Hawk-n-Trowel - Index

Hawk-n-Trowel - Hawk & Trowel - Index

Bingham believes high-end
synthetics off er durability superior to
paint-like artifi cial plasters. An informal
survey of her clients showed that
applications dating back 10 years to the
beginning of her business still look like
they were done yesterday, even in humid
kitchens and bathrooms.
Finally, Bingham prefers the
fi nished result she achieves when she
burnishes a synthetic plaster. “It’s like
compacting a diamond out of coal.
Th e fi nished walls are stunning, with
depth, shine and exquisite nuance.
When I make a marble in plaster it looks
like marble. When I stencil a damask
design into the plaster, the result is as
soft and smooth as fabric. When we
make a Venetian plaster tile it shines
like porcelain. All from the exact same
pot of plaster.” She adds that synthetics
give her a “razor-sharp” stencil line
because they let her start with a mirrorsmooth
surface.
16 ◆ www.Hawk-n-Trowel.com ◆ Spring 2008
A TexSton Marmorino application in white
with two tones of Superglaze on top.
Photo courtesy of TexSton Inc.
While Sickler likes the natural color
variability of lime plaster, he points out
that for customers who want a precise
color, synthetics are simpler to match.
For example, the Briste Group supplies
its SmoothRock Venetian Plaster ST
500 in 38 standard colors. Kolcaustico
claims its plaster can be easily tinted
using universal tints such as Mixol, up
to 10 percent by volume.
Sickler points out that each color
gives synthetics both a light and medium
value. He believes that a natural lime
plaster is required to get a dark color
value. Bingham is working with an
Italian manufacturer of synthetic
plaster to develop a formulation with a
neutral base so that darker values can be
obtained more easily.
Gauthier likes working with both
natural lime and synthetics and says
there are diff erences in the coloration
and fi nished look. “It is harder for
lime plasters to hold strong color,” he
says. “You need a lime-based tint, but
sometimes they don’t have the ‘pop’ of
synthetics. Designers looking for an
architectural stone look will choose
lime. Th ose looking for more sheen,
more pop, will choose synthetics.”
Lime plaster is moisture-permeable so it won’t trap moisture,
and it is naturally mold- and mildew-resistant.
Photo courtesy of TexSton Inc.