Cement putties are widely used in modern construction and renovation activities. Before we discuss them specifically, it is appropriate to clarify what cement is and what putty is.
CEMENT IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT BUILDING MATERIALS
Generally speaking, cement is a type of building material with binding properties. It is powdery and is obtained by the fine grinding of cement clinker and raw gypsum together.
Today, cement is one of the most important construction materials. It is used to produce mortars and concrete products, concrete and reinforced concrete structures.
In construction practice, cement is understood as the so-called Portland cement, since it is the most widely used type of cement. Portland cement is a hydraulic binder - when mixed with water, it forms a plastic mass, which hardens after aging and has the ability to increase and maintain its strength. The durability of the resulting product and the relatively low costs of its production are a prerequisite for such a wide use of cements in construction.
Cement has no independent (individual) application, but it is an important starting component for the production of many composite materials based on it: mortars, various types of concrete, dry building mixes. The properties of these new materials directly depend on and are formed on the basis of the properties of cement - from the mixing of the starting ingredients to the subsequent bonding and formation of cement stone.
HOW IS CEMENT MADE?
Portland cement is obtained by co-grinding Portland cement clinker and gypsum (up to 5%). Often in practice, mineral additives such as trass, volcanic tuffs, granulated blast furnace slag, limestone, thermal power plant ashes or microsilica powder are added to achieve certain goals. Clinker, which is the main raw material for cement production, is obtained by firing a finely dispersed mixture of limestone and clay and other materials – marls, pyrite stubs, blast furnace slag and others.
Portland cement clinker is the main component of cement (with a content in cement between 50 and 100%). For the production of clinker, natural rock materials are mainly used, which after crushing and grinding form the raw material mixture. Usually this mixture has approximately the following composition: 70% limestone, 20% marl and bottom ash, 10% corrective additives - mainly iron-containing material, sand. The raw materials required for production are extracted in open quarries.
WHEN IS PUTTY APPLIED?
Today, there are modern materials for making masonry, walls and better quality formwork. Thick lime plasters are increasingly used at the expense of thin-layer decorative plasters. Modern plastering materials make the work so much easier, and among other things, the plaster made in this way is of high quality. This is additionally guaranteed by the reliability of the materials. Among the main advantages of the new materials is the simplified preparation of the solution. It is guaranteed to obtain a solution that has optimal qualities for applying the plaster.
Putty is the last finishing coat before painting. It aims to straighten even the smallest curves on the walls. The thickness of the putty should not exceed 10 mm.
Putties are designed to achieve geometrically straight and perfectly smooth walls and ceilings. Depending on their composition, they can be used in dry or damp rooms.
Puttying is almost always necessary if the wall is to be painted or wallpapered. The adhesion of wallpaper to a smooth and sanded surface is better, and the bond between the base, glue and wallpaper is stronger. The absorbency of a putty wall is even and the wallpaper sticks well. If the wall is not puttyed and especially if the wallpaper is thin, the roughness and stains on the base will show through. When the surface of the walls is of good quality or the wallpaper is dense, thick and embossed, puttying may not be necessary.
TYPES OF PUTTY
Putties are dry mixtures, diluted in water or ready-to-use paste-like substances. There are two types of putties - leveling and finishing. Leveling is intended for preliminary leveling of the surface and filling of larger cracks and holes.
Most often, dry putties are based on gypsum or cement, modified with polymers and various chemical additives. They increase their adhesion properties (the adhesion between particles), guarantee uniform drying and elasticity of the entire layer.
HOW IS THE PUTTING MIXTURE PREPARED?
The putty mixture is gradually poured into a pre-measured amount of cold water and mixed using an electric mixer until a homogeneous mixture is obtained. It is left to mature for 10 minutes and mixed again. It is recommended to mix at a speed between 400 and 800 revolutions per minute, so as not to introduce air into the mixture. The consistency of the mixture is taken into account in the specific conditions, but it is mandatory that it be the same for the entire work site.
The thickness of the first layer to be applied should not exceed 10 mm. The layer should be elastic. This helps to prevent the surface from shrinking and cracking after drying. The next layer of finishing putty is no more than 1-2 mm. The total thickness of the two layers should not be greater than that allowed for a given brand of putty. Preparation for application, as well as the characteristics of the types of putty, are described in the instructions of each manufacturer. After preparing the mixture, different putties are suitable for application in different periods of time (open time). With a longer open time, premature drying does not occur. There is enough time for work, there is no need to prepare new portions frequently and the material consumption is reduced.
