Thanks to Steve Manby of Authentic Plaster Effects and Alltex Stucco for submitting video of his crew doing an impressive Tadelakt installation in the Vancouver, BC area. Watch how they create a very natural distressed finish by starting with a strong vertical pattern and gradually backfilling into the pattern. Looks very realistic and organic.
Work was done on about 50 columns total on this impressive home which also features a naturally green, lime based Intonachino application on the exterior.
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Don’t forget the following:
First, make sure after taping and before applying your Venetian plaster that you burnish your tape edges with a plastic putty knife or some other plastic tool. We actually like to cut up old credit cards and keep them in our tool kits.
After taping and burnishing if you are still concerned about your material bleeding through, use a water-based clear sealer and run it lightly over the edge of the tape using the beveled edge of a foam brush. This should seal that edge and stop any material from ruining that nice clean edge on your decorative painting project.
If you are having difficulty removing your tape, try using a hair dryer to lightly heat up the glue and make removal easier.
When applying Venetian plaster or other stucco or Italian plaster products, bleed should not be an issue. However, you may find when trying to remove your tape after applying Marmorino Carrara or similar Venetian plaster finishes that it can’t be removed cleanly due to the thickness of the plaster material. Try running the edge of your plastic putty knife into the seam where the tape edge is. This should help break the bond between the plaster material and the tape so that removal will be easier.
REMEMBER! 3-M blue tape and other similar painter’s tapes are not low-tack tapes. They are a long mask, medium tack tape. Use a lower tack tape to protect delicate surfaces.…
Choose wisely: You can walk into Home Depot and purchase something called “Venetian Plaster” This material can be applied with a spatula and polished to a relatively high sheen. So what’s the big deal about Lime-based plaster anyway? Isn’t it about the same thing? Who cares if it is real or synthetic?
Not Fade Away: While synthetic Venetian plasters made by various paint manufacturers may look somewhat similar to the real thing at first, it’s been our experience that these synthetics will ultimately fade and become “tired” looking over time. This is similar to the way painted walls will fade and lose their fresh look after a few years. Synthetic Venetians are paint, not stone – they are “organic” in the sense they have not finished their life-cycle and will continue to change after application. Authentic mineral plasters are made from stone – lime and marble – they are non-organic and will not change over time.
Linoleum versus stone: We liken it to the difference between putting linoleum on your floor versus stone. Remember, real slaked lime and marble based Venetian plasters are actually composed of stone in the form of crushed limestone and marble. It’s “like applying liquid stone to your walls” we like to tell our customers (excellent selling point), and it makes sense these real Venetian plaster materials retain their luster and vibrancy for decades and longer.
Short term versus long term: True you may save some money in the short term using quote-unquote Venetian plaster. But considering the labor and the time involved, I think the synthetics are generally going to be used by the uneducated applicator/consumer. I say this because it is very rarely that we see anyone turned on to natural plasters go back to the synthetics.…
We like to talk about how our Stucco Italiano Italian Plaster materials are “green”, and many consumers do respond in a positive way to that message. It gets increasingly difficult to separate the facts from the hype when it comes to calling a product green – “greenwashing” is a term I’ve seen used about over-hyping or just plain lying about the environmentally friendly nature of one’s product. More about greenwashing.
Our Stucco Italiano line consists of non-toxic, natural lime plasters. If you work with our materials you can be confident you are offering your customers a natural alternative to acrylic and cement based materials, both of which do not offer the same naturally green characteristics. Pointing these features out is a good place to start a conversation about what kind of wall finishing materials your customer wants in their home.…
5 things you’ve probably heard about Venetian plaster, and why they are wrong:
1. You’ve heard: “Venetian plaster is a faux finish.”
The truth: Authentic Venetian plaster is not a faux finish. In fact, it’s the most authentic veneer wall finish you can have. When natural, lime-based venetian plaster is applied it will eventually return to it’s original state, which is lime and marble, AKA stone.
2. You’ve heard: You can buy Venetian plaster at Lowes or Home Depot.
The truth: You will find products labeled “Venetian plaster,” but they are actually composed of acrylic polymers and fillers such as gypsum and/or clay. While these synthetic Venetian plasters made by paint manufacturers may look somewhat similar to the real thing to the untrained eye, it’s been our experience that these synthetics will ultimately fade and become “tired” looking over a relatively short period of time, just like painted walls. Unlike real Venetian Plaster, synthetic Venetians are more closely related to paint than to stone, so this should come as no surprise.
3. You’ve heard: Venetian plaster can’t be applied in the shower, on exteriors, or on any surface that will get wet.
The truth: True Italian Venetian plaster is actually a wonderful choice for surfaces that will get wet. Lime plasters perform extremely well in wet climates by simply allowing any water that is absorbed into the plaster to quickly evaporate and exit the structure. That’s why they’re called Venetian plaster, because they can tolerate rising damp and canal-side applications like in the lagoons of Venice that would cause failure in acrylic and cement plasters. Traditional Moroccan lime plaster Tadelakt has been used in the Hammams (the traditional Moroccan steam baths), and in the riads of Marrakesh for centuries.
4. You’ve heard: Anyone can apply Venetian plaster in their home.
The truth: Well, it’s true that anyone can apply it. But applying it well is a different story. While we definitely aren’t saying you’ll be a pro after one day, our new Introduction to Authentic Venetian Plaster is a good place for a beginner to start understanding the do’s and dont’s of Venetian plaster application. Also, consider hiring a skilled contractor to do the job.
5. You’ve heard: Installing Venetian plaster in your home will break the bank.
The truth: Unlike paints which must be reapplied over and over, Venetian plaster is a lifetime finish. The material is self-healing, much less likely to crack than cement finishes, and naturally mold-resistant, resulting in beautiful walls that will withstand the test of time. Green building will be a key part of America’s economic future, and authentic Venetian plasters are not only beautiful, they fit perfectly into the future of green building.
6. You’ve heard: Venetian plaster is really shiny.
The truth: OK that’s 6 things not 5 you caught me. Yes, Venetian plaster can be brought up to a natural high sheen by compressing the material as it dries. The more compression, the higher the sheen. However, natural lime plasters can also be finished to a rustic matte or satin sheen, depending on which material is used and how it is applied. The possible looks and finishes for Venetian plaster are limitless!
Got any more questions about Venetian plaster? Ask away in the comments and we’ll do our best to shed some light on the subject. …
Stucco Italiano is a member of the US Green Building Council. Naturally high in pH, lime finishes act as an anti-bacterial surface, neutralizing the development of organic substances such as mold and fungus.
Non-toxic and green, our lime plasters are ideal for interiors or exteriors. A breathable system, our lime plasters allow water vapor to permeate freely so moisture evaporates quickly, unlike acrylic finishes which can trap moisture inside the wall.
