A Brief Insight into Plaster and Some of its Properties

The use of plaster can be traced back to the period of the Roman Empire when they were used to create different types of models and artifacts. Plaster is considered to be one of the most widely used materials when it comes to making decorative pieces. Apart from that, you can also design your cornices with the plaster, and install dome decorative plaster products on your wall and ceiling. However, they are primarily used for making different types of decorative items. You can find different types of decorative plaster products online and you can choose the best products for your home improvement. As a matter of fact, you can start making items out of plaster at home. It is fun and quite an easy procedure. 

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What is plaster?

Plaster is a type of material which is being commonly used for a decorative or protective coating on the ceilings and walls. Besides, they are also molded and cast to create different types of decorative items. As far as decorative plaster products are concerned, they are mainly used for internal use as plasters can get affected by an excessive amount of heat and rainfall. 

What makes plaster so popular?

There is one important property of plaster that makes it so popular when it comes to making different types of items. It is the fact that plasters do not shrink or get cracked when they are dry. This makes them an ideal medium for making different types of casting models. Plaster is a strong and sturdy material unless it is being tampered with. You can find some antique decorative plaster products which were created hundreds of years ago. What makes it so special is the fact that with plaster, you can give any shape to a particular model. They are soft and can easily be molded into the desired form or shape. 

Types of plaster

As far as types of plasters are concerned, there are quite a few of them available. Here are some of the most common ones

Lime Plaster: When lime is used as an agent to bind the plaster, it is known as lime plaster. These types of plasters are usually composed of sand, water, and hydrated lime. They are quite similar to that of lime mortar, but there are some differences in their compositions. When lime is added into the plaster as a binding agent, it makes it more strong and durable.

Cement Plaster: When cement is used as an agent to bind the plaster, it is known as cement plaster. This kind of plaster would be the perfect options for the conditions which are damp. Usually, cement plaster is applied in a single coat.  Mostly cement plaster products are used for decorating the walls and ceilings. 

Mud Plaster: The surface of the mud plaster is exactly the same as it is in the case of cement or lime plaster. Usually, this type of plasters is applied in two coats. The first coat is thicker than the second one, and you can design different types of decorative plaster products with such materials.

Stucco Plaster: These are the plasters which are exclusively used for making decorative items. Stucco plasters would be the perfect option for exterior surfaces as well as for the interiors. It needs to be mentioned that most of the decorative plaster products are made of stucco plaster.

These are 4 different types of plasters that are commonly used. All of them can be used for making decorative plaster products; however, Stucco Plaster is the most common one. As far as decorative plaster products are concerned, different qualities of them are available in the market.

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