Finishing putty: how to apply qualitatively

How to apply putty on a wall

Today we will take a closer look at how to apply putty on a wall. Indeed, finishing material will be applied to this layer, and the surface must be prepared with high quality.
For example, after applying the paint, all errors will be visible. Therefore, the plane should be even and smooth. When working, you must immediately determine how many layers of putty you need to apply.
After all, a very large layer is not immediately applied, it will be necessary to do this work in several stages. Also on the video in this article you can watch the whole process and after that do it yourself.

The content of the article

Rules for applying the finish
How to putty walls for wallpapering or for painting

Rules for applying the finish

How to apply the finishputty on the wall Now we will consider in more detail. Let's go through all the points.
Not only the quality of the coating, but also its appearance and durability will completely depend on the correctness of this work. Before starting work, it is worth looking at the photo of the materials, you should initially choose the final type of finish according to the interior of the room.

Used material for finishing putty

For self-filling the walls you will need the following set of tools.

Mixer Drill Complete Drill	In most cases, homeowners purchase dry putty and prepare it immediately before work. To mix the mixture with water, you will need to use a special mixer, which will get rid of lumps in the mixture. When using such a mixer you can get a homogeneous mixture, which will be of high quality.
Spatulas of various sizes Spatulas	For this work you will have to use at least two spatulas - one small and the second large with a size of 50 centimeters. A small spatula is necessary for working in hard-to-reach places, which improves the quality of the mixture.
Primer brushes and rollers Paint brushes	Many homeowners skip the stage to save money priming walls. However, it is not recommended to do this, as the primer improves the strength of the finishing materials and improves the adhesion of the putty to the wall. To work with uneven walls, when it is necessary to put the putty in a thick layer, a rule is used that makes it easy to smooth the putty on a large plane of the walls.
Laser or water level Laser level	In the process, you have to level the walls, and a level is used to control this work. As a rule, before proceeding directly to work, special beacons are mounted, on which subsequently, using the rule, the finishing putty is leveled.
Sandpaper Sandpaper	To obtain a perfectly smooth surface of the puttyed wall, it is necessary to use sandpaper, which is used after the putty has dried (seeHow to grind walls after putty and how to do it right) For perfect results, we recommend using a skin with an index of 240. The smallest skins are recommended for applying the finishing putty.Whereas when laying start-up putties, coarse skins are used. To simplify the sanding of walls, you can use a manual skater, which can significantly simplify and improve the quality of this stage of work.
Empty container Putty tank	Also, for work you will need a capacity of 10 - 20 liters, in which we will stir the putty.

Choose a putty for working with walls

How to apply the putty on the walls is decided after the choice of material. Depending on its composition, putty is usually divided into cement, polymer and gypsum.
Consider in more detail the advantages and disadvantages of each type of putty:

One of the advantages of using gypsum putties is the affordable cost and ease of leveling. Of the shortcomings, we can note only mediocre resistance to moisture, which somewhat limits the scope of use of gypsum putty.
Cement putty, on the contrary, can withstand prolonged exposure to moisture, but is prone to shrinkage.
Polymer putty does not shrink and has excellent moisture resistance. Using this finishing material, you can easily process walls of various structures. The disadvantage of polymer putty is its rather high cost.

All putties, depending on the scope of their application, can be divided into decorative, starting and leveling. Also in recent years, universal putties have become popular.

The leveling starting putties are characterized by high grit, moisture resistance and excellent strength indicators. It is recommended to use such putty immediately after applying the plaster. The thickness of the layer can vary from 3 to 20 millimeters. The thickness depends on the general condition of the treated surface.
To ensure maximum durability of the treated surface, it is recommended to apply a finishing putty on the leveling mixture. This will give the surface a perfectly even appearance.
Finishing with putty is not difficult and is carried out using emery skins. The application layer is usually 3 to 5 millimeters.
Universal putties have the characteristics of a leveling mixture and decorative putties. They have a fairly high cost, but at the same time they can significantly simplify the work performed. Universal putties are recommended for use with walls that do not have significant drawbacks.
In specialized stores you can easily get ready-to-use mixes as well as dry putties that are affordable, easy to use and have a long shelf life.
Ready-made putties are easy to use, since you do not need to use a mixer, and the mixture already has a uniform structure. Working time is saved, and during repair work there is practically no dust.
At the same time, it must be borne in mind that the prepared finishing putties have a slightly higher cost than dry ones. You should also take into account the fact that ready-made putties give a slight shrinkage, so they must be applied in a large layer.
The shelf life of finished putties is several months, so they must be quickly used in repair work.

Attention: When choosing a material, you must first think about the environment of the coating. If the room is humid. Then, when buying, the material instruction should be studied. It must be moisture resistant.

