Plastering
The skilled tradesman who plasters internal walls is known as a plasterer. The trained and expert worker plasters a sloppy mixture mixture onto surfaces to create either textured or smooth finish – the finish texture is determined by the style of the building being plastered. Plasterwork for interior walls are typically smooth, however, there are textured interior plastered walls which have a rough finish. A decorative or ornamental finish can also be achieved with plastering.
The process of applying plaster to a wall is one of the world’s oldest trades, and plastered walls were first seen thousands of years ago, when primitive humans constructed huts from sticks or branches and covered the stick structure with a layer of mud. The purpose of this type of plasterwork was probably both decorative and the mud plaster probably also served as an insulator. Today, brick interior and exterior walls are covered with a plaster mix which allows the walls to be painted or the plastering is done in such a method that the plaster serves as a covering for the brick walls.
The tools used to perform this ancient trade are simple, and include implements such as trowels, floats, scratching tools, laths, lath nails, hammers and screed. Artisans who plastered walls and ceilings centuries ago, used similar tools, however the modern plasterwork tools have been made from new materials. Trowels were originally made from steel while the modern trowels can now be found in lightweight polycarbonate materials. A common sponge is also a common ‘tool’ used by plasterers and the sponge is used to give the plaster a smooth finish.
Terms which are given to rough or uneven exterior coatings are roughcast rendering or pebbledash and these plastering types are commonly used in rural country cottages or country homes. This type of handiwork is one of the oldest forms of plastering and the rough and wavy textures of the plaster gives the building a charming appearance.
Since plaster is applied to the surface of walls, it is important that the correct finish is achieve and that the wall’s imperfection are effectively covered up. A plasterer will add several layers of plaster to the surface to achieve the desired effect.
For more details and info on plastering, see http://www.fpdc.org/.