Plaster slopes are one of the most popular types of finishing, especially after installing plastic windows.
This will require not only skill in performing the work, but also the correct selection of materials and tools.
What features distinguish the application of plaster and what should be taken into account when choosing this method?
Should I choose plastering of window elements?
The complexity of the job depends on a number of factors:
complexity of geometry;- the amount of work to be done;
- use of manual or machine plaster;
- thickness of the plaster layer;
- hiring professionals or doing the work yourself.
Plaster slopes are becoming one of the simplest and most cost-effective options for finishing the space next to plastic windows. It should be borne in mind that the coating must be renewed periodically. Even with careful use, defects or minor damage may appear on the surface.
Requirements
First of all, it is necessary to carry out high-quality preparatory work. First, check the evenness of the surface using beacons. If it is insufficient, we make even slopes.
Next, check the quality of the coating :
- Slopes and corners must be cleaned of dirt, traces of dust, and grease stains.
- Concrete sagging is cut off in an even layer.
- The joints of the wall masonry are jointed, which ensures optimal adhesion.
- Remove any protruding salts.
Important point! Prepare the plaster mixture in full accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations.
It is better to choose ready-made formulations, as they have an optimal ratio of components. The work is carried out using a spatula and a rule; the evenness of the coating is constantly checked.
Advantages of the plastering method of finishing slopes
It is unfair to consider the method of plastering slopes hopelessly outdated. Modern technologies greatly facilitate finishing work and enable home craftsmen to do everything themselves. Difficulties when working with plaster mixtures arise extremely rarely.
This is a classic, one of the familiar materials that is easy to work with. If you follow the technology, you don’t have to worry about the result. Plastered surfaces are durable, moisture-resistant and environmentally friendly.
External slopes are designed in different ways. In addition to plaster for external decoration and insulation, they use:
- metal;
- sandwich panels;
- drywall;
- tree;
- lime;
- PVC panels;
- stone.
These are the most popular materials, each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. Plaster slopes are chosen by those who value durability and visual appeal. This material is time-tested and is associated with reliability. Plus, it is affordable and the costs of arrangement will be minimal.
If installation work is carried out correctly, the joints will remain invisible. The plaster solution fills all cracks and crevices, which ensures structural integrity, high-quality sound absorption and waterproofing. This material is resistant to mechanical stress, easy to repair and update. It can be painted, varnished, and decorated with decorated elements.
What types are used?
Manufacturers offer various plaster options for finishing slopes. This allows you to achieve the necessary external effect, increase the strength characteristics, and ensure reliable fixation of the mixture on the surface, depending on the location of application of the composition:
- Decorative plaster mainly for interior finishing of slopes. The composition includes various fillers that can convey the effect of wood fibers.
To give the appearance of a stone surface, artificial granules or natural marble chips are added. This composition is relevant as a finishing layer, suitable for application to the surface of concrete or brick. - Gypsum mortar relevant for residential premises when interior decoration is intended. The composition is easy to use even for people without experience. The material adheres easily to the surface.
- Cement mortar Suitable for use outdoors as well as indoors for wet rooms. Provides resistance to atmospheric influences, as well as increased moisture resistance.
Advice from professionals
Every business requires practical experience. Therefore, advice from craftsmen who perform finishing work professionally is especially valuable. Here's what professional finishers advise:
- When leveling the plaster, do not pull the rule in one direction. If you move it along a zigzag line, the surface will be smoother.
- When installing a corner, it is better to cut off the edge, which will be adjacent to the main wall at 45°. This way the coal will not rise up during subsequent work.
We also recommend watching the video carefully. Having seen all the stages of the work clearly, you will understand much better how to finish the slopes with your own hands.
Finishing the slopes is an important stage, the quality of which directly determines the service life of the door. But if you study the technology and prepare everything you need, you can do it yourself even with minimal finishing skills.
TOP mixtures for external and internal application
Which one is better can be found out from the TOP list of plaster compositions for application outside and inside the house on window slopes:
- Gypsum plaster Knauf Rotband. The composition is used to perform internal work on leveling slopes. This is a lightweight composition that ensures a strong connection to the base. The cost of 5 kg of the mixture is 173 rubles.
- Gypsum plaster Bergauf Aqua Putz. The composition is suitable for internal treatment of slopes in premises. Can be applied to drywall, brick, aerated concrete blocks and concrete. A mixture of 25 kg costs 315 rubles.
- Decorative plaster VOLMA Decor is presented to create unusual textured effects. The composition includes fractions measuring 0.2 mm. The cost is 368 rubles per 12 kg.
- Cement plaster VOLMA Aquacanvas. Can be applied to ceramic bricks, concrete and aerated concrete blocks. The mixture is suitable for both interior and exterior use. The price is 317 rubles for a volume of 25 kg.
- Universal mixture “Stone Flower M150”. The composition is intended for plastering slopes both indoors and outdoors. The cost is 113 rubles per 25 kg.
Note. The exact choice depends on the location of application, microclimate parameters of the room or the possibility of performing external work.
Tools and Supplies
For high-quality plastering of window slopes, you need to prepare a complete set of tools :
- A building level, the length of which is at least one meter.
- Spatula for smoothing out imperfections in the coating.
- A rule used to level the applied layer.
- Plaster float and smoother.
- Drill with mixer attachment.
- Sealed container for preparing the solution.
You will also need a high-quality plaster composition. For residential premises, gypsum or decorative plaster is used, and for external treatment - cement.
