Cold water allows for a slower setting and hot water will allow your water to set more quickly.

​Besides making sure your utensils are clean when starting the job, you will also want to keep plaster off surfaces that are not meant to have plaster on them. Drop cloths are a good idea to set out in order to stop plaster from getting on the ground where it needs not be. Plastering is a very messy business all and all and you want to protect from dust and splattering and footprints. Wood and laminate floors can be easily scratched or dirtied by plaster.

The third step in your plastering process is to cleanly remove any dust or debris that may be present and let it dry to allow your plaster to stick. Take a brush to get the initial buildup and extra plaster off a wall. Damp cloths can be used to remove any of the dust that may be left behind. Cracks in a wall need to be repaired first before plastered is applied. In additions walls need to be flat and flush before the plaster application. Get your fingers running over your walls to inspect them for any dust that may be left and then after cleaning use a spray of water your wall will be almost ready to receive its plaster. Don’t let your wall be really wet or bone dry, both will make plastering the wall difficult.

Your next step is to use a PVA glue so that your plaster will stick properly. A 4-part water to 1-part PVA glue will do the trick when mixed well. Get the plaster on the wall while it still has got some tack to it and don’t wait until it’s completely dry. If you do it will ruin the whole purpose of the glue.

Your fifth and final step until our next article is how you mix your beautiful plaster. Get a large bucket from 5-10 gallons filled halfway with cold water. Shake your mix of plaster on top of the water forming a type of mound. Stir it nice and well blending the water and the mix. Don’t do those two tasks the other way around or it will end miserably. For your bigger jobs an electric mixer is a good idea for a more efficient process, or you can stick to a smaller and manual way for smaller jobs. Check out the next article for more tips for plastering your walls or check out Wiki How “How to Plaster a Wall”.