Color front stucco: coating features
The main task of plaster is to provide the walls with reliable protection against various external influences. And if it becomes also a decoration of the house, it is doubly nice. Such finishing and decorative compositions include colored facade plaster, the application of which is the final stage of external decoration and eliminates the need to paint facades (seeHow to paint a house outside with your own hands).
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Types of decorative plasters
Mixtures for the decoration of facades are available in various types and differ in such parameters as:
- The main astringent;
- Fractions (size) of the filler, creating a certain surface texture;
- Release form - dry or ready-to-use mixture;
- The presence of pigments in the composition of the material, etc.
Let's consider these parameters in more detail.
Textured compositions
Depending on the type of coating being created, decorative plasters can be smooth and textured.
The latter, in turn, are divided into the following categories:
- Some form a relief texture on the surface of the walls due to the constituent mineral and other fillers, giving them the color of the main binder. The depth and type of relief depend on the size of the grains of the filler, which is most often quartz sand or mineral chips, as well as on the type of grout and the tools used for this. After drying, such a surface requires staining or tinting.
- The second ones do not just align the walls and create the desired texture on them, but also paint the surface, since they contain colored pigments or fillers. The color scheme of facade plasters is very diverse and allows you to choose the right shade, eliminating the need to do painting.
Note. If you still decide to paint the facades to make the color more saturated, it will be enough to apply only one coat of paint, while to give color to the walls covered with ordinary plaster, it will take several layers.
Varieties of color compositions
Colored stucco mixes by the type of the main binder are divided into two main types: mineral and polymer.
- Mineral plaster They are made of high-quality cement and sand; lime, various fillers, water-repellent, plasticizing agents, and pigments may be present as additives in it. But the latter, when added in large quantities, adversely affects the strength of the solution, so their content is limited to certain proportions, as a result of which such compositions can only be soft pastel shades.
- Polymer facade plasters are made on the basis of synthetic resins and are usually delivered ready-made in plastic buckets. The composition is a white paste-like material, in which you can add any amount of pigment in the form of tinting paste, achieving the desired color. But there are also ready-made color solutions that do not require tinting.
Tip. Do not try to color the solution with your own hands. To get the same color in all banks, you need to very accurately dose the pigment.This is possible only with the help of special devices that are in any large hardware store.
A separate type of polymer composition based on acrylic resin is a mosaic plaster with natural colored marble (see. Facade stucco with marble chips: types, features, application methods) and quartz chips. Its main purpose is to finish the plinths, as it has increased strength and durability. But mosaic mixtures are quite often used for wall cladding of buildings.
Its natural minerals create a beautiful surface playing in the sun, the color of which does not change with time. There are a lot of color options for such plaster, they depend on the shades and sizes of the crumbs fractions, their combinations in one composition.
Application Features
The front color plaster is applied to a pre-leveled, clean and dry surface treated with a primer (seeWhy do we need a primer: technological nuances of finishing work).
It is important. At least 7-10 days must elapse between the application of the leveling and decorative layer for the base to dry and gain the necessary strength.
The better the surface preparation was made, the easier it will be to plaster the facades, and the less expensive material will have to be consumed. Therefore, the alignment of the walls should be taken seriously, not hoping that the decorative composition will hide minor flaws.
Application instructions in general terms are as follows:
- The decorative composition is applied in one layer, the thickness of which depends on the size of the filler fractions and should not exceed the grain diameter by more than 1.5 times;
- The surface is evenly covered with mortar with a spatula and smoothed;
- In order not to form seams between the treated areas, the plaster should be carried out simultaneously by two workers, one of whom is applying the mortar, and the second is using the selected tool to texture the plastered segment;
- If the facade is finished with plaster of different colors, a special braid is glued on the border between them, after removal of which a smooth transition is obtained;
- After the mortar has dried, the walls can be additionally tinted or the protruding parts of the texture can be painted with a “dry” brush. The surface after this treatment takes on a unique look and depth.
If the surface should be smooth, it is plastered with a homogeneous mixture with a fine filler, and after drying, grind with a grater with an abrasive mesh.
Conclusion
Regardless of the composition, color and relief, facade plasters perfectly protect the external walls from mechanical damage, the destructive effects of temperature extremes, precipitation, sunlight and other climatic factors. But the advantage of color compositions is a higher final finishing speed, eliminating the staining step.
Details about the methods of applying and creating a decorative surface are described in the video in this article.
