DIY apartment renovation wall plastering

Repairing walls in an apartment is a rather complicated procedure that requires diligence and accuracy. A wide variety of finishing materials allows you to choose an option that is suitable for both cost and quality. Different coatings will help create an attractive interior in the rooms. This article will look at how do-it-yourself wall decoration is done and what materials can be used for this.

DIY wall repair is carried out in stages:

• assessment of the condition of the walls;
• removal of old finishes;
• elimination of various defects;
• leveling the surface.

After all these actions, the walls in the apartment are finished with new materials.

Often, when purchasing apartments on the secondary markets, you can run into strongly curved walls. The curvature of surfaces can reach 15 cm. In this case, it is almost impossible to repair old walls, and even unnecessary. It would be better to completely get rid of the plaster, which will save materials and expand the space of the room.

In addition, any work on wall decoration can be carried out only if they are of high strength. If the plaster is outdated and is moving away from the surface in some areas, it would be better to get rid of it. To test the strength, it will be enough to tap the wall with a mallet or other tool.

If a dull sound is heard or slight vibration is felt, such trim should be removed.

The preparation of walls for repairs always begins with the dismantling of the old coating. Since there are a lot of finishing materials, each of them has its own nuances of removal:

• Wallpaper. Dismantling wallpaper is the simplest procedure, which does not require special tools. Problems can only arise when removing thin webs. They will need to be pre-moistened with water and wait until the moisture is absorbed. The wet coating is removed with a scraper or a regular knife. You can also use a special solution to dissolve wallpaper glue.
• Plaster. Various plastering solutions have become very popular. Regular plaster can be removed with a wet sponge, but the decorative mortar is protected from moisture, so you will need to use a construction scraper.
• Dye. Peeling trim can be removed with a knife. If the paint holds well, you will need to use a building hair dryer. After heating, the coating will easily come off the surface. However, a hairdryer must be used by a professional.
• Tile. To remove it, you will need to use a jackhammer or perforator. Since the cost of such devices is quite high, it is recommended to rent them.

Wallpaper removal procedure

Often, various damages in the form of cracks are formed on the walls. They can be found after removing the trim. To repair cracks, you will need to perform the following procedures:

1. Free the damaged area and clean it from dirt and dust.
2. The crack is wetted with water, a reinforced tape is laid inside and about 2 mm of putty mortar is applied.
3. The putty is applied to the crack until it is completely closed.
4. Drying time of the solution will be approximately 2 hours, after which the area is cleaned with a grinder or a bar.

During work, the putty should be applied not only to the damaged area, but also to the plastered coating near it.

To repair cracks in brick walls, you need to use a scraper, a block and a grout brush.

The building is insulated at the construction stage. To replace the insulation, you will need to remove not only the finishing materials, but also the plaster.

Do-it-yourself wall repair in an apartment is not complete without prior alignment. This process consists of the following steps:

1. First, a primer is applied to increase the adhesion level of the surface. Also, this treatment will strengthen the base and prevent the formation of mold or mildew.
2. Plastered walls. The mixture is applied in at least 3 layers. Drying time for each of them is at least 12 hours.
3. Plastering is carried out. It is this cladding that allows you to create smooth walls for further wallpapering, painting or other finishing.

To check the evenness of the coating, a 2 m rule must be applied to it. If the work has been done correctly, a gap of no more than 2 mm remains between the wall and the tool.

You can learn more about wall repairs from the following video.

You can also perform the alignment procedure using drywall. This method is becoming more and more popular as it avoids working with different mixtures. Therefore, you do not need to wait for each layer to dry and there will be much less pollution from such a procedure. Plasterboard sheets are used in the following cases:

• If necessary, internal insulation of surfaces.
• If the walls are too crooked.
• If you need to cover the pipes for repairs in the kitchen or bathroom.
• To create complex structures: arches, columns or niches.
• When repairs need to be completed as quickly as possible.

First, you need to identify areas on the surface where heavy objects will hang. These places will need to be pre-strengthened.

