Putty knife for decorative plaster: the right choice is the key to quiet work

Gusevsky Andrey Anatolyevich

Stucco plaster

Plastering the walls with a spatula is done most often. There are several types and different materials of manufacture.

Today we will tell you how to choose a plaster spatula and what you should pay attention to. In the video in this article and photo, you look not just this tool, but also get additional information on the rules for its selection.

The Basics of Choosing the Right Trowel

Spatulas for decorative plastering is a tool that allows you to remove any cracks and bumps on the walls and ceiling. Thanks to the thick mortar of the building mixture, the leveling process does not take much time.

Its main purpose is to create a perfectly smooth surface under wallpaper or painting. The spatula allows you to create the most comfortable conditions for finishing work.

• The working part of the spatula quite often has a stainless steel coating. Such a surface is fairly well cleaned under running water. You should not buy a spatula with a shiny, chrome finish. Quite often, such products undergo premature corrosion and rust. Such a tool has no lubrication elements. If you nevertheless bought this tool, then it is worth remembering that it needs to be thoroughly cleaned of the remnants of building mixtures. After that, it is recommended to lubricate the working surface with oil, which helps to protect it from deformation. When choosing, it is important to consider a flat edge in the area of ​​the working area. If there are bumps, you should not buy such a tool;
• Basically, a spatula is divided into several varieties in the field of application: painting, facade decoration;
• For each type of work, there are several varieties of spatula: serrated, rubber, plastic, silicone;
• The working part of the blade is made of durable, hardened steel, which is able to withstand mechanical stress. Such a tool quite often has a reinforced handle holder. It is tightly attached to the entire surface of the instrument;
• The paint spatula is made of dense material, but has a springy blade that provides easy movement on the surface of the wall or ceiling. In addition to walls, it is often used to destroy layers of old paintwork.

Having chosen the plaster spatula correctly, you can do all the work yourself without any problems and then the final price will not be large.

Varieties of spatula

In construction stores, quite often you can find a wide selection of tools.

It mainly consists of the following list:

Corner spatula Spatula	Designed for molar work in the area of ​​room corners. With its help, the right angles are created in the room, while creating a perfectly flat surface without any errors.
Toothed Notched trowel	The scope of work is considered to be the installation of tile coating of walls or floors. It is suitable for even application of tile adhesive, creating grooves for better fixing between the wall and the tile. He earned this name as a result of the presence of a ribbed surface of the working area. Its cloves can be of several varieties. Each type is designed for the adhesive mass of the working solution and the size of the tile element. The trapeze with a plastic or wooden holder is considered the most popular form. On sale, quite often you can find a universal gear spatula. On both sides it has two varieties of cloves, which are intended for different types of work. It is worth noting that there is usually no holder here.
Rubber or silicone spatula Rubber spatula	Its main task is to grout tile joints evenly. Due to its elasticity, it smoothly places the putty mortar between the gaps of the tiles. The soft base allows you to remove excess sealant from the tile web without any damage. He is not able to spoil the finished surface. At the end of the work, it must be thoroughly cleaned, since the remains of the solution can destroy the silicone base.
Plastic Plastic spatula	Quite often it is used in the process of wallpapering or murals. It helps remove excess air and excess glue. Previously, rags, towels, and rollers were used for this. With the advent of such a variety, these works do not take much time. It can be used as a ruler or for fixing the wallpaper in the corner area. It is possible to use such a spatula only in the presence of an ideal surface, without the presence of small pits and irregularities. If the room did not carry out painting work to align the walls and ceiling, then in this case, it is best to use improvised materials, such as a rag or roller for tightly fixing the wallpaper.
Figure spatula Figured spatula	Recently, decorative plaster has been used quite often. For this, figured spatulas were invented, which help to get an unusual design of walls or ceilings. On the working surface of such a tool, various bumps may be present, which later help to create an unusual pattern. It is recommended to make movements during the application of the stucco mixture chaotic in order to get a new element of the picture.

How to choose the right tool

To carry out work on a large plane, it is recommended to choose a tool whose blade has a width of about 300 mm.

