Putty for walls: which one to choose
The mixture for puttying the walls makes the surface perfectly homogeneous, smooth, which improves further painting or wallpapering. The composition includes components that contribute to the setting and hardening, make it elastic. The article will tell you what modern materials for wall putty can be used and how to apply them to the surface.
The content of the article
Types and features of putty
Putty is an elastic, fine-grained mixture. Intends for cosmetic finishing of surface roughnesses and irregularities.
Putty goes on sale:
- Dry. This is a special mixture consisting of the required components with specific proportions and prepared immediately before coating the surface. It is the most popular type of putty. Available in bags or bags. Before use, the dry mixture is diluted and thoroughly mixed with clean water, according to the instructions for use (see How to breed putty with self-repair) Advantages of dry putty:
- low price;
- long-term dry storage at any temperature;
- ease of transportation and storage.
The disadvantages of the material include the short shelf life of the already prepared mixture.
- Ready to use. Such a solution is based on latex (see Latex putty: use cases) or acrylic. Sold in banks, buckets or tanks. The material is convenient to use, it does not require time for dilution, it is always ready for use. The finished solution can be stored for an unlimited time. During the break with finished putty, the container is tightly closed, which does not reduce its quality. The lack of material is a higher cost than dry.
The composition of the putty for the walls can be:
- Gypsum (see Gypsum putty: its advantages and problems of use). Made on the basis of gypsum, adheres well to any surface. Gypsum is hygroscopic, which leads to the accumulation of moisture. Such material is suitable only for interior use. The mixture dries quickly, has an affordable price.
- Cement. This group of compounds is widely used in outdoor decorating. Having high operational properties, cement-based putty is used in the decoration of building facades and rooms with increased humidity. Material Advantages:
- it is steady at change of temperature and humidity;
- high strength after drying;
- prevents the appearance of cracks on the surface;
- It is made of gray or yellow cement, which is easily painted over.
The only drawback is the presence of grit.
- Polymer. In the modern world, a leveling mixture based on a polymer component is gaining popularity. For this, acrylic or latex is used. Acrylic composition is easy to use and versatile. It can be applied outside and inside the building. After drying, the polymer:
- not deformed;
- does not shrink;
- not cracking.
Putty with latex additive is used for interior walls. The main features of the mixture:
- very flexible and easy to apply with a thin layer, filling the smallest cavities on the surface:
- a good film is formed, after drying it is durable and does not crack;
- wide color gamut;
- sold ready for use.
Tip: When purchasing polymer putty, you should pay attention to the date of manufacture and storage conditions - it is afraid of freezing.
The most unpleasant drawback is the very high cost.
Purpose of putty depending on type
According to the method of application, putty is divided into four groups:
- Start. The coarse-grained structure of the initial layer is intended for preliminary alignment of walls, ceiling surfaces, door openings, slopes. The mixture is selected depending on the base material, operating conditions. It is characterized by good adhesion to the working surface, high strength and durability, as well as the ability to apply a layer from 0 to 25 mm without cracks and delaminations.
- The finish line. The putty of the final layer has a smaller fraction and is applied to the surface before the final finish, which may be:
- paint;
- flocking;
- textile wallpaper.
It is applied on the starting putty or on the base itself. The smallest flaws and scratches are aligned with it, forming a layer up to 1 mm thick. The finish is putty in a few steps, with a thickness of 0.1 - 0.2 mm at a time. After drying, a polished, dense and white surface is formed.
- Specialized. This is the best putty with a special additive, serves to solve a specific problem. This composition is used for:
- sealing joints of gypsum panels (see How to putty drywall joints according to technology) and concrete slabs, without the use of reinforcing mesh;
- for "breathing" cracks;
- for emergency repairs.
The material has higher elasticity and strength. It is chosen very simply. Recommendations and methods of using specialized putty are indicated on the packaging.
- Universal. It combines all the above functions and is used in the combination range of any surface bases. It is convenient not only for professionals, but inferior in quality to specialized putty. At the same time, it has a low cost.
How to calculate putty consumption
How to calculate the putty for walls? The calculator helps to calculate the area of the walls, and then the required amount of material, which depends not only on the size of the room, but also on the condition of the walls, the thickness of the applied layer and the type of putty.
When calculating the consumption of material, it is necessary to consider that:
- When using gypsum or decorative putty, the consumption is 9 kg / m2 with a coating layer of 10 millimeters.
