10 minute read
SKILL SET
By Tom Matthews With the right tools, coloring and
texturing techniques, the walls of your home can become works of art.
Gian Carlo Sagasti, founder of Exotic Wall Finishes & Design, uses Venetian Plaster to create beautiful art pieces on interior walls. According to Gian, the goal is to leave your walls looking “sexy,” using a number of decorative wall finishing techniques, including Marmorino, Venetian Plaster, Faux finishes, Lime Paint and Lime Washes, offering matte or textured finishes, shiny polished finishes, and more. Venetian plaster is lime plaster mixed with marble dust, applied as a decorative finish to walls or ceilings using a trowel in thin, multiple layers with a single color which, when compressed and burnished, produces different colors or shades to achieve an artistic effect. The burnishing process creates a smooth surface with the illusion of depth and texture. Marmorino is a lime-based plaster used for both interiors and exteriors. It can be finished in an elegant matte finish or the traditional shiny Venetian plaster finish. The natural composition of Marmorino makes it mildew resistant and waterproof, and its visual effect makes it a great alternative to marble and ceramic tiles.
APPLICATION BASICS
Venetian plaster can be applied to most walls and ceiling surfaces that are flat and smooth. Although porous surfaces work best, modern Venetian plasters contain polymers that adhere
GIVE WALLS AND CEILINGS DEPTH AND CHARACTER.
s High-grade stainless steel trowels are the best tools to a achieve a professional looking finish in Marmorino and Venetian Plaster.
s The blade of the Elite Pro Dual Exotic Trowel from Marmorino Tools has two sides of different sizes that allows you to reach every corner of any surface. to well-prepared drywall. Any cracks or holes in the wall surface should first be filled and sanded. The surfaces should then be primed or covered with flat, water-based paint before you apply the Venetian plaster. Lime-based plasters will require a special primer to protect the walls.
Venetian plaster is sold in home centers and paint-supply stores, or online from many retailers. Some products are sold pre-tinted, but others require additives to achieve your preferred color. Ask or search for ‘Authentic Venetian Plaster’ to find the best materials.
The first thin layer of plaster is typically applied to a wall using a flexible steel trowel similar to a drywall knife. Beginning at one corner of the wall, apply a thin coat of plaster
while working the trowel at a 15- to 30-degree angle to the wall. Apply the plaster with strokes that vary in length and angle for a natural appearance.
You’ll want to keep the surface fairly smooth, and the differentiation between layers will help add to the appearance of depth and texture. Clean the trowel frequently to prevent dried plaster from disrupting your finish.
Let the plaster dry thoroughly (at least four hours) before applying the second coat, just like the first. For a smooth finish, use the same color of plaster for the second and third coat, but hold the trowel at a 30- to 45-degree angle to apply a thinner layer. Use overlapping
WATCH AND LEARN
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(X-shaped) strokes to thoroughly cover the surface and remove any high spots.
You can achieve a highly polished look by burnishing this third last layer as you go, every 3-4 feet. Burnishing is accomplished by using a well conditioned, high-grade stainless steel trowel in long strokes and with steady pressure to compress and polish the surface as it dries.
Add protection to the Venetian plaster surface by applying a top coat. Choose a product that is specifically recommended for whatever brand of plaster you applied. The top coat is often applied with a trowel soon after the plaster has dried. Paste wax used as a top coat can create a sheen and add protection. You can then buff the surface with a clean white cloth or even an electric buffing tool.
A smooth finish isn’t the only option, however. You can use full a range of tools to create certain textured finishes, from rollers with different patterns and notched trowels for a “drag effect” finish—even tools to create a “crocodile skin” appearance. The best way to improve your skills is to purchase some drywall and experiment with various textures, colors and finish techniques before you apply them to your home.
Gian Sagasti has been applying Venetian plaster since 2003 and demonstrates his application techniques through a huge catalog of online videos available on YouTube and Instagram. If you’d like to learn more about applying Venetian plaster, check out Gian’s free how-to videos on YouTube by searching: “Venetian plaster, Exotic Wall Finishes Gian Sagasti.” Plus, Gian’s website offers all the application tools you’ll need to get started at Exoticwallfinishes.com.
H
s Apply the plaster over different complementary color shades to help give the wall or ceiling a three-dimensional appearance.
JOBESSENTIALS
DECK FASTENER ROUNDUP
It’s late in 2020, and we’re all trying to hold it together. Reliable fasteners help to do exactly that. Here’s a look at some of the latest and greatest deck-building fasteners to hold together your next outdoor project.