WHAT TOOLS ARE NEEDED FOR PUTTING?
For a smooth and quick application of putty, it is recommended to use a stainless steel trowel and spatula. To level the inner corners, a special trowel with two perpendicular planes is used. The outer corners are formed by applying putty first on one side, and then making a final leveling on the other side with a regular trowel.
HOW IS PUTTY MADE?
Putty is applied in an even and thin layer to the base. It is necessary before the final coating, whether it is paint or wallpaper.
It starts with priming - a preparatory operation that ensures the uniformity of the base and facilitates the application of the next coating. The synthetic resins contained in the primer strengthen the bonds between the individual particles and thus strengthen the base. The applied layer with a putty knife or a putty knife forms a fine coating that reduces the absorbency of the base. After the primer has dried, which takes about 4-6 hours, you can proceed to applying the first layer of putty.
There are also certain requirements when mixing dry building mixtures. Depending on their type and purpose, they are mixed at slower or faster speeds. When the mixture is mixed slowly, air is not introduced into the material, and so when it is applied to the base for which it is intended, it is smooth and easy to work with. A very important condition for achieving a good final result is also the maturation of the mixture. After initially mixing with water, some of the ingredients of dry building mixtures are not activated immediately. They need some time to remain under the influence of water and air. This time is different for different products and manufacturers strictly mark it on the packaging. In order for the mixture to reach its best performance, it must be mixed again. Only then can the actual work begin - applying the mixture to the surface. With a putty knife or trowel, material is placed on one end of the trowel. With light pressure, starting from the bottom up, the material is spread. This can be done more than once. Once enough material has been applied, the plastering process begins. The trowel is cleaned with the putty so that no material remains on it. Then, with circular movements at an angle of 30° in one direction only, the wall is smoothed. After the first leveling layer of the putty has dried, all irregularities on the wall are leveled and sanded with sandpaper.
Brush off the dust from the wall to ensure better adhesion between the two layers and then apply the second finishing layer. For the final plastering, a new cement plaster is used. It is designed for smoothing the surfaces of walls and ceilings indoors. The maximum layer thickness is 2 mm. When mixing this mixture, the same rules apply as for the previous plaster – mix at slow speed and wait about 5 minutes.
HOW IS CEMENT PUTTY APPLIED?
Cement putty is very well known to the Bulgarian consumer, as it is traditionally used for plastering interior wall and ceiling surfaces, as well as exterior walls. This putty is a little rougher than other types that can be found on the market, but at the same time it is a good base for laying before applying plaster, for plastering interior walls and wet rooms, for plastering chimneys, for "spraying" ceilings and plastering exterior walls.
As the name of the putty suggests, it is made on the basis of cement and is available in two colors - gray and white.
How is cement putty applied?
1. Applying cement putty begins with preparing the base that will be puttyed, which is most often done by applying a suitable primer.
2. The next step is to properly mix the putty with water. Usually, three parts of the powdered cement putty are mixed with one part of water and stirred with a suitable stirrer until a homogeneous mixture is obtained. It is recommended to leave the resulting mixture to rest for 10 - 15 minutes, after which it is good to repeat the stirring again.
3. The application of the putty is done using a putty knife or a stainless steel trowel.
IMPORTANT! DO NOT DELAY APPLYING TERACOL!
When working with TERACOL - cement putty, it is good to keep in mind that the putty must be applied immediately, since once mixed, the mixture can be used for a relatively short period (depending on the temperature), after which it loses its technical characteristics!
Before use, read the manufacturer's instructions for the exact proportions of water that must be added to obtain a homogeneous mixture ready for plastering walls and ceilings.
WHAT DO WE OFFER?
With us you will find cement putties by WEBER, BAUMIT, CERESIT, BORO in different sizes. The popular TERACOL by BORO is available in 25 kg bags in two colors - gray and white. It is used for puttying ordinary external walls and smooth cast concrete surfaces, chimneys, ceilings, wet rooms. It has excellent water and frost resistance and may not be painted. The putty is plastic when working. It has excellent adhesion to smooth substrates. The consumption rate is 0.5 - 2.0 kg / sq. m at 1 mm thickness of the putty (depending on the method of application).
The prices are affordable.