It is also necessary to correctly mark the placement of profiles. After marking, the installation of profiles and drywall sheets is carried out. This procedure is quite simple, but there are a number of essential nuances:

• Profiles with a width of 27 mm act as guides.
• The rest of the construction details are made from a profile with a width of 60 mm.
• Installation of large figured structures will require skills and experience from the employee.
• In areas where heavy objects will be placed, it will be necessary to install horizontal jumpers between the profiles and strengthen them. For this, a section of a profile is used, the width and length of which is 60 mm. It is installed using self-tapping screws at a given height. Strengthening the profile is carried out by installing a wooden beam of the required size. To ensure high strength, in addition to the horizontal lintel, it is necessary to install vertical profiles to which it is attached.
• Also jumpers should be installed at the horizontal joints of the material.
• If further plasterboard cladding is planned, it is recommended to install the profiles at intervals of 40 cm from each other. This will strengthen the structure, and the joints of the sheets will in any case fall exactly on the profile.

Plasterboard installation procedure

The interval between profiles should be measured from the center of one product to the center of another, and not between the edges.

Repairing a wall in an apartment can be done using various materials. The most popular ones are:

• wallpapers of various types;
• frescoes;
• decorative plaster;
• dye;

Some people think that wallpaper is a long outdated way of wall cladding, but this is not so. The possibilities of such coverage are simply enormous. Canvases with a variety of designs and patterns are updated every season. Most often, the following types of wallpaper are used:

• paper or non-woven;
• vinyl;
• washable.

A variety of coatings will allow you to choose an option according to personal preferences.Non-woven fabrics are of high quality and density, they can hide small wall irregularities due to their thickness. Paper coatings are inexpensive, but their durability is rather low. It is highly discouraged to use them for cladding in the kitchen or bathroom, since they do not have protection against moisture.

Vinyl and washable wallpapers are a good solution for wall cladding in your home. They have an average cost, but they are of good quality and moisture protection.

A fresco is a hand-made work that includes wall cladding with water-based paints on not yet dried plaster. The only drawback of such processing can be considered a high cost, but its appearance will fully pay off all costs. The fresco is perfect for creating almost any style, especially for bohemian interiors.

Decorative mixes are a more modern way of cladding. The composition of such a plaster includes the following components:

• marble stone chips;
• synthetic additives;
• nylon fibers or cellulose.

Effect of decorative plaster cladding

Various additives can significantly change the result of wall cladding in an apartment, so the composition of the solution must be taken into account at the time of purchase.

Apartment renovation is rarely complete without paint. The combination of painted surfaces looks attractive and stylish. Designers often experiment with a palette of colors, creating unique interior paintings. The most popular options are to highlight one wall with an unusual shade or to paint the surface with a stencil.

As you can see from the article, wall renovation is an extremely important procedure. It is on the quality of this work that the possibility of further surface finishing will depend. With the help of the photos used in the article, it will be possible to see in practice each stage of the work.

Sooner or later, the topic of renovation comes up in every home. The final appearance of the premises will also depend on the quality of the preparatory work carried out. Having applied once strength to a high-quality finish, in the future it will only be possible to periodically re-glue the wallpaper or change the color of the walls. Initially, it may seem that the work of a non-professional master cannot be done. But you can try to make at least rough sketches. In addition to moral satisfaction, this will also significantly save your personal budget. This review describes in detail the entire technological process of how to plaster the walls with your own hands for a beginner. Videos and step-by-step instructions will help you understand the construction nuances.

The main purpose of the plaster is to level the geometry of wall and ceiling bases in order to eliminate irregularities or defects. It serves for rough finishing. The technology of application allows the mixture to be applied in a thick layer in case of large deviations. With the help of plastering the walls in the apartment, you can get the most even foundations.

According to its composition, plaster is of the following types:

The most important difference between them is the drying time of the solution. For a gypsum mortar, it takes up to a week for complete drying, for a cement mortar it will take about a month. Therefore, formulations with cement should be used when it is necessary to achieve maximum durability.

Such coverage will last for several decades. Modern manufacturers introduce polymer additives into the mortar mixture, which accelerate drying up to two days. The cement mixture is used for leveling surfaces in basements or for laying tiles.