U2 UNIVERSAL SCREWS
www.u2fasteners.com
Want a “deck screw on steroids?” That’s how U2 Fasteners describes its enhanced Universal Screw, ideal for replacing those old, failing deck screws. Made of case-hardened carbon steel, these self- starting screws feature U2’s trademark Tight Star Recess, so they grip the matching U-bit so tightly they allow for one-handed installation. Underneath the Universal head, special Burrow Pockets are dynamically engineered to help countersink into the toughest of materials. This screw is designed to drive and secure into the many types of materials used in residential construction, and they’re available in sizes ranging from 1/2 to 12 inches, as well as in an assortment of stainless 316 versions.
CAP-SURE CCD SCREWS
www.suredrive.com
For composite decking lovers, Sure Drive USA offers the Cap-Sure Capstock Composite Deck Screws that are color-matched for leading decking suppliers such as Trex, MoistureShield and others. They’re available in 2-1/2 and 3-in. lengths and feature the popular star-drive bit system. The undercut trim head traps loose material, and the top threads push composite material back into the decking, so there’s no “mushrooming” effect.
Sure-Drive also offers Copperguard Deck Screws in tan and redwood colors to match pressure-treated and redwood decking.
CS SCREWS
www.u2fasteners.com
For heavy-duty applications, the U2 Construction Screw (aka the CS Screw) is the next generation of structural screw that is replacing lag screws. It features a dome head for enhanced structural strength, a self-starting tapper point, and “Talon Grip” nibs beneath the head that prevents loosening when countersunk. Plus, the Reamer Thread enlarges the hole in the material to reduce tension on the screw head when drawing materials together. The CS Screw is a gnarly, fast-driving and reliable choice for installing ledger boards, anchoring beams and more.
JOBESSENTIALS DECK FASTENER ROUNDUP
MANTIS CLIPS
www.suredrive.com
When it comes to hidden fasteners in grooved deck boards, Sure-Drive USA offers one of the easiest solutions to install—the Mantis Clip. By using the Eliminator RCS pneumatic tool with its EZ-Slide attachment, you can install the Mantis Clips using Ballistic Nail Screws up to 75 percent faster than conventional methods. (Mantis fasteners can also be installed using standard hand-drive screws.) Made in the USA of high-tensile coated steel, the Mantis Clips come in a choice of four profiles, so you can
choose the best fit for your deck board. And unlike other clips on the market, the Mantis is built with a base that promotes airflow to protect the deck structure. Sure Dive USA is so confident the Mantis Clips prevent lateral movement and uplift that the company backs the installation with a 30-year warranty against loose deck boards.
WATCH AND LEARN
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SHADOE TRACK
www.suredrive.com
Like the Mantis Clips, the Shadoe Track system is also backed by Sure Drive USA’s 30-year warranty against loose deck boards. The HIR staff has re-decked a large project using this unique track-based system, which installs along the upper edge of the joists and fastens to the deck boards from beneath. Note that this system requires installers to have working room beneath the deck surface. Available in powder-coated colors or stainless steel, this versatile system can work with any type of deckboard material.
JOBESSENTIALS DECK FASTENER ROUNDUP
DECK2WALL SPACERS
www.deck2wallspacer.com
The deck-ledger connection is notoriously susceptible to rot, which can dangerously affect the stability and support of the deck. Deck2wall Spacers help prevent rot from occurring by separating the ledger from the supporting structure, providing a path for water and debris to flow harmlessly through the assembly, while promoting circulation and drying. Stacked washers have often been used as spacers over lag bolts, but Deck2wall Spacers have attachment holes to keep them in perfect alignment for faster and easier installation. They offer more bearing surface than washers for better load distribution, and the plastic spacers are non-corrosive. Plus, the onepiece design and installation method provide superior waterproofing. Deck2Wall Spacers also work as a longlasting solution for attaching shade structures, posts, stair stringers, landings, built-up beams or mechanical equipment. Made in the USA, the spacers are injection-molded, fiberglass-reinforced polypropylene, 5/8-in. thick with a 2-1/2-in. diameter and a 11/16-in. bolt hole (use #6-8 corrosion resistant screws in attachment holes).
CAMO EDGE CLIPS
www.camofasteners.com
For hidden fasteners in grooved decking, the CAMO Edge Clips install wood, composite, capped composite and PVC deck boards. The two-component fasteners can be installed in a single pass to create a 3/16-in. gap, and a handy screw guide is included with each box of fasteners. According to CAMO, the Edge Clips are proven to be 88 percent stronger in lateral movement tests than the leading deck board manufacturer’s clips.
To fasten deck boards at an angle over the joists, go with the CAMO EdgeX Clips, which install the same way. Or, you can even install hidden fasteners over metal framing, with the latest CAMO innovation, the EdgeX Metal Clips, which can fasten any angled installation of grooved decking over any 14–18GA metal framing, including Fortress Evolution and Trex Elevations.
WATCH AND LEARN
Click the video image to the left if you are reading our digital magazine at HIRpub.digital.