How to prepare the composition?
When preparing the composition, it is necessary to act in strict accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations .
The composition includes important components - water, filler and binder.
If you plan to prepare cement mortar, add one part cement and three parts sand .
Water is added to the composition to give the required consistency, which should not be too thick or thin. For gypsum mortar, use one part lime to 0.3 parts gypsum component.
Sequencing
Knowing the rules of plastering will help you level the doorway. Follow the diagram:
- A little solution to make it more liquid. Apply it to the base so that the next layer adheres better to the surface.
- Place the square flush with the window frame to draw a line on the window sill. Similar actions are performed at the top. Plastering is accompanied by drilling holes for the next fixation.
If the structure does not have a window sill or the frame is made of wood, you need to place a square against the edge of the glass unit to make a mark at the bottom. For the left and right edges, the rule is set aside by 7 cm to avoid mistakes. This will create a nice "calculation angle".
Installation features
Special attention is paid to preparatory activities:
- You need to make sure that the surface is level. Cleaning is carried out from debris, dust, grease stains, as well as traces of polyurethane foam.
- Window slopes can be plastered by hand yourself. To ensure high-quality and even surface coverage, it is necessary to achieve a temperature of at least +5 degrees for several days.
- The solution is applied to the plane using a spatula, and then leveled until a thin layer is formed. If this is not enough, additional material is applied. The plaster is kept on the surface for a short time, after which the excess is removed.
- Small irregularities are removed using a special sponge. Finishing work is carried out using a wide spatula.
Note! Specialists often perform surface plastering by machine. These actions are relevant if it is necessary to treat slopes in office and industrial premises where a large amount of work is required.
How to plaster slopes on windows:
Difficulties and errors
It is better to entrust the work to specialists, since in the process a number of mistakes can be made, which are made for the following reasons :
- Incorrect window installation. It is necessary to check all work, especially if it is performed by invited specialists. If the window structure has defects, this may affect further processing of the slopes. The problem must be corrected immediately, because further handling may cause damage to the treated surface.
- Inconsistency with temperature conditions. If the work is performed using a gypsum composition, the temperature level should be at least 10 degrees. When choosing a cement mortar, it is important to maintain a temperature regime of up to 5 degrees.
- Damage to the electrical cable. This is not always an obvious problem, but wiring is often located in concrete walls. It is better to replace the cable in advance, and then resort to plastering work. Otherwise, processing will have to be performed twice, which will result in additional costs.
Note. An important point is the choice of high-quality material and tools, as well as consistent adherence to the instructions.
Technology of work using sandwich panels
Installation of panels for finishing window slopes is carried out using the following tools:
- construction knife;
- U-shaped plastic profile;
- screwdriver and screws;
- liquid glue.
General scheme for using insulation and sandwich panels
The finishing process will consist of the following stages:
- We measure the top sides and sides of the opening. Use a knife to cut off excess mounting foam from the joints of the windows.
- We clean the surface of contaminants and cover the surfaces with an antifungal composition.
- To avoid tilting, it is necessary to drill grooves for dowels. Closer to the edges of the slopes we screw in self-tapping screws - four at the top, left and right.
- Further work can be carried out in two ways. In the first case, based on the measurements made in step 1, we cut out three plates from the starting profile. First, the top profile is attached, and then the side ones. The “P” type profile is attached along the edge of the window opening using self-tapping screws. The gaps between fastenings are 15 cm.
- In the second case, the starting profile is not applied. We bring the cut strips of panels to the window opening by 1 cm. We fix the panels by filling the niche with polyurethane foam. It is better to foam in several approaches.
- If the first method was chosen, now you need to insert the sandwich panel into the upper starting profile. We cut the main profile into four parts so that the length of each of them is equal to the width of the window opening. We insert these parts into the side profile, in the upper and lower parts of the window. The result should be a letter “P” lying on its side. We fasten this structure with self-tapping screws.
- We make a similar design on the other side of the window.
Sectional view of a slope with a sandwich panel
For better aesthetics, you need to use an “F” type profile, which is attached as follows:
- we cut strips with a length 50 mm longer than the width and height of the window opening;
- snap F-profiles onto the cut edges;
- in corner places the strips are overlapped;
- we draw a cutting line for the edging and trim along this line;
- we process the joints using liquid plastic (not sealant);
- fill the voids between the wall and the panels with foam;
- after the foam has dried, remove its excess;
- We fasten the F-profile prepared in the previous stages.
If you need visual instructions on how to finish window slopes, the video below will tell you about all the unclear points in more detail.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=v0QCUdJ8Mo4
Advantages and disadvantages
When plastering window slopes correctly, the following advantages can be identified :
High-quality protection against cracking.
When finishing, you can fill all the unevenness and small recesses with the help of a plaster mixture. Such measures prevent the destruction of the wall.- Creating smooth slopes. Plaster can cover any distortions and irregularities and create a more aesthetically attractive appearance.
- Compliance with the chosen design. The plaster can be painted in any suitable shade. As a result, the surface matches the decorative design of the nearest walls or stands out against their background.
- Simple repair. If cracks appear on the previously applied coating or the layer begins to peel off, it is enough to plaster the slopes again. The interior is being updated and the design of the room is being transformed.
You can also highlight some disadvantages of plaster slopes. First of all, it will not be possible to perform additional thermal insulation. In cold weather, the walls become supercooled, especially if cold air passes through the openings. Over time, the plaster begins to crumble, which happens due to wetting or a sudden change in temperature.
