04 May Textured plaster solutions

Polished plaster has a beautiful finish, but it isn’t desirable in every setting. Sometimes a room calls for textured plaster solution, perhaps to create an industrial vibe, or to create a contrast between a polished or wooden floor and walls.

Unlike a polished finish, a textured finish plays with the light and can appear to be a completely different wall under different lighting. This is why interior designers love playing around with lighting and texture. With the simple flick of a switch, or the opening of a blind, we can create a unique, special ambience.   

Whereas polished plaster is smooth and flat and glossy, textured plaster is the very opposite. By nature, it can’t be polished or glossy. The whole point is to ‘rough’ it up and add interesting texture to the finish itself.

Aggregate plaster

Texture can be achieved in a number of different ways, and it is not always necessary to cut into plaster or sponge over it to develop texture. By introducing aggregates to the plaster mix we can add texture without mechanical intervention.

Aggregate plaster at it is called offers a rough and textured finish. It is most often seen on the exterior of buildings as a cement, but so long as the aggregates are fine, it can be applied to interior walls as plaster. The benefit of this type of textured plaster is the effect is profound: the finish is highly textured and noticeably so. Common Aggregates include natural stone chips, grits, marble powder and plastic beads. Recycled plastics are also being used to bring an eco-friendly aspect to interior design.

Different colours can also be achieved by mixing in aggregates. This is something offered with plasters like Marmorino.

Mechanical texture

When you hear the word ‘mechanical’ you probably think of a car engine, but in this case we’re referring to adding texture to plaster by hand. Adding texture to plaster by hand can be achieved in a number of creative ways.

The simplest one is to sponge on texture by running a damp sponge over the wet plaster. This gives the plaster a matted appearance, similar to the look and feel of sandstone. Another simple way to add texture is to roll it on with a roller. This doesn’t provide what we would call repeatable results, but that’s the whole point: the texture is random and obvious, giving the plaster an interesting appearance.

Other ways to add texture include using a rake, a comb, a knife, a brush, a trowel or any everyday object that isn’t paper. If a woodgrain is desired, you can actually get woodgrain tools which are made from plastic or metal. In fact, there are a wide range of texture tools on the market which offer a simple way to get the job done.

Remember – quality tells with texture

So, there are a wide range of ways to add texture to plaster walls. However, as with any plastering job, there is little margin for error. This is especially true of textured plaster because a bad job is impossible to put right without starting again. You can’t skim over it and go again. It has to come off.

Patterns and texture need to have some repeatability, and this is the hardest thing to create as an amateur. The end result is often a wall that doesn’t look right as you look across it or plays with light in the wrong way.

It’s time to call in a professional when the texture you desire needs to be repeated and perfect. Interested in textured plaster for one of your projects? Call us on 0772 548 8669 for advice or send us a message here to get started.