The process of leveling the walls with plaster with your own hands is quite laborious, therefore, gypsum solutions are more often used. With gypsum compounds, it is important to observe moisture conditions. You can apply gypsum plaster in one layer, which significantly saves your budget.The decoration is carried out both on a brick base and on wooden surfaces. For perfect smoothness, the coating should be putty after drying of the plaster.

It is important! In conditions of high humidity or temperature extremes, gypsum plaster should be abandoned in favor of cement.

For beginners, cement plaster with polymer additives is better suited for walls. Video tutorials will help you understand and painstakingly complete the entire process in compliance with the technological sequence.

A person who is far from construction terms will at first glance decide that these are synonyms for one type of construction work. In fact, these concepts have both similarities and significant differences. Both materials are designed to level surfaces, and this is where the similarity ends.

Related article:

Plaster and putty - what is the difference and general features, in which cases they should be used, recommendations of experts - read about this and much more in our review.

Manufacturers offer a dry composition or a ready-made plastic solution. Cement, gypsum and polymers are added as binder. With the help of a putty, you can level out small surface defects, smooth the base after plastering. For cracks up to 10 millimeters in size, use the starting composition. The finishing putty is used for the final leveling of surfaces.

It is impossible to mix starting and finishing putty. Compositions of different homogeneity can form additional defects on the bases.

With plaster, surfaces with deviations of up to 15 centimeters can be leveled. In addition, it acts as a thermal insulation for surfaces, in some cases additional moisture protection.

Plaster can be ordinary and decorative. The composition contains large grains. It is used as a roughing or structural topcoat.

When applying putty and plaster, different technologies are used. For plaster, this happens as follows:

• the first layer is applied by the spraying method, with the help of which large surface defects are hidden. In addition, it serves as an additional adhesion with subsequent layers;
• the execution of the middle layer ensures the leveling of surfaces;
• finishing putty or cover - finally smoothes the base.

Decorative mixtures are applied using an individual technology. The plaster composition needs several days to dry completely, the putty is ready the next day.

Before carrying out repair work, it is necessary to study the features of the base of wall surfaces. The method of performing the work will depend on this. For even walls, a spatula and a level are enough. Bases with large defects and deviations can only be leveled using beacons. You may need a lot of the mixture. In this case, additional reinforcement should be made on the wall.

There are several rules for plastering walls:

• first of all, the wall surfaces are cleaned and primed;
• in the second stage, the bulk of the plaster is applied and distributed;
• at the final stage, the base is covered and cleaned.

A video on how to properly plaster walls will help you to do all the work correctly:

• plaster;
• primer for pretreatment of wall bases;
• beacons in case of large surface deviations;
• a rule for aluminum plaster with a length of 2 m for pulling the composition and 2.5 m for installing beacons;
• bubble level at least 2 meters long;
• spatula 15 cm wide;
• construction float;
• trowel;
• bucket;
• a roller with a bath or a brush for a primer;
• gloves;
• perforator with a nozzle for mixing the mixture;
• dowels, screws, Phillips screwdriver, metal scissors for cutting beacons;
• hammer;
• metal ironing;
• roulette;
• plumb line.

Some tools are already available in every home.You will have to buy or rent something. But this is not a tool for one repair, everything will come in handy in subsequent repairs. We can say - an investment in the future. Now we know what tools are needed to plaster the walls, we can start repairing.

To prepare cement plaster, mix the cement with sand in a 1: 3 ratio. Water is gradually poured into the composition with constant stirring. You should get a solution according to the consistency of sour cream of high fat content. Before mixing, you should read the instructions and recommendations of the manufacturer. If repair work is carried out in a room with high humidity, experts advise adding lime. It will take away excess moisture and make the microclimate more comfortable.

For surfaces made of concrete and aerated concrete blocks, it is recommended to use gypsum-lime plaster. Its plasticity is well adhered to the base. To prepare such a solution, gypsum is poured into a bucket of water in a thin stream, then everything should be quickly mixed by adding milk of lime. This mixture is applied quite easily, and will help beginners get their hands on finishing work.

For plastering walls with your own hands, you can buy a ready-made mixture, which is offered in a wide variety in construction hypermarkets and stores. This is the easiest preparatory work.

The workflow for preparing a surface for plastering begins with cleaning the substrates from previous coatings. After that, the level should determine the magnitude of the deviations in order to determine whether the installation of beacons is necessary or whether additional work can be dispensed with.