• To cover small chips and cracks, you can use narrow models, the size of which does not reach 200 mm. They can also be used for final finishing after molar works.
• It is best to use several types of tools during the workflow. Experienced painters use two types of spatulas. One of them is quite large, and the other can be completely small.
• In the process, a small spatula helps to evenly apply the mortar on the surface of the large spatula. With just a few tools, you can quickly get rid of your old canvas wallpaper or mural.

To make the right choice, follow these guidelines:

• Before buying, it is recommended to inspect the spatula from all sides. Its surface should not contain any defects. The handle - the holder must be firmly fixed to the tool. If it is made of natural wood, then it is worth paying attention to its polishing.
• A poorly treated surface can harm delicate skin on the hands. The best option is an additional coating with a paint and varnish solution. A good spatula does not cause discomfort during operation, it lies perfectly in the hand. If the handle is not fixed correctly, then corns may appear after painting;
• Large spatulas have a rather large weight of the whole structure. During the workflow, it is likely to get tired too quickly, so you should pay attention to the pen.In this case, it should be lightweight or made of plastic. More expensive versions of the models include two holders on the surface of the tool. They may have rubber inserts with protruding tubercles that prevent excessive sliding of the hands;
• For a large amount of work, it is recommended to choose large models of the tool. They can significantly reduce the time of the workflow. For small areas such as corners, columns and other places, you can use small spatulas.
• Minor errors are easily removed with a medium-sized tool. Too small spatulas are designed to handle corners and few cracks. They are great for removing old wallpapers. The more diverse models you have available, the more likely it is to get a perfectly flat surface;
• You should not buy hard enough models or too hard ones. They may break during operation. The main thing is to choose a tool that is comfortable for yourself.

Attention: The repair process requires a sufficiently large investment. A well-selected arsenal of tools that can reduce the time for all types of work. Do not save on high-quality models, the life of expensive tools is much higher than cheap ones.

The modern spatula is presented in several different variations: flat, curly, angular, rectangular and many others. We offer special attention to a flat spatula. In turn, this model is divided into two categories: a spatula in the form of a scapula and a facade.

Spatula spatula

A spatula in the form of a shovel is intended for large-sized areas. Quite often it is used to decorate the facades of the premises or interior painting.

He is able to quickly level the required surface with minimal effort. It has a good plastic holder with rubber design to avoid unnecessary strain on the hands.

Spatula front

Facade, designed for large surfaces on the outside of buildings. It is rarely used for interior decoration. It also has large dimensions, which allow you to use less effort.

A small spatula is used as a spatula to evenly apply the mortar to the work surface. During work, professional painters prefer to work with two models. One of which evens out and the other evenly applies the solution.

The main classification of finishing work with a spatula

In molar works, there are two types of work:

In the process, such tools are often used: a falcon, a grater, as well as a half.

Scope of application of the pallet

After the mortar is evenly distributed over the entire surface, it is necessary to create perfectly even angles in the room. To do this, you need several varieties of flat spatula.

Stages of the formation of internal corners

The whole process requires strictly completed actions that will help to achieve the best result:

Interior corner plaster

• Primer for the entire surface;
• Install lighthouse fasteners on adjacent walls;
• Application of the composition on the surface of the walls;
• Alignment of the solution to the hats of the lighthouses.It should be remembered that the solution should not touch the corners. The distance from the wall to the rule should be 6 mm;
• Gradual leveling of the surface moving in the direction from bottom to top;
• Set the rule correctly on the wall surface. Next, gradually move to the corner area. The solidification time of the solution is about 10 minutes.
• When most of the solution is in the corner area, you must use a small, flat spatula. The tool will help smooth out irregularities on the wall;
• The final action will be the processing of the angular model of the spatula. He is able to create a perfectly flat right angle to the wall. If the solution begins to dry, then it is slightly moistened with ordinary water and begin to gradually level.

Attention: If the surface is intended for decorating with tiles, then it is completely optional to bring it to a perfectly flat plane. A notched trowel will help to correct all irregularities with tile glue.

