What is Polished Plaster?

Polished Plaster – What is it and how much does it cost?

Polished plaster is most commonly defined as a type of finish produced by specific plasters. A polished plaster finish can be noticed especially when traditional Italian plaster finish is used. Basically, polished plaster covers a wide range of different types of decorative plaster finishes and this include everything from Venetian plaster to Marmorino and even the textured polished plasters. Polished plaster consists of mainly marble dust, slaked lime, and marble chips and this is exactly the reason why it has such a distinctive look.

The main use of polished plaster is on walls as well as ceilings because it gives a finish that looks almost like that of travertine, polished marble or even limestone. This type of plaster is most commonly applied over a primer as well as a key-coat base and layering can be as many as 4 times. It is also sealed using a layer of wax for added protection.

Using Polished Plaster

Venetian plaster is a natural polished plaster that is used most commonly for walls as well as ceilings. It is made from natural marble powder and non-hydraulic lime and is applied on the walls in several thin layers using a small spatula to produce or render an extremely smooth and polished surface that displays a natural depth of colour as well as sheen. The intrinsic qualities of polished plaster or Venetian Plaster will allow the walls to breathe and due to the added wax will have extra protection.

Polished plaster like Venetian Plaster gives a unique pattern also called the Patina because it is applied in multiple thin layers and this to a great extent is responsible for providing a smooth as well as layered surface that has 3-dimensional qualities. Polished plaster like Venetian Plaster has a natural white colour but pigmenting with earthy ochre tones can render a beautiful finish. Some plasterers also use oiling and waxing to enhance tone vibrancy.

Different Types of Polished Plaster

There are so many styles and looks that you can get on your walls using polished plaster that it makes it more popular than the normal finish. Some of the different types of polished plasters available include:

• Lucidato: Lucidato is often said to be the classic polished plasters of all time. It is also known as ‘Spatulata’, ‘stucco veneziano’, and even ‘Grasello’. Use of several types of modern additives have also helped in improving the actual working characteristics of this polished plaster and has thus enabled it for successful application by using only 3-4 layers. Lucidato is famous for inducing a superior glassy shine.
• Polished Plaster Stone: This is a type of unique polished plaster that gives out a smooth polished finish. The uniqueness of this polished plaster lies in the fact that it’s stunning effects are achieved due to the several flecks present within this plaster that help in providing a high quality and different type of finish.
• Marmorino Pitted: The Marmorino Pitted is a type of classic marmorino polished plaster finish that is ideal for achieving the stone look, which is more often than not used in different types of banding designs with a mix of Lucidato. This helps in achieving a variance in textures.
• Marmorino Stucco: This is a fine grained marmorino polished plaster that is most ideal for inducing a fine-grained and smooth polished finish on walls as well as ceilings.
• Marmorino Classic: The Marmorino Classic polished plaster is a traditional plaster that has been in use since time immemorial. This polished plaster can easily be applied to both interior as well as exterior surfaces and provides a lustrous and smooth finish that has a lot of depth. Another salient point of using this plaster is that it is naturally mildew resistant.

Polished Plaster Costs

Using polished plaster can be expensive and it all depends of what type of plaster is being used and how much of it is required. If you are using polished plaster over a 200sqm area then the price would start from around £65 per square metre. So for 200sqm, the minimum price would be £13,000. There are some more expensive types of polished plaster like the Italian style stucco that provides a metallic finish and the cost for that would vary from around £130 per square metre. As a comparison if you were to use normal gypsum plaster without the exquisite finish and feel then it will cost you around £1,300 for an average room with measurements of 3.5×3.5×2.4, try our plastering cost calculator for estimated costs for that type of plaster.