Then prime all substrates thoroughly with a brush or roller. It is necessary to choose a deep penetration primer, there is no need to save on the composition at this stage, this will help the putty to adhere well to the surfaces. In addition, it protects the walls from excess moisture and prevents mold and mildew damage, which can corrode the material.

Before applying plaster to the walls with your own hands without beacons, after the primer has dried, moisten all bases well with water.

The purpose of our article today will be to solve the question of how to level the wall with your own hands. In fact, this can be done in several ways, for example: using drywall sheets, mounting (PVC) plastic panels and, of course, "good" plaster. The most common and cheapest way is still to plaster the surface of the walls. And that is why in this article we will describe the features of this particular process: varieties, methods and subtleties of applying plaster.

First of all, you need to find out what the walls are plastered with. A few years ago, a cement-sand mortar was used for plastering walls, but today, the blessing of evolution, a lot of various plaster mixtures have appeared: on a cement basis, sand and various additives or gypsum.

The advantage of modern plaster mixes is obvious: in addition to sand and cement, they contain various additives that give the mixture new possibilities, this is an increased mechanical strength, this is an increased resistance to temperature and moisture on the surface of plastered walls, and much more. ...

Depending on the state of the surface, that is, on the required layer of plaster, mixtures with different sizes of sand fractions are used. Because of what plaster mixes are divided into: starting and finishing. For plastering walls, for example, in a new building, you first need to use a starting plaster mixture, and then, when the first stop, a layer of finishing plaster is applied. Thus, the surface comes out not only even, but also more resistant to external influences.For plastering the walls in the apartment, you can use a modern plaster mix for plastering surfaces of medium complexity. Thanks to this, the surface is smoother, and the lead time is much shorter than when plastering the walls with cement-sand plaster.

However, each of these materials has its drawbacks:

1. As for the cement-sand plaster, it is not suitable for application on a smooth surface (very quickly it will begin to flake off and fall off in large layers);
2. Gypsum plaster is relatively expensive, but not suitable for rooms with high humidity and has low strength.

We will not consider the process of plastering walls with an ordinary cement-sand mortar, since there are more modern and durable building materials.

To begin with, pour water into the container and fill it with a dry gypsum mixture, and only in this order, otherwise lumps will form, which is very bad and problematic to plaster the walls. We will not talk about the proportions, since each type of mixture has its own indicated on the packaging by the manufacturer. It is best to stir such a mixture with a special mixer or a very powerful drill, since there is a very strong load on the instrument. It is necessary to strictly observe all proportions, since a violation of the proportions of one or another component will violate the strength and performance characteristics of the material. Ultimately, the solution should be in the form of a homogeneous mass, without any formations and lumps. The peculiarity of the preparation of gypsum plaster mixes is that they must be mixed twice with an interval of 2-5 minutes.

What tools are needed when plastering walls:

2. Rule (the length of the rule depends on your capabilities, since it is very difficult to "pull" it, but at the same time, the larger the rule, the smoother the surface is);

4. Grater (for surface grinding);

5.Construction level (the presence of a plumb line will not be superfluous);

Features of plaster on different surfaces:

1. Plaster brick walls - to level the brick wall, a large amount of the mixture will be needed, therefore it would be more expedient to plaster in two layers the first with a cement-sand screed, after which to give the wall a more complete look, use gypsum plaster. It is not necessary to prime brick walls. With a thick layer of plaster (> 4-5 cm), it is necessary to use a metal reinforcing mesh.

2. Plastering concrete walls - it is best to use a gypsum mixture immediately, since the concrete slab has a smooth surface, and, therefore, poor adhesion. Before you start plastering such surfaces, they must be over-primed.

3. Plastering of foam concrete walls - any plaster is suitable for plastering this surface. The surface only needs to be primed.

4. Plastering of walls from tongue-and-groove plates - any plaster is suitable, but a gypsum mixture with preliminary priming of the surface is more acceptable.