How to form the outer corner

Thanks to the reinforced metal elements, you can form an angle at the same time when stretching the solution using the rule. Quite often, a technique is used using two spatula models simultaneously. Many people ask: "How to form the outer corners?". This is actually quite simple. In this case, you must follow the entire sequence of actions:

Plaster outer corner

• Apply a small amount of mortar to the surface of the spatula;
• The surface is carefully leveled, avoiding errors;
• After that, two spatulas are crossed and gradually move upward;
• If the angle does not work, then the remnants of the mortar are quickly removed and begin to form again.

Quick Putty Methods

In order to get a perfectly flat surface in a short period of time, there are several tricks that can help with this:

• Technique using a long spatula. Its length is about 500 mm. A small amount of solution is applied to the surface of the instrument. In this case, most of the composition should be in the middle region, a smaller amount along the edges of the spatula;
• Further, it is installed at an angle of 45 degrees, after which the solution begins to gradually reduce the angle of inclination to 20 degrees;
• The remaining solution is removed with a short spatula, after which a new solution should be applied;
• Each layer of plaster is dried in the region of an hour;
• In order to create an even plane, it is recommended to apply about three layers.

Choose a notched trowel

Correct application of tile adhesive ensures the durability of the finished web. Due to the presence of cloves, the glue is distributed evenly enough, without any frills. The size of the spatula should be slightly larger than the tile. When choosing a tool, you should pay particular attention to several signs:

Making a choice of a notched trowel

• To lay tile elements measuring 20 x 20 cm, you will need a tool whose length will reach 40 x 40 cm;
• Tile 8 x 8 cm, requires a spatula with parameters 16 x 16 cm;
• For laying mosaics, a size of 10 x 10 cm is suitable.

In construction stores, there is a huge selection of curly spatulas that are designed for various types of work. They have recesses and gaps that are suitable for cement mortars.

Gear spatula principles

At first glance, working with a notched trowel may seem like a fairly easy task. This is actually not the case. With uneven application of the adhesive solution, it is likely to get significant differences on the tile coating.

To avoid the appearance of small errors, it is necessary to observe elementary requirements:

• A small amount of solution is applied to the prepared plane;
• On this layer are the gear elements of the spatula at an angle of 45 degrees;
• Gradually lay each element of the tile, slightly pressing on its surface;
• At the end of the work, special beacons are installed that do not allow the tile to move.

To save working solution, experienced tilers prefer to cut off the first and last prongs on a spatula. This kind of tool allows you to work on the internal and exterior decoration of the building.

Detailed putty instructions

Plastering with a spatula, the types of solutions can be different, but the process of doing the work is the same. Putty is often used to correct minor errors before painting or wallpapering the walls. To do this, you will need small spatulas that fill microcracks and chips. During the workflow, the tool is moved in different directions.

We putty the walls

• A little mortar is applied to the tool, after which they make smooth movements on the surface of the wall. The spatula blade should bend slightly to avoid the appearance of new errors;
• With a bad press, the walls may remain inflows from the solution. In this case, the surplus must be removed quickly before it is dry. Sagging can occur due to the fact that the putty is poorly squeezed out along the edges of the spatula. To reduce the influx, it is necessary to smoothly reduce the inclination of the spatula to the base. For example, if you start to apply the mixture, then the spatula must be kept at an angle of 50-55ᵒ, and finish at an angle of 15-20ᵒ;

Application of the mortar with a notched trowel

• In order for the strip layer to lie smoothly and evenly, it follows that the right angle of the spatula is kept slightly higher than the left, leading it from left to right. The resulting influx on the right side, you need to collect with a spatula and apply the next strip to the wall;
• If to putty from bottom to top, then the shortened side of the spatula should be kept to the right, and if to putty from top to bottom - to the left;
• To get a very thin layer, you need to keep the spatula at an angle of 80 °, but the optimum angle is an angle of 60 °;
• When finishing the corners in the room, you should press the corners of the spatula, as they are deflected when pressed. Otherwise, the layer in the corner will be thick;

It is not so difficult to choose a spatula for decorative plaster. Do not pay attention to cheap Chinese manufacturers, but you should give preference to trusted brands. The instruction will help you make the right choice and not make a mistake.