What is Polished Plaster
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:
- 1. 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.
- 2. 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.
- 3. 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.
- 4. 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.
- 5. 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.
Using polished plaster can be expensive and it all depends of what type of polished 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 £22 to £25 per square metre. So for 200sqm, the minimum price would be £4400. 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 £50 to £65 per square metre. If you are using normal plaster without the exquisite finish and feel then it will cost you around £250-£300 for an average room with measurements of 3.5x3.5x2.4.
"i,ve been polished plastering now for six yrs . and plastering ing for over 20yrs . am glad someone is getting paid for it as i av done 1000,s of meters for the price of materials and done the jobs for fun coz i love the finish and job satisfaction . oh i know am mad "
plastech28 @hotmail.com
"The Pricing here is a way too cheap, you'd owe the client money if you could work for so little, £55 a square metre is more like it, the further north you go the tighter the purse strings and less charged, but even then you won't get it done proper for under £45."
Mudman
"25 is way too cheap. I charge £55 a square metre."
Plastered
"Maybe the prices are just quoting for purchase of the materials,if this is the case then 22-25 pounds in expensive, the price would be nearer to 10 or 15 per m2. "
cain
"The price is on the low side, ive been a polished plasterer for 7 years and if this guy can work for £22-£25 a sq/m id like to get his phone number and give him some work. A reasonable price for a room of 30-40sq/m is £65-£75 a sq/m, depending of type of plaster and colours etc.( 200sq/m i would probably charge £55m2 ) I would be interested to know where the article writer as aquired his/her knowledge of this product, in my experience there is quite alot of inferior products on the market, so it is always best to check you are actually getting the authentic italian finish."
cain
"The estimate price given here is laughable.
This article is written by someone who knows nothing about polished plaster, measurements and calculation.
(Admin: Thank you. Could you please, please suggest what a reasonable price is then?)"
Polished plasterer.