How to choose and put it?

The advantages of traditional plaster

Decorative coatings are trendy coatings. The key to their success? They combine the sobriety of a painting with material effects as discreet as it is elegant. Marbers, reflections … It is once placed on the wall that these plasters will come to life and bodies. An alchemy that can give An aged effect, as with patinas, or exotic, as with Tadelakt. No need to ask yourself if these plasters will integrate into your interior, the manufacturers today offer such a varied range of shades and materials that they can adapt to all types of decor. Including the most contemporary with, for example, metallic pigments.

Choose the right coating

There are a multitude of decorative paintings and plasters, varying depending on the products used and the application techniques chosen. We can however distinguish:

• THE patinas – whether they are at wax, water, oil or casein,
• THE lime brushfun and easy to make. Used for centuries on the banks of the Mediterranean basin, for a time hidden by cement, lime returns to the front of the stage, thanks to its velvety finish. Renowned to scare away mosquitoes and other spiders, it is particularly indicated in the rooms.
• THE stucco (or Venetian stucco), which easily replaces marble in our interiors, and is made up of lime or plaster and marble powder. It’s up to you to choose your product to obtain a stone, brick, marbled, cracked or fabric effect. Be careful, if it does not tolerate a direct runoff of water, the stucco accommodates very well of a wet atmosphere. Moisten the wall, and apply a first layer using a plate, with rounded gestures. Place a second layer, and make the stucco to make it shine.
• THE tadelakt. Particularly suitable for bathrooms because it is very resistant to water streams. This coating (lime, marble, minerals) agrees with all the decor for a chic and warm effect. But beware, if you start, the Tadelakt is by far the most difficult to make. The ingredients must be of very good quality and the application technique is particularly delicate. Place a primary of hanging on your wall. Then successively apply two layers of Tadelakt: the first with the brush and smoothed with a Taloche, the second finer with the stainless steel Taloche. Let dry 24 hours, then apply the finishes: soap for a water -repellent wall, wax for a satin effect, or silver wax for a metallic effect.
• THE waxed concrete. A decorative coating (lime and marble) that imitates concrete for a very contemporary and urban rendering. It is necessary beforehand to apply a primary of hanging. After having to dry, apply a first fine layer of waxed concrete coating to cover the entire surface, and punctically sand. Apply a second layer while smoothing well. Leave to dry, then sand and wave to protect the coating.

Prepare for your support

Before you get into the work, check that your wall is in good condition. The support must above all be healthy: if it crumbles or if it shows traces of humidity, you will first have to renovate it so that your coating holds well. Materials side, Better, full wallsin plaster for example, only BA13, which will be difficult to decorate. Finally, if your support is already painted, remember to strip it carefully beforehand.

What material to coat a wall?

You will have to invest in some basic tools:

• a stunfor stucco in particular,
• a Oval brush which allows you to apply patinas and create effects at the same time,
• of the spaltersthese flat brushes to make glacis and brush.

For products, then it all depends on the recipe chosen. You will generally need the following elements:

• a “charge” – Marble powder for example, which is the element that will give shape to coating.
• A “binder”like lime, which will amalgamate the ingredients and fix the coating on its support
• possible “Adjuvants”these little extra that will make the success of the recipes.

Last ingredient – and it is size – the pigments. Available in many shades, they will offer you endless possibilities. Be aware, however, that if natural pigments are easy to use, oxides (which offer chemically worked colors) are sometimes more changing. It is therefore better to avoid using them when you started.

Perform preliminary tests before coating

As at school, make a draft before you start! Train to apply your plaster on Placoplâtre plates or wooden planks. This will allow you to see how the pigments evolve once diluted and posed, while working the right gesture. Once dry, you will have a very precise idea of ​​the result it will overlook your walls.

Place a wall coating

Who says old -fashioned coatings, says old -fashioned work. These techniques require patience above all to achieve a beautiful result. Mixtures must be worked for a long time and the application made with precision. Do not count your hours: some decorators can go up to eight successive passes for a glacis! Drying times, in particular, must be scrupulously respected. Do not be tempted to accelerate the movement with a hair dryer, for example, because the heat could seriously damage your coating.

Find your personal paw

The success of a coating is not just about its recipe. All the professionals will tell you: you sometimes take many years to find the right gesture or the little extra that will make all the difference. Faced with the success of these coatings, some people today animate internships where they will deliver some of their little secrets to you. An advised passage for the less handy or those who want to embark on a major site. However, rest assured, making your first steps is not very difficult: With healthy support and correct tools, you can arrive at a very nice result. Start by performing your own “drum”: mixtures, tests, tests … You will see, playing the sorcerer’s apprentice is fun and you will surely please. It’s up to you to find a style and a good gesture to you. Each hand is unique and each coating is too. This is even what makes all their charm.

Under the spell of coated and patinated walls: