When performing repairs in an apartment, one of the important stages is the decoration of the walls. Before applying the finishing material, it is often required that the surface be perfectly even. In this case, expensive wallpaper or paint look especially attractive. At the same time, various small indentations or bumps can spoil the impression of the most beautiful coatings. Therefore, before final surface treatment, they try to perform leveling walls with putty.
Is it possible to level the walls only with putty? This is possible only in the case of smooth concrete walls that do not have significant flaws. Of course, if the defects are very large, then use drywall finishing or plaster. These types of wall alignment are used at the initial stage of surface treatment, which is previously cleaned of old material.
It is necessary to putty after removing significant shortcomings of the apartment walls. This is almost the finishing part of the repair, after which it remains only to glue the wallpaper or paint.
To perform the work, you can invite a team of professional masters. However, many home craftsmen can do just fine without paid help, while saving a tidy sum of money.
wall plastering cost
In Moscow, the prices for puttying walls are approximately the following:
- putty for wallpaper in 2 layers - from 220 rubles. for 1 sq. m;
- puttying walls for painting in 3 layers - from 300 rubles. for 1 sq. m;
- drywall putty - from 250 rubles. for 1 sq. m.
In St. Petersburg, the minimum price for wall putty is 180 rubles. for 1 sq. m, in the regions, prices for puttying services are quite different, sometimes reaching the level of the capital.
Note! The cost of wall puttying, indicated in the price lists of construction companies, in most cases does not include related work, such as preliminary priming, grinding. Each of these works costs separately from 50 rubles. for 1 sq. m, so be careful when calculating the cost of your repair.
Tools and materials
Do-it-yourself wall alignment requires preliminary preparation of tools and materials.
To complete this task you will need:
- Dry mixes or ready-made solutions of putties of various types.
- Drill with mixing nozzle in case of buying powdered material.
- Container for the finished solution.
- Spatulas - small (15–20 cm), large (45–60 cm), angular.
- Bar wrapped with fine-grained sandpaper.
- Level, as a rule, a plumb line to check the evenness of the walls.
The choice of putty mixture
To align the walls, there are several types of putties. They differ both in purpose and composition. Different manufacturers have their own special components that give the finished solutions certain qualities.
In general, it is possible to distinguish mixtures intended for pre-treatment, as well as for finishing. There are also universal solutions.
Which mixture is best suited for the repair of a particular room? It all depends on the quality of the solution being created.
The composition of the material can be:
- plaster;
- polymeric;
- cement.
Which type is suitable must be determined in each case.
- In order to level the walls with putty in the bathroom or in other rooms with high humidity, a cement mixture is usually chosen. However, due to the possibility of strong shrinkage and the appearance of cracks, it is used for the rough layer.
- Gypsum solutions can be used both for primary, rough, layers, and for fine finishing. They do not shrink, but are suitable only for rooms with low humidity and the absence of sudden changes in temperature.
- Polymer mixtures containing many different specific additives that improve the quality of the material are usually referred to as universal coatings. They can be used for both roughing and finishing. They are also beneficial in that when using them, you can work without haste (the finished solution dries out only after a day).
Having decided on the qualitative composition of the mixture, add a small amount of water corresponding to the information on the package.
Note! Dry mixes are lighter, so they are more convenient to store and transport. Ready-made solutions have the best qualities.
Leveling walls with putty requires careful preparation. The material created after adding water should have a creamy appearance.
Important! Be sure to take into account that the prepared solution dries very quickly, so it is better to mix in small portions, noting the time of their use.
Wall preparation
The walls are cleaned of old coatings - wallpaper, paint, old putty.
Before applying a layer of putty, it is imperative to prime the surface with a deep penetration compound. The primer improves the adhesion of the leveling mixture to the wall, strengthens the surface, filling small cracks. The primer mixture is most conveniently applied with a roller. It is possible to level the walls with putty after 6-10 hours, when the surface is completely dry.
Independent execution of operations
Beginners who start puttying with their own hands can find many recommendations on the Internet, many of which are presented in the video.
Each stage of work consists of two steps:
- checking the evenness of the wall;
- applying a leveling layer.
By applying a broad rule, the size of the gaps is checked. These holes will need to be filled with the starting putty mixture, so you need to mark them with a pencil. The rule must be applied in different directions - vertically, horizontally and diagonally.
Note! If most of the protrusions are located horizontally, then the movements during puttying should be horizontal, if vertically, the spatula must be moved from bottom to top in the first stage.
What is the best way to level a wall with putty?
- With a small spatula, the mixture is applied to a large one, distributed evenly and with effort. Often, professionals recommend using a tool at least 45 cm wide to quickly and accurately level walls.
Attention! You need to start puttying from the corner. To remove neat corners, it is convenient to use a special corner spatula.
- Movements are carried out in two directions: vertically and horizontally.
- Sometimes experts advise applying one layer strictly from top to bottom, the other - from left to right. Moreover, the masters, explaining to beginners how to level the walls, recommend creating two or three draft layers and the same amount for finishing. Whether it is necessary to strictly adhere to such rules, everyone can determine from their own experience, however, when doing work for the first time, it is better to follow the recommendations.
- After spreading the putty on the wall, the remaining material is removed from the spatula. After each movement vertically or horizontally, a little solution is added.
- Each new movement overlaps with the previously applied mortar.
- After processing a plot of about 0.5 sq. m, it is necessary to attach a rule to the surface and stretch it from top to bottom to remove excess material.
- It is required to wait until the wall, leveled with the first layer, dries well. This may take up to 2 days.
- Then, with a clean spatula or a bar wrapped in sandpaper, they are carried along the wall, removing the formed tubercles and grouting the surface. This can be done with a special grater.
- Next, the evenness of the surface is checked again.
- Alignment of walls with a special finishing putty is the final step. It is carried out when an almost ideal flat surface is achieved according to the principles described earlier.
A Few Tips
Here are some helpful tips to help make your job easier.
- Dry mixes are cheaper than ready-made solutions, but when combined with water, they dry out faster. Therefore, it is desirable to know how much material to use at a time.
- You can check the evenness of the walls with a thread stretched diagonally.
- With a long break in the puttying process, before applying the solution to the next area, it is necessary to moisten the edge of the already treated area with water.
The technology for performing the work is simple, but requires a careful and accurate attitude. It is necessary to foresee all the little things in advance.
