Polished plaster is a luxury, high-end wall treatment that adds elegance to any wall. With its growing popularity, many homeowners and DIY enthusiasts wonder whether they can install polished plaster themselves or if they should contact a professional.
Our team of experts at Franco Finishes has received substantial training in polished plaster technology, and we produce high-quality polished plasters in London. We are aware that although the thought of doing it yourself may seem alluring, installing polished plaster requires expertise, perseverance, and the appropriate equipment to provide a faultless finish. That is why in this article, we will discuss the reality of installing polished plaster in detail.
Can You DIY Polished Plaster Installation?
The truth is, you can DIY polished plaster, but do you want to know the fact? It is not a beginner-friendly thing to do, such as painting a wall. Installing polished plaster, mostly the Venetian polished plaster, requires great artisan skills that are built with time and patience.
The process of polished plaster installation combines the application of many thin layers of the wall finish, designing many patterns, and lastly, the surface is burnished to create a fine and smooth finish. If any mistakes are made during this process, the outcome is an untidy finish that can be easily detected.
Training and Skill Level Required for Polished Plaster Installation
To properly install polished plaster, you need a significant level of skills and training because this task is more of an artisan work than just simple wall painting. For professional artisans, it takes a mix of training on layering, trowelling, and burnishing to record the perfect visual effects expected when installing polished plasters.
So the key skills to master here include attention to detail, maintaining a steady hand while applying and designing the polished plaster, and lastly, the ability to apply as many as needed multiple thin layers while waiting in between drying times. It is also an artistic process; hence, it is required that one have a keen eye for aesthetics.
Tools and Materials Needed for Polished Plaster Installation
Again, installing polished plaster is a bit more of a special task when compared to wall painting. That being said, you will need the right tools to have a perfect finish. You will need various sets of stainless steel trowels, with different sizes and shapes, as they will come in handy during the application to achieve special effects based on your design needs.
You will need a hawk for holding the design as you do the work, and a bucket for mixing and getting the right consistency of the plaster. After each application, sandpaper will come in handy for smoothing, and then you can use lint-free clothes to apply wax to the finishes.
The Biggest Pitfalls of DIY Polished Plastering
If you decide to DIY polished plaster installation, just know you’ll face some hurdles. Top of the list is being able to prepare the surface before application, since polished plaster requires a neatly cleaned surface. If you don’t prepare the surface properly, it will affect the outcome of the installation. The other hurdle is the application process itself; you will need in-depth trowel work to be able to achieve a smooth, multi-layered installation.
After application, you will be facing the challenge of waiting for the appropriate drying time, as any deficiency in this will result in cracking and poor curing of the installation.
Get in touch with us today for a polished plaster application that will genuinely transform your walls if you want amazing outcomes without having to make any guesses.