Plastering surfaces is an integral part of the decoration of the room. The final result of the repair depends on how well it will be performed. If you do all the work with your own hands, you should know which sand is best for plastering walls.
Choosing a filler for plastering walls
Sand can be called a universal material, as it has found its application in all construction works. As you know, it can be river and career. Experts differ on the issue of choosing the right sand for plastering. Some say that the river is preferable, since it does not contain foreign impurities, clay and foreign rubbish. This results in a better solution and strong adhesion to the wall surface. Others believe that the presence of clay particles in the material from the quarry gives the mixture plasticity, so it is easier to apply to the substrate.
If you are doing ordinary repairs in an apartment, then a quarry filler is quite suitable. It turns out that one type of filler makes the solution durable, and the other makes it easy to use. Which one you choose - decide for yourself depending on your needs.
It is strongly not recommended to use sand filler, which contains dust, clay and silt impurities. It should be free of lumps and clean. To do this, the material must first be sieved.
Quarry and river sand
The choice of filler depends on the thickness of the layer to be applied.
For finishing work with a thin layer, it is best to use river sand. Compared to other types of this material, it is environmentally friendly. It is mined from the bottom of the river by a dredger. In such a sandy aggregate there are no clay grains, and there are practically no stones. With an average particle size of up to 2.2 mm, it does not shrink, which makes it possible to use it for plastering walls and masonry.
If a rough finish of the walls is expected in a thick layer, then the material of river origin is not recommended. As a result of many years of exposure to water, sharp edges have been erased on the grains of sand. And so it consists of small smooth balls that do not adhere well to the base and to each other.
Quarry sand can provide a more durable coating with good adhesion. This ensures a long service life of the finish. It owes its origin to weathering. Quarry sand is formed from quartz rocks, mica and feldspar. It is mined by open pit mining. The cost of such a filler is much lower than that of a river one. When buying a plaster material, do not forget to check whether it has been washed or cleaned.
Types of filler for cement-sand mortar
Sand aggregate is divided into types according to the size of grain fractions:
- coarse-grained with a grain size of 2 to 4 mm;
- medium fraction with a grain size of 0.5 to 2 mm;
- fine fraction with a grain size of 0.25 to 0.5 mm.
For do-it-yourself wall plastering with a cement-sand mortar, medium-fraction sand is usually used. It must be of high quality, without impurities. The extent to which the layer will lie down uniformly and smoothly depends on the size of the sand grains. The smaller they are, the easier it will be for you to work with the solution. It is perfect for finishing floors or walls. For the first (rough) layer of plaster, coarse sand is used. To prepare the plaster mortar, it is worth purchasing already cleaned and sifted sand.
It is important to know that even with high roughness, the finer it is, the more binders and water are needed to envelop it.
How to sift sand?
In order to properly and efficiently sift the material for the cement-sand mortar, you will need a large sieve or a wooden frame on which you can stretch a mosquito net. If the volume of sand filler is small, then the usual cut of unnecessary tulle is quite suitable. Sand for preparing a mortar for plastering walls must be dry. But if it contains clay impurities, then it must be washed, and then wait until it dries completely.
- Install the sieve on the container into which the sand will be poured.
- Pour the sand slowly in the form of a slide and then it will sort itself by size. The smallest one will be on top. It's great for grouting.
- Throwing sand filler with a shovel is necessary from yourself. With this method, fine sand will lie closest, larger sand away, and pebbles will fly off to the side.
- If there is wind, you can use its help. In this case, the sand is poured out from a slightly raised container or thrown up with a shovel. Small will be the farthest.
GOST standards
Not only various goods, but also natural materials are subject to standards and norms. To find out if a sand quarry filler meets the requirements of GOST, there are various checks.
The grain composition of the sand filler is determined according to GOST 8736-93. To do this, it is sieved through sieves with cells of different sizes: 0.16; 0.315; 0.63; 1.25; 2.5 and 5 mm.
Also determine the resistance of sand to the influence of alkalis. This requirement must be taken into account in the manufacture of concrete. There is a list of minerals that cannot be used for building mixtures.
According to GOST 8735, quarry building sand is always treated for sampling with a solution of NaOH (sodium hydroxide). This is a test for the presence of organic impurities. As a result of the test, he will not change the color of the mixture to a darker one or that matches the sample.
The cost of sand aggregate for plaster
When making repairs, people usually try to immediately make an estimate of the cost of buying building materials. The cost of sand is relatively low, but when taking into account all the costs, do not forget about investing in its purchase.
You should know that the higher the price of the material, the more actions were done with it during washing and extraction. One of the economical options would be career not washed and not seeded. Its cost per 1 m3 ranges from 350 to 450 rubles. Sand filler sifted or cleaned with water for construction work will cost from 600 to 750 rubles per 1 m3 + delivery.
The cost of river sand is much higher than quarry sand. The cost of its purchase will be from 800 to 1000 rubles per 1 m3.
The most expensive material is fractionated quartz filler. A purchase from 10 tons with delivery will cost about 4800 rubles per 1 m3.
