CE 2100

Details of Construction- I

Report Title: Plastering, Pointing & Interior Finishing

Name: Sanzida Zaman

Roll: 21010555
Department: Civil Engineering
Term: 1st
Year: 2nd
Session: 2022-2023
PLASTERING:
Plastering, which is a process of covering surfaces with a plastic material to obtain
an even, smooth, regular, clean and durable surface.
Plastering is defined as the process of protecting walls and ceilings from
deterioration with the use of plasters. Plastering walls is done to help prepare the
surface of walls before painting and it gives surfaces a smooth finish. This is a
process of applying a thin cement mortar to cover and smoothen and flatten
exposed surfaces. Plastering services are essential for restoration, protection, and
repair of wall or ceiling surfaces. It enhances the aesthetic appeal of walls and
improves its quality and longevity.

https://www.123rf.com/photo_46415946_worker-removes-old-plaster-stucco-restoration-of-the-
old-building-texture-of-old-brick-wall.htm
Fig: Plastering in wall

The plastic material or plaster is made by

• working together a mixture of building materials which may be cement,
lime or clay, fine aggregates which is usually sand and water.
• Certain additives are sometimes added to improve its adhesiveness,
durability and lusture.
• When cement is used as the binding material, the plaster is termed as
cement plaster and when lime is used as the binding material it is called
lime plaster.
Requirements of good plaster:
• It should adhere to the background and should remain adhered during all
climatic changes.
• It should be cheap and economical.
• It should be hard and durable.
• It should be possible to apply it during all weather conditions.
• It should effectively check the entry or penetration of moisture from the
surfaces.
• It should possess good workability.
Objective of plastering:
• To conceal defective workmanship

• To give smooth surface to avoid catching of dust.

• To give good look.

• To protect the wall from rain water and other atmospheric agencies.

• To protect surfaces against vermit.

Classification of plasters:

1. Cement plaster 2. Lime plaster 3. Mud plaster

5. Water proof
4. Stucco plaster
plaster
1. Cement plasters:
Cement plaster is a homogenous mixture of Portland cement, fine aggregates,
and water. Generally, OPC 43 and OPC 53-grade cement is mixed with sand
(the fine aggregate) in different proportions; hence, this plaster is also called
as the cement-sand plaster. The number of plaster coats applied varies
according to the requirement.
• For inner walls, a single coat of plaster is generally sufficient to achieve
the desired finish.
• If the thickness of the plaster is more than 15 mm or when you need a
finer finish, two coats of plaster are required.
• If the surface to be plastered is very uneven, three coats of plaster are
applied where the first coat, scratch or dash coat, is applied for a smooth
finish. Next, the base coat is applied, followed by the finish coat. For
external wall, two coats of plaster are required and thickness
of plaster is 12 to 18 mm.

inkedin.com/pulse/some-vital-tips-providing-cement-plaster-wall-
surface-g-k

Fig: Cement plaster on all surfaces.

2. Lime plaster:
• The lime used in plastering may be fat lime or hydraulic lime.
• Fat limes make best plaster as they yield good putty after slaking.
• Hydraulic lime on the other hand yields harder and stronger plaster, but
it may contain some unslaked particles which may slake slowly on
absorbing moisture from atmosphere and damage the plastering by
forming blisters.

Wikipedia and Gharpedia

Fig: Lime plastering on walls

Application of lime plaster:

• It is usual to provide 13 mm and 16 mm thick plaster on plain side and
rough side of one brick thick walls respectively.
• In case of rubble masonry 19 mm thick plaster is recommended to account
for the roughness or unevenness of the surface.
• Plaster may be applied in one, two, or three coats on the prepared wall
between the screed with the help of trowel.
• In the one coat treatment mortar is applied in a uniform surface slightly
more than the specified thickness. This is then beaten with thin strips of
bamboo to ensure thorough filling of joints and finally brought to a true
surface.
 https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fbiolime.co
m
Fig: lime plastering on wall

• During the process of finishing, a solution of lime putty is applied on the

surface to make the surface smooth and workable. The finished surface is
then cured for at least seven days.
3. Mud Plaster:
• This type of plastering is commonly seen in kuchha construction in villages
and in other structures of temporary character.
• This is the cheapest form of plastering. Mud to be used for plastering
should be made from earth free from grass roots, gravel, stone grit etc.

https://thannal.com/types-of-indian-plaster

Fig: Mud plastering on walls

• All the clods in he earth should be broken and reduced to a fine powder.
 • No curing is done in this case. Cracks formed during drying or portions
that sound hollow when tapped, are repaired by opening such patches and
then treating the surface with a mixture of clay and cow-dung.

4. Stucco Plastering:
• Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder,
and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid.
• It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and
as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture.
• Stucco can be applied on construction materials such as metal, expanded
metal lath, concrete, cinder block, or clay brick and adobe for decorative
and structural purposes.
• The basic composition of stucco is cement, water, and sand.
• The difference in nomenclature between stucco, plaster, and mortar is
based more on use than composition.
• The traditional application of stucco and lath occurs in three coats—the
scratch coat, the brown coat and the finish coat. The two base coats of
plaster are either hand-applied or machine sprayed. The finish coat can be
troweled smooth, hand-textured, floated to a sand finish or sprayed

https://www.123rf.com/photo_46415946

Fig: Stucco plastering on walls

5. Water proofing plastering:
• Evercrete WP is a high-quality polymer modified mortar designed for
internal and external wall plastering. It can be applied by hand application
onto the concrete or blockwork surfaces. It is capable of building up a layer
up to 25mm in one application. (Layer build up is subject to application
method.
• Evercrete WP is specially formulated for external concrete wall plastering,
external block wall plastering and internal walls that are subject to
dampness.

https://www.performance-painting.com/7-simple-steps-to-waterproofing-exterior-walls/

Fig: Water proofing plastering

Preparation of surface for plastering:

• Keep all the mortar joints of wall rough, so as to give a good bonding to
hold plaster.
• Roughen the entire wall to be plastered.
• Clean all the joints and surfaces of the wall with a wire brush, there should
be no oil or grease etc. left on wall surface.

Once the plaster has fully cured, it is ready for painting or decoration. Before
applying paint, it is important to ensure that the plaster is clean, dry, and free
from any dust or debris. Apply a primer or base coat before painting to
enhance color vibrancy and adhesion. Consider the desired aesthetics and
select paint or decorative finishes that complement the overall design scheme.
 https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fengineersblog.net

Fig: Preparing of the wall before plastering

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheconstructor.org
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Fig: Steps of preparing the wall for plastering

• If there exist any cavities or holes on the surface, then fill it in advance
with appropriate material.
• If the surface is smooth or the wall to be plastered is old one, then rake out
the mortar joint to a depth of at least 12 mm to give a better bonding to the
plaster.
• Wash the mortar joints and entire wall to be plastered, and keep it wet for
at least 6 hours before applying cement plaster.
• If the projection on the wall surface is more than 12 mm, then knock it off,
so as to obtain a uniform surface of wall. This will reduce the consumption
of plaster.

Special Types of Finishing:

smooth cast:
• A smooth coat finish is accomplished with fine sand and
cement to form a mortar mix of 1 part cement to 4-6
parts fine sand. It is versatile across interior and exterior
wall treatments (depending on the sand quality and the
type of cement used). This plastered surface is great for
paint, stencil art, wallpaper applications, and even vinyl
sticker applications since it is carefully leveled and
smoothed over flat surfaces with a wooden float.

Rough cast:
• Cement, sand, and coarse aggregate are used in the
roughcast finish mortar mix. This mortar’s ratio is
roughly 1: 1.5: 3. The coarse used in mortar range from
3 mm to 12 mm. The trowel is used to finish a large
amount of mortar. Using a wooden float, level and
roughen the surface. It is the most common finish for
exterior rendering

Pebble cast:
• Pebble dash plaster is identical to Roughcast plaster.
After the first layer of plastering, small pebbles or
crushed stones of acceptable size (typically ranging
from 6 to 20 mm) are utilized as a finishing touch.
Pebble aggregate is splashed onto the coated surface
and pressed into the plastered surface using a
wooden float.
 Scrapped cast:
• A 6 to 12 mm thick layer of mortar is used for the scraped
finish. The mortar is left to dry for a period after being
laid. The layer of plaster is then scraped at short intervals
to a depth of 3 mm with a steel blade or plate in this
finish. Such scraped surfaces can conceal cracks.

Textured cast;
• A textured finish combines sand, cement, lime, and water
with various additions such as fibers and synthetics,
acrylics, and even coloring pigments. For textured interior
décor installation, textured plaster finishes are commonly
used on boundary walls or feature walls.

Special materials used in finishing:

1. Plaster of paris:
• Plaster of Paris is prepared by
heating gypsum crystals. It is a
cheaper solution to the time-
consuming and ecologically
straining process of sand cement
plaster. It is used extensively in
many countries for general building
operations which have the specific
requirements for light weight and Indiamart.com
high fire resistance.
Fig: Plaster of Paris
2. Keen’s cement:
• Plaster of Paris is calcined with alum to get Keene’s cement plaster. It is
white in color and takes few days to set. It provides glass like finish to the
surface.

3. Barium cement:
• Barium cement plaster is
obtained by adding barium
sulphate to the cement and sand
mix. It is used for X-ray room
finishing. It absorbs radiations
from X-ray machines without
effecting the people.

https://www.turraco.com

Fig: Barium cement

4. Acoustical plaster:
• Acoustics plaster is obtained by adding gypsum to the cement mortar. This
is applied in two coats with 6mm
thickness of each coat. Gypsum
undergoes chemical reaction and
form bubbles in the plaster which
absorbs sound. Thus, it is called as
acoustics plaster. Acoustic
plastering material is generally used
in cinema halls, auditoriums etc.
https://www.baswana.com

Fig: Acoustical Plaster

Defects in plaster work:
➢ Cracking:

Cracks are formed on the plastered surface. These cracks can be hairline
cracks which are difficult to notice, or it can be wider cracks which are
easily seen. The development of fine cracks is known as crazing. Cracks
on a plastered surface can be due to thermal movements, discontinuity of
surface, structural defects in the building, faulty workmanship, excessive
shrinkage etc.

https://www.gettyimages.com

Fig; Cracking in plasters

➢ Blowing or blistering of plasters:

Blistering of the plastered surface

occurs when small patches swell out
beyond the plane of the plastered
surface. Blistering is seen in case of
plastered surface inside the building.

Fig: Blistering in plaster (Wikipedia)

➢ Falling out of plasters:

The plaster from some portion of the surface comes off and a patch is
formed. Such formation is termed as peeling and it is mainly due to bond
failure between successive coats of plaster.

Reddit, DIYnot

Fig: Falling out of plasters

➢ Efflorescence:
• Efflorescence is formed on plasters when soluble salts are present in plaster
making materials as well as building materials such as bricks, sand, cement
etc. Even water used in the construction work may contain soluble salts.
• When a newly constructed wall
dries out, the soluble salts are
brought to the surface and they
appear in the form of a whitish
crystalline substance. Such
growth is referred to as
efflorescence and it seriously
affects the adhesion of paint
with the wall surface.
Fig: Efflorescene (Wikipedia)
 Removal of Efflorescene:

• The removal of efflorescence from the face of masonry is generally a

relatively easy operation.
• Most efflorescing salts are water-soluble, and many will disappear of their
own accord with normal weathering. This is especially true of new building
bloom.
• In cases where efflorescence is not removed by normal weathering, it
usually can be removed by dry brushing. Specialty cleaners formulated
specifically for use on brickwork are effective in removing heavy
accumulations or stubborn efflorescence.
• It is important to test all cleaning solutions on a small area prior to full-
scale application. It is usually not advisable to wash efflorescence off the
brickwork except in warm, dry weather, since washing results in the
presence of considerably more moisture, which may bring more salts to the
surface of the brickwork. Special care should be exercised in cleaning new
masonry, since improper procedures and errors can contribute to or cause
efflorescence.
POINTING:
The construction term pointing refers to the finishing of mortar joints in masonry
whether it’s stone or brick. Since mortar often does not have as long a lifespan as
the brick it holds together, it must be periodically removed and
replaced. Repointing is the process of removing deteriorated mortar from the
joints of a masonry wall and replacing it with new mortar. If properly performed,
repointing restores the visual and physical integrity of the masonry, thereby
increasing the longevity of the building envelope and any required building
envelope surveys.

Alllaboutcivil, The constructor

Fig: Pointing

Purpose of pointing:

Preventing water penetration and damage

A crucial advantage of brickwork pointing is its ability to prevent water
penetration. Properly sealing the joints between bricks protects your property
from water damage, such as dampness, mould, and structural decay. For example,
weather-struck pointing is designed to shed water away from the wall, reducing
the risk of water ingress.