This method is quite simple and the principle of its implementation consists in manually applying a cement-sand mortar to the surface of the wall with a trowel or spatula (this is more convenient for someone). To do this, take a grater in one hand, put a certain amount of mortar on it, and also throw it on the wall with a trowel or spatula. At the same time, when throwing the solution onto the wall, it is necessary with a characteristic slap - thus, the solution adheres better to the wall surface. By the way, it is better to moisten the wall surface with water before applying the plaster. After a certain section of the wall is filled with mortar, take a float and level the surface in a circular motion, if necessary, add the mortar with a trowel. If you plan to apply a thick layer of plaster more than 5 centimeters, the process must be divided into several stages.First, you need to install a reinforcing mesh, then apply one layer of plaster, and only after the first layer has dried, and after about 7 - 8 hours, you can apply the next layer, and so on. Do not try to speed up the process and do everything at once - the layer of plaster will fall off and you will have to redo everything from the beginning.

As we said above, gypsum plaster dries very quickly, therefore, with this method of leveling the walls, you will save a lot of time about three times less than with cement-sand leveling the walls. The process of plastering walls with a gypsum mixture is as follows: the gypsum mortar is applied to the wall with a small spatula, after which it is leveled with a larger spatula along the plane of the wall. As well as when plastering walls, with a cement composition with a large layer thickness, it is necessary to take breaks of 1.5-2 hours between the application of the next layers.

The previous method of plastering walls is certainly quick, but the result without certain skills is far from excellent. Therefore, it is best to do the plastering of the walls with your own hands - along the lighthouses. The process of preparing the surface of the walls for plastering in this way will take longer, but the result will be incomparably better. A special metal guide profile is used as beacons; it differs slightly from those profiles that are used when installing a false ceiling with your own hands.

First of all, you will need to determine the geometry of your walls, this is necessary in order to form a flat surface. Using the building level, you need to determine the state of the wall surface along the vertical axis. By the way, if the level is small, this can be compensated for by the rule. Then we lay down the first lighthouse. To do this, you can use both dowel-nails and plaster mortar. Take a solution and make bumps every 25-30 centimeters, after which you put a beacon on them and use a level to control the curvature, and after the solution solidifies, the beacon will be securely fixed. At the same time, control the thickness of the future plaster layer. The verticality of the beacons can also be checked using a plumb line.

Thus, at first, two lighthouses are laid in opposite sides of the wall with an indent from the attached walls by 20-25 centimeters. After that, between the beacons, pull the lace (above and below the wall) and, if necessary, install intermediate beacons, and the distance between the beacons should be slightly less than the length of the rule. It is better to fasten the lace with self-tapping screws set according to the level, otherwise, when pulling the laces, the beacons can be displaced, which cannot be done. After installing all the beacons, at least 12 hours must pass for the fixing solution to solidify properly.

The described method can attract certain difficulties for beginners in this business:

1. It is necessary to properly prepare the fixing solution (it should be slightly thicker than usual);

2. So that the beacons do not fall off due to the fact that the solution does not stick to the wall, it is necessary to moisten the wall with water;

3. Experience is needed to correctly place the beacons;

4. It takes time for the fixing solution to freeze, otherwise buy special plastic fasteners for fixing beacons.

If you plan to use these fasteners, then the process of plastering the walls along the beacons will be as follows: in the places where the beacons are installed, drill holes for the dowels. Next, install the mounts for the profile of the lighthouse and use the level and plumb line to control the verticality of the lighthouse, screwing in and out the screws if necessary. Similar to the previous method, fix two beacons along the edges of the wall, pull on the lace and install all the necessary intermediate beacons. This method will allow you to more accurately set beacons and significantly save time for work.

With all the preparatory work completed, which means that you can start applying the plaster mixture. The plaster mixture is thrown (it is thrown, because it adheres better to the wall surface) on the wall between the lighthouses, after which its excess is removed using the rule. The rule must be carried out from the bottom up, and in order for the solution to lay down more evenly, the rule must be periodically moved from side to side. With a large thickness of the plaster layer, the process must be divided into two stages: first, put on a layer of plaster and leave it in this position (with bumps) until it dries, then apply a second layer and level it as a rule.

It is relatively easy to do plastering of walls on lighthouses with your own hands, and on the other hand, it is quite profitable, because construction crews will take good money for this type of work.

As usual, we advise you to watch the video titled: