Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Plastering
Process of covering rough surfaces of walls, columns,
ceilings and other building components with thin coat of
plastic mortars to form a smooth durable surface
Objects of plastering
To protect external surfaces against penetration of rain
water and other atmospheric agencies
To give smooth surface in which dust and dirt cannot
lodge
To give decorative effect
To protect surfaces against vermit
To conceal inferior materials or defective workmanship
CEMENT MORTAR
LIME-CEMENT MORTAR
Contains properties of both lime mortar as well as cement
mortar
Addition of lime imparts plasticity resulting in smooth
plastered surface
Mix proportions (cement: lime: sand)- 1:1:6, 1:1:8 or 1:2:8
Preparation of background
Joints should be raked to a depth of 10 mm in brick
masonry and 15 mm in stone masonry for providing key
to plaster
Mortar droppings and dust should be removed with wire
brush
Unevenness is levelled before applying mortar
Surface should be washed with clean water uniformly to
produce optimum suction; excess soaking with water
may cause sliding of mortar before it sets; less moisture
may cause strong suction which withdraws moisture
from mortar and makes it weak
METHODS OF PLASTERING
LIME PLASTER- applied in 3 coats or in two coats
Three-coat plaster
Application of rendering/first coat:
Mortar is forcibly applied with masons trowel and pressed well into joints and
over the surface;
Normal thickness-12mm (cover all inequalities of the surface);
Surface is allowed to slightly harden and then scratched criss-cross; left to
set for 7 days (curing and drying)
Application of floating/second coat:
Rendering coat is cleaned off all dirt and loose material;
Lightly wetted;
Patches (15cm X 15cm or strips 10cm wide) applied at suitable spacing to act
as gauges;
Mortar is then thrown with masons trowel; spread and rubbed with wooden
float;
Two-coat plaster
Rendering coat of two-coat plaster is combination of rendering and
floating coats of three-coat plaster; done under one continuous operation
(except scratching of coats)
Finishing coat is applied in a similar manner to that of three-coat
plaster
Rendering coat is kept wet for atleast 2 days, and then allowed to dry
completely
Rendering coat is again damped evenly before applying final coat; final
coat is applied with wooden floats and finished with steel trowels.
To eliminate joining marks, finishing coat should be applied starting from
top towards bottom and completed in one operation.
Three-coat plaster
Intermediate coat known as floating coat is applied
Thickness:
rendering coat-9-10 mm (rough coat)
floating coat- 6-9 mm (applied 4-7 days after applying first coat)
finishing coat- 2-3 mm (applied about 6 hours after applying floating
coat)
Single-coat plaster
used only for inferior quality work
applied as two-coat plaster
rendering coat is finished off immediately after it has sufficiently hardened
Asbestos plaster
made of cement, asbestos and finely crushed marble
imparts marble-like finish
Barium plaster
made from cement, sand and barium sulphate
provided in X-ray rooms to protect persons working in it
Scagliola plaster
obtained by dissolving Kenees cement and coloring pigments
in glue
used for plastering panels, columns etc
appears like marble
Sirapite plaster
Defects in plaster
Blistering of plastered surface
formation of small patches of plaster swelling out beyond plaster surface
caused due to late slaking of lime particles in plaster
Cracking
formation of cracks or fissures in plaster
caused due to- imperfect preparation of background
structural defects in building
discontinuity of surface
movements in background due to thermal expansion and drying
movements in plaster surface itself
faulty workmanship
excessive shrinkage due to application of thick coat
Crazing
Formation of series of hair cracks on plastered surface
causes- same as that of cracking
Efflorescence
presence of whitish crystalline substance on the surface
caused due to presence of salts in plaster-making substance
and building materials
affects adhesion of paint with wall surface
Flaking
formation of very loose mass of plastered surface
caused due to poor bond between successive coats
Peeling
complete dislocation of some portion of plastered surface,
resulting in formation of patch
Popping
formation of conical hole in plastered surface
due to presence of some particles which expand on setting
Rust stains
formed when plaster is applied on metal laths
Uneven surface
obtained purely due to poor workmanship
POINTING
Finishing of mortar joints in masonry
PREPARARTION OF SURFACE
New workjoints raked down to depth of 20 mm while mortar is
still soft;
surface and joints cleaned and thoroughly wetted
Old work- loose pointing and superfluous mortar on surface and
joints
removed;
surface and joints cleaned and thoroughly wetted
METHOD OF POINTING
Surface prepared, cleaned and wetted
With the help of small trowel, mortar placed in joints in
desired shape
Mortar pressed to bring perfect contact between old
interior mortar of joint and new mortar
Care should be taken that mortar does not cover face
edges in case of first-class brickworks
Surface is kept wet for atleast a week or till it sets after
application
TYPES OF POINTING
Flash pointing
formed by pressing mortar in raked
joint and by finishing off flush with edge
of masonry units
edges are neatly trimmed with trowel
and straight edge
does not give good appearance
durable as it does not provide any
space for accumulation of dust, dirt etc.
extensively used
Recessed pointing
pointing is done by pressing
mortar back from edges by
5mm or more
face of pointing kept
vertical
gives very good
appearance
beaded pointing
formed by steel or ironed
with a concave edge
gives good appearance
liabale to damage easily
Struck pointing
modification of flush
pointing
face of pointing is inclined,
upper edge pressed inside
the face by 10 mm
drains water quickly
Tuck pointing
formed by pressing mortar in
racked joint, finishing flush with
face
groove or narrow channel (5
mm width, 3 mm depth) is cut
in the centre while pressed
mortar is green
groove is tucked/ filled with
white cement putty, projecting
beyond face of joint by 3 mm
if projection is done in mortar,
it is called Bastard pointing or
half- tuck pointing.
V- pointing
forming V-groove in flush-finishing
face
Weathered pointing
forming V-shaped projection