![]() ![]() There is a funded KickStarter project – The Art and Science of Natural Plaster that aims to produce an educational documentary on the use of natural plasters in architecture. Plaster is becoming popular in green building practice. There is about half an hour window when plaster can be applied to a surface as the chemical reaction that occurs when the plaster is mixed with water causes it to crystallize quickly. Plastering is an artistic skill honed over years of practice that involves packing and polishing the plaster to a mirror finish with a steel trowel, and running a clean felt brush over the plaster to take the sheen out. Our plasterer used Uni-Kal veneer plaster that dries in about 2 days. Amabile Brothers is a second generation family business, who learned the craft from their father, who in turn learned the craft from his dad by plastering closets when he was six years old. Spang Builders selected Amabile Brothers as the plastering subcontractor. Another advantage is that plaster can be applied directly to concrete over a base coat, which came in handy in the Lily Pond House basement wall. In contrast to the monolithic painted drywall look, the veneer plaster has a hard silky handmade finish with a natural off-white color. Although the veneer plaster estimate had a substantial premium over Level 5 drywall finish, savings in forgoing the paint actually made the plaster option more economical. Our architects Theodore + Theodore convinced us to go with unpainted veneer plaster instead of a drywall finish. Plus plaster is a vapor barrier ideal for bathrooms and kitchens, provides a better sound barrier than drywall and is more fire resistant. In contrast to drywall, veneer plaster does not require sanding. ![]() In terms of compressive strength, veneer plaster finish is about 10 times stronger than a drywall, making it less likely to get dents and dings, and expose popped screws. Plaster bonds chemically with the paper in blueboard, which is engineered to create a tight bond with the plaster compound using a multi-ply paper where the outer ply absorbs the water in plaster coat while the inner ply protects the gypsum core with its water resistance, creating a surface that is much harder than regular drywall. Instead of a sheetrock, plasterer applies the very wet plaster (composition of plaster of Paris and sand with lots of water) over 5/8″ blue board, first over the seams and fasteners, and then skims 1/16′ – 1/8″ coat over the whole surface. Veneer plaster finish is an alternative to drywall. ![]()
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