A Breif History about Veneer Plaster

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It was standard practice, until mid century in Western construction to surface interior walls using wooden lath and a layer of plaster about a half-inch the lath and plaster. With time, drywall became a standard.

 

Normally , drywall is surfaced using the "mud-and-tape" method, where non-adhesive paper or mesh tape and drywall joint compound-mud, is used to fill joints, cover nail heads, and repair any flaws.Veneer Plaster was developed as a way of taking advantage of the reduced labor of modern drywall, while providing a genuine plaster surface for a wall.

 

Veneer Plaster Application

 

In much of the world, plaster veneer is a very rare wall surface. Consequently, it can be difficult to find a local trade worker skilled in the practice. However, in some regions, such as Ireland, Massachusetts, Hawaii, and other states this situation is reversed, with plaster veneer a common standard, and mud-and-tape the less common alternative. 

 

Veneer Plaster is well-suited to the renovation of older buildings, since it is an easier option than full re-creation of the original lath and plaster. The veneer surface will closely mimic antique walls, with their hand-applied variations. In contrast, properly finished mud-and-tape drywall can be very planar, and industrially uniform in character. Drywall feels relatively warm and soft to the touch, while plaster feels cooler and very hard.

 

Thus, plaster veneer might be an appropriate choice in the renovation of an older house with existing lath-and-plaster walls.

Bare mud-and-tape drywall is generally only acceptable as a final decorating finish in utility spaces such as attics or garages. In most rooms, such walls are finished with paint or wallpaper. Plaster veneer walls are usually similarly decorated, but unpainted plaster can also serve as a finish.

 

Since bare plaster can be appealing to the touch, and paint would add an additional layer, some decorators opt to leave exposed plaster in some or all of a room, as a creative choice. In such cases, if the plaster's natural color is not desired, tints can be added as part of the mixing process, or can be introduced unevenly for artistic color effects.

 

Veneer Plaster Advantages

 

• Moisture resistance: Once cured, plaster is an effective water barrier. By contrast, unprotected drywall and joint compound absorb water, causing sagging, bloating, or complete structural failure. As a consequence of plaster's inherent water shedding properties, it is a very effective water and MILDEW barrier.

• No sanding: Plaster is typically applied in one work session per wall or per several non-adjoining walls. The smoothness or texture is achieved by working the plaster as it sets, over a period of up to five hours. By contrast, drywall is typically sanded or otherwise mechanically smoothed as the final step of the wall surfacing process. The fine dust particles created can be difficult to clean and dangerous to breathe.

• Pleasing surface: Bare plaster can be a beautiful interior surface. The natural color of veneer plaster is a mottled white. When applied for maximum smoothness, it can result in a hard, mirror-like surface, which masks the mechanical uniformity of the drywall with the subtly organic form of a hand-applied layer. Tinting can be added to the wet plaster for color effects.

• Durable surface: Plaster veneer results in a harder and more durable surface than drywall. Scuffs and gouges are less likely.

• Quicker: The overall calendar time from beginning to end for a plaster veneer project is typically slightly shorter than for conventional drywall.(N.B. The overall labor time is usually less with mud-and-tape drywall.) This is because drywall joint compound is applied in at least three phases, followed by sanding. Some drywall joint compounds ("hot mud") set chemically, allowing rapid re-coating, but these compounds can make sanding more difficult. By contrast, each wall in a plaster veneer project is applied as a single task, and allowed to set and cure without intervention.