Repair work in the premises, whether it is residential oroffice, always begin with the ceiling finishing process. It is permissible to use various technologies. Whichever one the master prefers, preparatory work must first be carried out. At this stage, the question arises of how to properly level the ceiling with putty.
Regardless of which ceiling finishing technology you have chosen, it is necessary to putty it.
Tools and materials
In order to apply putty to the ceiling, you should prepare the materials and tools:
- steel spatula;
- capacity;
- mixer;
- paint brush;
- roller;
- sandpaper.
To putty the ceiling you will need:spatula, mixer, paint brush, roller, sandpaper and a container for mixing the mixture. For the work, the master must use three types of spatulas, each of which has different sizes, but one common characteristic of these tools is a rubberized handle. The solution should be mixed in a container with a volume of 20 liters, while the sides should be high with straight walls. This will prevent splashing of the mixture during mixing and further application. Straight walls have their own function, which is to conveniently collect the mixture from the tool using a spatula and without residue. The mixer will be used when preparing the solution, but the application should be done with a paint brush and a roller designed for priming. After you manage to level the ceiling, you will need to use construction sandpaper, which will allow you to perform the final grinding of the base.
It depends on how thoroughly you cleanthe ceiling from the old coating, the quality of the future finishing depends. Before leveling the ceiling, you should rid the surface of the remains of the old coating. Such procedures should be carried out as carefully as possible, since the quality of subsequent finishing works depends on it. You can remove old coatings using a special scraper (sometimes it is replaced with a spatula). The paint can be removed without being pre-wetted, removing it in dry form, but it will be more effective to remove it after the surface has been sprayed with liquid. Then the work can be completed in less time. After the paint is removed from the ceiling, it must be thoroughly washed. Return to contents</a>
Preparation for application of putty
Most often, the ceilings in the room are unevenoverlaps. This requires preliminary preparation of the surface before applying the putty. With height differences reaching 5 cm, plastering can be considered the only correct solution (except for the installation of suspended systems). Plaster can be applied to any base: concrete, wood, steel, etc. The cleaned surface should be treated with a primer: this will allow for a more effective connection of the mixture and the base.
Almost all ceilings are unevensurface, so before puttying it is necessary to level the surface with plaster. If you are going to work with wooden or steel surfaces, then before applying the plaster mixture you need to stretch a metal mesh with square cells, the side of which is equal to 10 mm. It should be fixed, not excluding joints and seams, using special nails that have wide heads. It is necessary to plaster using beacons. The process should begin with marking the zero mark on the walls, for which it is customary to use a painter's cord. It is necessary to determine where the point is located, which acts as the lowest on the ceiling. It will become the place for mounting the starting beacon. Under the beacons, with a step of 300 mm on the surface, it is necessary to apply gypsum marks on which they should be mounted. A layer of the mixture, the thickness of which exceeds 5 cm, should not be laid on the ceiling. After that, you can start mixing the solution, which can be prepared on the basis of gypsum, cement or lime. If it was decided to use the first version of the mixture, then you need to start applying the next layer 25 minutes after the previous one. As for the cement composition, this interval increases to 2 hours. The next layer of lime mixture must be applied after the previous layer has acquired a white color, but you should not wait until it dries completely.
