Plastering and Repairing in Kitchen

Whether you are constructing a new building or renovating your existing house, you must consider applying a layer of plaster to your walls. Made with lime, gypsum, water, and sand, plaster gives your wall a smooth finish and fine texture, allowing you to paint and decorate the walls however you desire.

The practice of plastering has existed for ages. As plastering gives strength, durability, and aesthetics to building structures, this procedure is still recommended by the modern-day architects. Not only for aesthetics, but plastering is also an excellent option to provide cleanliness and sanitation to the building.

And also, do you know plastered walls are resistant to fire? These three reasons are enough to know why plastering is important, especially in the kitchen where there is an excess amount of heat produced.
As the kitchen is the place where cooking and dining happen, you must ensure that the place is maintained neat and clean. And plastering your walls must be your first priority. Usually, professionals do an expert job so that you don’t have to face any problem in the future.

However, there are some common mistakes that might happen which affect the quality of plastering. So look out for these mistakes and make sure you correct them beforehand. Common mistakes that happen during the kitchen and how to avoid them:

Plaster peeling off the wall

This is the most common problem that arises when plaster is not applied carefully. This problem increases especially when plaster is applied too thick. It’s because the outer skin shrinks faster than the inner layers causing a difference in bonding levels with the original walls. So, ultimately, plaster de-bonds from the wall which looks unappealing and the plaster loses its functionality.

How you can fix this: Before applying plaster, you must clean the surface walls thoroughly and allow them to reach the right moisture content. It helps plaster stick to the surface. You can also mix bonding liquids in plaster to give it a better adhesive property.

Plaster unable to harden

If the plaster mixture is not combined properly using the right ratios, then the plaster loses its hardening property. It makes the plaster soft and weak on the wall.

How you can fix this: See that there is enough cement on the wall so that the plaster can stick to it. Check the ratio of lime and sand mixed in the plaster. Ensure that the sand doesn’t have too many dust particles. Always use the mixture with proper water retention properties.

Plaster drying too fast

After mixing the plaster mix, see that it’s applied on the wall as soon as possible, especially if it’s a sunny day. Because the heat and sunshine can quickly dry out the moisture in the plaster and it will not stick to the wall. This results in falling off the plaster.

How you can fix this: Ensure the use of only quality-grade sand, lime and other materials for plastering. Doing this will make the mixture resistant to weather until it’s applied on the wall surfaces. Avoid working on extreme sunny and windy days. This takes away the moisture soon.

Plaster expanding

This is the problem that occurs after the application of plaster on the walls. Due to some external factors, the plaster may expand, swell, crack, and soften, making the plaster walls unappealing. Usually, it occurs due to the reactions happening between gypsum and cement content of the wall. Together, they form certain compounds that disrupt the plaster.

How you can fix this: There’s no standard remedy to avoid this mistake. However, ensuring that only quality materials are used and hiring professionals who know the ins and outs of the plastering procedure will help you retain this problem to some extent.

Plaster popping out at some places

Plaster popping is the formation of the conical shape above the impurity particle present in the plastered wall. This happens when there are particles in the plaster mixture that expand after its set on the surface. This conical surface above the particle is called a blow or pop and looks like a minor irregularity on the wall.

How you can fix this: You can fix the pop by removing the particle carefully and re-applying the plaster at that particular place. Another thing you can do is taking care while preparing the plaster mixture. Ensure there are no big and visible particles in the mixture and remove them immediately if you found any.

Conclusion

All these problems can be seen in kitchen walls or any other place. However, as the kitchen will be in constant exposure to the heat and flame, you must take extra steps while applying the plaster. Whether you want DIY method or want to hire professionals – always remember that one single mistake will take away the aesthetics and functionality of the plastered walls, not allowing you to paint or decorate in however way you decide.

Author Bio

Erika Rhein is a professional writer and blogger by profession. She writes on various niches; however, she prioritizes writing on home improvement and renovation, always striving to provide users with useful and informative articles in a readable format. She aims to make a difference through her writing.