Preparing the walls for work

When applying putty, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the walls:

We prepare the walls for putty

The surface must be absolutely clean, so any stains of soot, paint or grease must be removed.In the event that traces of exfoliating plaster are found, it is necessary to carry out deep surface preparation.
It is also not recommended to start work in the presence of frozen sections of the walls, which affects the quality of the putty applied.
Before starting repair work, it is required to cover the wall with a primer. This will provide maximum adhesion to the wall and putty. The walls are primed with a small roller, which allows you to evenly apply the primer solution. Enough one coat of primer.

In specialized stores you can purchase start, lighthouse or finish putty. Consider the scope of use of each of the materials.

Starting putty

As a starting putty, coarse material with a large grit is used. As a rule, there are no difficulties with finding and buying such material.

Putting starting putty

Starting putty is designed to work with walls that have significant differences and numerous defects. Depending on the specific conditions, the thickness of the starting putty layer may be 1.5 centimeters.
You can apply the material in several layers, you just need to wait until the previous layer has completely dried.
To maximize the quality of the work, special painting nets are used, which allow you to firmly fix the putty on the surface of the walls and do not allow crumbling and delamination in the subsequent material. Walls using a paint net are splashed solid. The surface becomes smooth, which reduces the complexity of the subsequent surface treatment.

Wall Putty

The difference in the application of this type of putty is the need to use beacons, which can be used as metal, plaster or wooden rail.

Apply lighthouse putty

All lighthouses are set according to the level and are attached to the walls using plaster mixture. Surface treatment with finishing putty can be started only after the gypsum fixation of the beacons has completely hardened.
For the application of putty, spatulas and a long rule can be used, which makes it easier to work with large walls.
To control the quality of work performed, it is necessary to use the level

Wall putty

After applying the starting or lighthouse mixture, they begin to finish the putty.

Apply a thin layer of finish

Attention: This work is carried out with the help of special compounds that have minimal grain size, which, after appropriate treatment, allows you to get a perfectly smooth wall surface.

It is necessary to apply the finishing putty with a minimum layer, which will ensure a spectacular appearance of the coating and save costs for repair work.
To reduce the consumption of material, it is necessary to even the surface when applying the starting putty, which will reduce the complexity of the work performed. In this case, you will be spared the need for a long and laborious sanding procedure.

Putty cracks in the walls

To eliminate existing cracks in the walls, it is recommended to use special gypsum putties.

This material is flexible and easy to use:

One of the features of gypsum plasters is their hardening time and the need for preliminary surface treatment before applying the plaster.
To improve adhesion, it is recommended to scratch existing cracks with any sharp object, which subsequently improves adhesion to gypsum plaster.
You can also use a primer, and then putty cracks.

Attention: The primer of the walls must be done. Then the adhesion of surfaces will increase significantly and this will increase the service life of the finish.

Putty application technology

If you use dry putty, you must prepare it in full accordance with the instructions.
Putty preparation sequence:

Pour a small amount of water into the used container.
Using a spatula, mix the mixture.
Next, you need a drill with a mixer nozzle, with which we will mix the mixture and gradually add water.

Attention: According to its consistency, the prepared solution must be flexible and stick to the spatula.

We apply the prepared starting putty on the walls. The easiest way to do this is with a large spatula.
It is necessary to apply the mixture in medium portions, evenly distributing it on the surface.
It is necessary to keep the putty knife at an angle to the surface of 30 degrees.
To avoid the appearance of tubercles and transitions, subsequent layers must be applied with an overlap.
In the event that there are certain defects when applying the starting putty, they can be eliminated by using the finishing material.
For the highest quality application of putty in the corners, it is recommended to use a small angular spatula. With the help of such a spatula, you can accurately level the applied mixture in hard to reach places.

Attention: Remember that the putty dries after a day, so you can start working 24 hours after applying the previous layer. The thickness of the starting putty layer should be about 2 centimeters.

Before proceeding to the further decoration of the walls, it is necessary to wait for the complete drying of the material. It takes about 12 hours to dry the finishing putty.
Only then can you begin grinding the surface with sandpaper. Sanding can also be carried out using a special grinder, which simplifies the performance of this work.

Attention: If you plan to apply several layers of putty, before applying each new layer it is necessary to treat the surface with a primer.

How to putty walls for wallpapering or for painting

Finishing putty how to apply before wallpapering Now we will talk. The walls must be leveled with two layers of putty.
If the walls have significant differences, it is recommended to use three or more layers of material:

If it is planned to paint the walls, they need to be aligned not only with the start plaster, but also with the finish.
Carefully and gently sand the surface with a sandpaper, which will get rid of existing surface imperfections.

Putty procedure:

Apply a thin first layer of leveling putty.
Then two or three layers of putty are applied.
They wait about a day for the material to dry.
Putty putty is applied, which allows to eliminate minor defects.
After drying, putties wipe the wall with sandpaper.

How to apply the finishing putty on the walls you now know. The price of the material is not so high, but everything needs to be done qualitatively. Then the coating will please you and not change for a long time.