If the ceiling is wooden or metal, thenBefore plastering, you need to stretch a metal mesh. The starting layer should be applied using the splash method, which does not need to be leveled. Next, you need to wait a specified time and apply several primer layers. Each of them should be leveled and analyzed so that they do not end up higher than the level of the beacons. At the next stage, after leveling the primer layer, you can get rid of the beacons with marks. In the area of \u200b\u200bthe places where the beacons were located, you need to apply the applied solution. Now you can check how evenly the plaster was laid, while you need to use a rule. If irregularities are found, they must be removed by cutting or adding the mixture. In parallel with this, you need to seal the internal corners and areas of the joints of the ceiling and walls. This must be done using a float. Finally, you need to lay the cover layer, and then carefully level it to get a smooth surface. After you have managed to complete the "rough" alignment with plaster, you can proceed to the final alignment, where putty will be used. Return to Contents</a>
Technology of puttying
Scheme of the direction of application of putty.Now that the surface is free of significant differences, you can proceed to applying the putty. These two compositions differ only in the fractional size of the filler. In putty, it is much finer and does not exceed 1000 microns. For this reason, the named composition is most often used to cope with irregularities in wood (cracks). After such alignment, the master manages to achieve ideal smoothness. If you are faced with the question of how to level the ceiling, then you should know that the mixture must be applied in an extremely thin layer. Therefore, the surface must first be checked for evenness and treated with sandpaper, which can be replaced with a hinged grater equipped with a long handle. After that, a painter's mesh must be fixed to the base that is being finished using PVA glue or a special composition. Its second name is serpyanka, since it is similar to gauze. For more comfortable use, you can purchase serpyanka, which has a self-adhesive base. After all the preparatory work is completed, you can proceed to mixing the putty solution. To do this, use 30 kg of dry mix, which should be filled with 12 liters of water. The composition must be thoroughly and quickly mixed. It is most convenient to use a construction mixer for this, which has a wide whisk. Some craftsmen use a drill with a special mixer for these purposes. The readiness of the composition can be determined by the consistency: the mixture should resemble thick sour cream.
Scheme of the sequence of ceiling finishing layers.It is recommended to carry out subsequent work quickly, this is due to the fact that the prepared mixture will begin to set quite soon, and then gain hardness. If you are not yet familiar with how to level the ceiling, then you should use the instructions below. Using a spatula with a narrow working surface, the mixture should be placed on a spatula that has a wide blade. After that, the solution can be applied to the base and pressed quite tightly. There is no need to work hard to get rid of the resulting streaks, as they can be easily removed after hardening, using a grout mesh. After the last applied layer of the mixture gains strength, you can proceed to the grinding process. To do this, you need to use a special grout with a mesh, as the least roughness it is worth using 120 units. Before leveling the ceiling, it is preferable to purchase all materials, including putty, primer and paint, from one manufacturer. According to experts, this will help to achieve better results. In order to know how to properly level the ceiling, you should familiarize yourself with the sequence in which the work should be carried out. The first step is to remove all kinds of old coatings from the concrete floor. It is also recommended to get rid of irregularities that exceed 2 mm. In this case, you can use a hammer drill that has a special attachment. Then you can proceed to priming, using a deep penetration compound. The application of the starting putty should be done by arranging a layer 1 cm thick. In order to obtain a smooth surface, you should use a half-trowel. Return to the table of contents</a>
Finishing puttying
After plastering the ceiling, it is necessary to applyprimer (paint can be used). The final stage is to apply the finishing putty. It should be applied in two layers. If the room temperature is above 18° C and there is intensive ventilation, then the finishing mixture can be leveled 4 hours after the surface has been treated with the starting mixture. Under other conditions, the drying of the previous layer may occur somewhat later, in which case the composition can be applied the next day. If the room has suitable conditions, then the next day you need to start sanding the base. It is preferable to use a vibration grinding machine for this. Whatever leveling technology is chosen, it is worth considering that before painting, a layer of primer should be applied to the surface, for which paint can be used. It is supposed to be used in subsequent work. Return to contents</a>
Tips for applying putty
Before you start applying the material, you need to taketwo spatulas. The one with a wide blade should be held in the left hand, as this is where the mixture will be applied. Do not grab a large amount of the mixture at once. The solution should be distributed along the center of the work surface. The tool should be moved so as to obtain a flat base; do not go back and redo the treated areas. Otherwise, streaks will appear on the surface, which can also be caused by holding the tool incorrectly. The spatula should be slightly tilted towards the surface so that the work surface and the ceiling form a slight angle. It is important not only to properly prepare the mixture and apply it to the surface, following the technology, but also to choose the right spatulas. Their working surface should not be too hard, excessive softness is also undesirable, as it can cause excessive deflection and forward turning of the side edges. This will cause streaks on the ceiling. If necessary, a standard spatula can be subjected to some independent modifications, where a file should be used, which will allow you to grind down the sharpness of the corners. As a result, the end of the blade will become somewhat oval. Once the ceiling alignment work is completed, you can proceed to the alignment of the walls, using the appropriate instructions. You will be able to do it.