- The cement mix will need up to 17 kilograms per square meter.
- Polymer, in finished form, flow rate with a layer thickness of one millimeter is up to 0.5 kg / m2.
Instructions for calculating the volume of putty:
- The surface is cleaned.
- In the right places key points are determined, special beacons are set and deviations from the plane are measured.
- The deviations are summed and further divided by the number of measured points. For example, deviations at three points are obtained: 1, 2, 6 centimeters. In this case:
- summarized among themselves: 1 + 2 + 6 = 9 (centimeters);
- the amount is divided by the number of points: 9: 3 = 3 (centimeters).
The average uniform coating layer is three centimeters.
- Attention is drawn to the manufacturer's recommendation. Using dry gypsum as an example, it will be necessary to finish one square meter with a layer of 10 millimeters of approximately 8.5 kilograms.
- The mixture consumption per square meter is calculated for a layer three centimeters thick: 8.5 x 3 = 25.5 (kilograms).
With a surface area of 10 square meters you will need: 10 x 25.5 = 255 kilograms of putty.
The number of bags per 30 kilograms will be: 255: 30 = 8.5 (bags). Rounding the obtained value - you need 9 bags of dry mix. After that, you can calculate how much putty for walls costs.
What set of tools will be needed to putty
The necessary tool for wall putty is purchased.
For work you will need:
- Mixer, or drill with special nozzle.
- Capacity for stirring putty.
- Set of spatulas. A minimum of three sizes, from the smallest to 50 centimeters wide. A narrow tool is putty in hard to reach places.
- Brush and roller for primer. The roller is used for quick and accurate priming. Brush primed problem areas.
- The rule. It will be required to align the thick layer of only the starting putty.
- Level alcohol or construction plumb. It is useful for installing beacons when performing starting putty.
- Wall sander.
- Hand grout with a set of nets or skins.
Tip: Wipe the putty by hand. This will give the surface a better quality.
How to prepare a wall for putty
The preparation of the wall for puttying is carried out in the following sequence:
- The surface is thoroughly cleaned of old paint, putty, wallpaper and other contaminants. The grinder with a mounted metal brush will speed up this process.
- A primer is applied to the wall (see Primer before puttying walls - is it needed), which penetrates deep into the work surface. Wherein:
- the base is hardened by polymer components such as PVA glue or acrylic. The primer on water is quickly absorbed into the surface, filling all microcracks;
- all pores become clogged and a strong film is created. It is necessary for gypsum putties, which quickly lose moisture;
- adhesion increases;
- fungal mildew is prevented due to antiseptic properties.
- The walls remain until the coating has completely dried.
Tip: For proper putty drying, it is necessary to create a certain temperature regime from (+ 10 ° С) to (+ 20 ° С) and humidity in the range of 30 - 40%. If necessary, these conditions should be created using heating devices.
How to putty walls
Before starting work, it is necessary to determine why the walls are putty. Usually, this is necessary for painting or for wallpapering, and the video in this article will tell you how to do it correctly. Subject to certain rules, it is not difficult to do the filling of walls with your own hands.
Work procedure:
- Primary leveling the walls with starting putty. In this case:
- large bends, “shells” and potholes are filled;
- walls are putty in one go, that is, work begins and ends on one section of the wall in one day. If the work is postponed to another time, then the dried joints are abundantly wetted with water;
- “beacons” are set on strongly curved walls;
- putty is distributed by rule or with a wide spatula, a mixture can also be applied along the guides with a thick layer;
- putty of the walls starts from the far corner, the direction of movement of the spatula with the solution from top to bottom or from corner to side;
- in the corners, putty is smoothed out with a special spatula or perforated metal corners are placed on the putty, which are closed with a mortar.
- Finishing up with a special mixture, which makes the surface perfectly smooth. For this:
- finishing work is carried out with a large and small spatula. On a wide spatula with a smaller spatula putty is applied in small portions;
- then the finishing putty is quickly and evenly applied to the surface, as shown in the photo.
The thickness of the layer should be no more than 1.5 millimeters. The finish coating is applied in two layers after the previous one has dried and is treated with a sanding mesh.
Tip: Before applying each subsequent layer of putty, the previous one must be primed.
The carefully executed wall putty process facilitates the subsequent repair of the room.
