What is plaster?

Plaster is a form of dry powder made of cement and sand to be mixed with water to form a paste for the purpose of skim coating wall surfaces such as brick walls & other masonry substrates for a smoother finish.

Unlike mortar that dries rigid, plaster dries reasonably soft and it is this pliability that makes it ideal for a soft, smooth finish for a substrate base for the application of primer or paint coat.

What is plastering?

Plastering walls and ceilings is basically to repair the cracks or peeling of a previous paint layer of the surface. In more severe cases, plastering is also opted to fix spalling concrete substrates in older houses or buildings.

Plastering works is usually necessary for areas that are subjected moisture or grease such as bathrooms and kitchens, as these areas are usually susceptible to paint peeling, blistering or cracking due to the high tendency of being exposed to oil and water vapour that degenerates the paint adhesion over time.

You see signs of spalling concrete when part of the structural surface begins to peel, or becomes flakey or roughened on the surface. You may even witness pits in some cases, and small pieces of the concrete substrate can be seen breaking loose from the main structure itself.

Plastering contractors will require hand tools such as trowels to even out and smoothen the plaster paste on the substrate. The plaster should not be too wet at this point as a slight degree of firmness is required to fill in holes and fill up cracks and crevices. If the plaster is too wet, it will just sink into the shapes of the hollows, defeating the purpose of smoothening the surface.

The painters will need skills to apply pressure while running their trowels flat along and at the same time pushing the plaster on to the wall surfaces. It is normal that ridges and trowel marks should form on the plaster layer as the shape of the trowel gathers up plaster along its edge as you press and push it against the surface. However, these plaster ridges can be easily smoothen as the plaster becomes harder and firmer as you work on it.

The trowel is a versatile tool for plastering; its pointed head can be used to scrape off any thickened or excess plaster that is formed at wall corners. To smoothen the plastered corner edges, you will need to run them along with a wet paint brush (flick off excess water) with big strokes. Be sure to use a brush with fine bristles, because if the bristles are too coarse, they may cause lines and streaks to form on the corners.

Plastering work can be labor-intensive, requires techniques & skills as well as time-consuming and as plastering involves doing the job before the cement mortar dries, most will not want to take the risk of a badly done plastering job on their own though rectifiable but requires time and effort in scraping off the hardened plaster layer.

We provide affordable painting and plastering services in Singapore, and we are just one phone call away! Call us now or email us at connie@singaporepaintingworks.com or simply fill up the form on the right to enquire on our wall plastering services; we’ll be happy to assist you.

Plastering Tools

There are different types of trowelling tools for different techniques and purposes. The rectangular and margin trowels are used for smearing and manipulating plastered surfaces while the pointing trowels are used in corner areas where the rectangular trowels cannot reach. There is also the angle trowel that is useful for angled corners where perpendicular right-angled surfaces are concerned.

Plastering trowels are normally used hand in hand with the plastering hawk. A plastering hawk is a flat square metal sheet that is attached with a central vertical handle below. The hawk is for the painter to place the mortar on top of the metal platform while the handle is for the purpose of holding the tool while he picks up the mortar with the trowel to apply it to wall and ceiling areas.