Protecting against frost damage

During winter, the freeze-thaw cycle can be detrimental to brick structures. When
water penetrates the brickwork and freezes, it expands, potentially causing bricks
to crack or crumble. Proper pointing helps to reduce the likelihood of water
infiltration, thus protecting your property from frost damage.
Maintaining structural integrity
Pointing is essential for maintaining the structural integrity of your brickwork.
Over time, mortar can deteriorate due to weathering and other factors. This can
weaken the overall structure, potentially causing bricks to become loose or even
collapse. By repointing your brickwork, you ensure that the mortar remains solid
and supportive, helping to keep your property stable and secure.

Extending the lifespan of your brickwork

By investing in regular brickwork pointing, you can significantly extend the
lifespan of your property. Durable, well-maintained mortar joints will protect
your bricks from damage, ensuring they remain in good condition for years.

Advantages of Pointing In Construction:

• Typically, bricks and stones have a longer lifespan than the mortar that
holds it in place. Hence, mortar needs pointing.
• It protects the mortar joints from the weathering impact of the atmosphere
and other external elements.
• It helps seal gaps between the bricks to prevent dampness usually caused
from rainwater penetrating the walls.
• It adds strength and stability to the masonry structure.
• It improves the appearance of walls.

Classification of Pointing:

Cut or waethered or
Flush Pointing struck pointing
V-grooved pointing

Keyed or grooved
Tuck pointing Beaded pointing
pointing
1. Flush pointing:

Flush pointing is a commonly used pointing technique. The process involves

filling the raked mortar with a fresh mortar in a way that it stays flushed between
two bricks or stones. The result is a smooth finish and a visually appealing wall.
Flush pointing eliminates spaces that can collect water and dust.

Fig: Flush pointing (Gharpedia.com)

2. Cut or weathered or struck pointing:

In struck pointing, the mortar between the bricks is pressed in a way that it forms
an incline. A small trowel is held with its pointy edge pressed into the mortar at
the lower edge of the joint. The trowel is drawn across the joint to form struck
pointing. Since the bottom edge of the joint is recessed, the brick below sticks
out.

Fig: stuck pointing (Gharpedia)

3. V-grooved pointing:

The process of V pointing is similar to

that of keyed or grooved pointing.
The only difference is the shape of the
groove. While keyed pointing results
in a rounded groove, V pointing leads
to a V-shaped groove. A V-shaped
tool is used to create the required
effect.

Fig: Grooved pointing

(Gharpedia)

4. Keyed or grooved pointing:

New mortar is filled into the racked
mortar joint. The new mortar is pressed
to form a flush point. A tool, known as
a pointer, is then used to create a groove
in the mortar joint. The grooves cut into
the mortar to lock the bricks or stones in
place.

Fig: Keyed or grooved

pointing (Gharpedia)
5. Tuck pointing:
Tuckpointing, sometimes referred to as
repointing or brick pointing, is a process to
finish or repair mortar joints between
bricks or stones with a narrow ridge of
lime putty or fine lime mortar. It provides
a facelift to the exterior of a building, but
its purpose is more than aesthetic.

Fig: Tuck pointing (Bob Villa)

6. Beaded pointing:
A steel or iron rod which has a concave
edge is pressed into the mortar to create a
beaded mortar joint. The beaded
appearance, although visually appealing,
is relatively more susceptible to damage
since the mortar protrudes out of the two
bricks.

Fig: Beaded pointing

( Gharpedia)

White wash & Color washing:

Whitewash is a type of paint that is made from chalk calcium carbonate (CaCO3)
or slaked lime (calcium hydroxide, Ca(OH)2), commonly known as “whiting.”
Sometimes Various other additives are used.Whitewash can be in any form, such
as calcimine, kalsomine, kalsomine, or lime paint. Generally, whitewashing must
be done on the ceiling before the walls.

https://dailycivil.com/whitewashing-and-color-washing-purpose-application-process/

Fig: White washing and Color washing

Color washing is a process of applying to building materials prepared by adding

coloring pigment to the screened whitewash.
Generally, yellow earth, red ocher and blue vitriol are widely used pigments.
Before mixing these color pigments, they must be crushed and made into powder.