Machine plastering of walls: advantages. Mechanized or manual plastering of walls

Among professional builders The debate continues as to which is better - machine or hand plastering. Finishers working with plastering stations see only advantages in the mechanical (mechanized) application of a layer of plaster. Master plasterers, working the old fashioned way, present their arguments. It is very difficult for the customer to understand this controversy.

What is the difference between machine-applied plaster and manual labor? Widespread automation and mechanization production processes plastering work was not spared either. She took upon herself the physical labor of applying the solution. plastering station.

To work, water is poured into it and dry is filled in. plaster mixture. Special augers thoroughly wipe dry ingredients and feed them into a mixing container, from where high pressure The mixture is supplied to the wall through the hose and mortar gun.

To prevent the solution from sticking to the working surfaces of the machine (tank walls and sleeve), special additives are added to it. The station operates only on factory-prepared dry mixtures. Gypsum plasters are used indoors, cement-sand mixtures are used outside.

This distribution is understandable:

Plaster, where one of the components is gypsum, is not used outdoors;
Cement-sand mixtures are much heavier than gypsum mortars. Therefore, it is much more difficult for a plastering machine to work with them, as a result of which the plaster feeding speed drops by 1.5-2 times.

At the same time, the wear of the screws increases, the replacement of which results in significant sums. Naturally, no one in the room is plastering cement mortar there won't be.

Advantages and disadvantages of machine plaster

Craftsmen working at plastering stations usually note only positive aspects in the mechanized application of mortar:

Lack of heavy physical labor;
The speed of work execution increases by 3-4 times;
Materials for machine application of plaster are cheaper than similar mixtures for manual application;
The consumption of materials is less than when plastering by hand;
The cost of the work itself is almost two times lower (from 220 rubles/m2 when working with a station and 550 rubles/m2 when applying 3 layers with a trowel);
The quality of work is higher:

the mixture is supplied under high pressure, which promotes better adhesion of the plaster to the wall;
the plaster solution is more uniform in composition, as it is ground with two augers, as a result of which the surface of the plaster practically does not crack;
errors in preparing the mixture are eliminated - its consistency is programmed into the station.

Professionals do not see any shortcomings. In their opinion, the question “which plaster is better, manual or mechanized” should not be on the agenda at all.

However, if you carefully study the operating technology of the plastering station, you can find both direct and relative disadvantages:

The high noise level, which precludes work at night, is a relative disadvantage, since during the day the neighbors will understand and tolerate it;
Work on three-phase current (available only in apartments with electric stoves);
Long drying period for plaster - 7-8 days;
A lot of time is spent on servicing the station at the beginning and end of the shift, which will certainly be reflected in the price of work for different volumes of plaster (preparing the station for work according to the regulations should last 2 hours and another 2 hours are spent on washing the equipment after its completion);
You cannot plaster the walls in the bathroom and kitchen under the tiles with plaster. Manufacturers of dry mortars write on the packaging that the mixtures can be applied to walls in damp rooms, including the bathroom. But nowhere is it stated that tiles can be laid on such plaster. Practice shows that it breaks and lags behind gypsum plaster. The plasterers of the machine station completed the work and left, and what happened to the tiles later, they may not know;
Mandatory installation of plaster corners in internal corners, which increases the cost of work.

Which is better, machine or hand plastering?

The above advantages of mechanical plaster would seem to unequivocally and unconditionally bury old method plastering - manual. However, in order to understand without prejudice which plaster is better, machine or manual, it is necessary to carry out comparative analysis. Only then can you see the difference between these methods.

Since we are talking about individual customers here, we will consider in parallel individual house and an apartment, that is, orders for work from 50 m2 to 250 m2.

In terms of price, a dry mixture for plastering stations is cheaper than a similar one for working with a trowel. It sounds convincing and at the same time corresponds to the truth. But who said that when manual plastering, gypsum-based mixtures will be used? They are very inconvenient to work with and costly. The use of cement, sand and a concrete mixer leads to the fact that materials cost 2-3 times less when done manually. And the thicker the plaster layer, the more noticeable the difference.
Indeed, when using dry mortar when operating a machine station, 3 kg of plaster is saved per 1 m 2 (consumption 13 kg versus 16 kg, respectively). But when replacing it with cement-sand plaster, this advantage disappears due to the low price of the plaster mixture.
The quality of work is higher. The difference between machine plaster and manual plaster in the area of plaster quality is imaginary. If technology is followed, there is no difference in quality. The problem of more intense surface cracking in cement plaster is solved with the help of fiberglass fiber. Its use more effectively keeps the plaster layer from shrinking and cracking than in gypsum mortar applied mechanically.
Only manually you can plaster the bathroom and toilet due to gypsum mortar. The best option- entrust this work to a tiler so that there are no subsequent problems with the quality of the laid tiles - they will not shift the blame onto each other.

As we can see, the advantages of plastering stations have not yet been discovered. Perhaps they are included in the cost of the work, which is often the decisive argument.

Which is cheaper?

Prices for plastering work by machine start from 220 rub./m2 (data for St. Petersburg), with manual plastering - from 250-300 rub./m2 for the first layer due to the need for preparatory work and about 550 rubles/m2 when applying 3 layers.

At first glance, everything is obvious here. But it's not that simple. If everything is clear with the price tag of plasterers with a trowel, then on the other side it is formed on the basis of many factors.

1. The specified price applies to the volume of work from 2,000 m2 and more. As volume decreases, cost increases plastering works. The customer may object - the machine station will complete the work in 5-6 hours. I will pay for them and win. But important points are missing here:

It takes time to prepare the surface and install beacons. These will be included in the price;
Unplastered slopes remain - they are done only by hand. They are not and cannot be in the price list. It will not be possible to invite someone from outside to do this work - professionals always refuse, since there is a lot of hassle and little money. Masters mechanized plaster they charge 1.5-2 times more for such work, since their work as a whole is valued much higher;
The price includes the time of moving, preparing the station for work, and cleaning it at the end of the shift. These amounts are significant, but fixed. It’s one thing to divide tens of thousands of rubles by 2,000 m2, and another by 50-250 m2.

2. The price for work does not take into account the cost of electricity. The owner of the apartment will have to pay.

3. Another feature of machine plastering is that the price does not include work on installing plaster corners. They are paid separately.

To fully understand what is better - mechanized or manual plastering of walls, we will carry out an enlarged calculation of the cost of work per 100 m2 of wall.

Machine plaster:

price - 350 rub./m2;
layer thickness 1 cm;
consumption rate of dry plaster per 1 m2 is 13 kg;
the price of plaster is 410 rubles/bag (Volma, 25 kg) or 16.4 rubles/kg.

The cost of materials will be 42,640 rubles. Wages— 35,000. For simplicity of calculations, we will not take into account the remaining costs. Everything will have to be laid out from family budget 77,640 rubles.

When working manually you will need:

cement M400 - 350 kg (14 bags weighing 25 kg at a price of 235 rubles / package) in the amount of 3,290 rubles;
fine sand - 1,500 kg for the amount of 3,000 rubles. (30 bags weighing 50 kg at a price of 100 rubles per package);
delivery with lift to the apartment - 4,000 rubles;
fiberglass fiber - 200 rub.

Please note: cement prices can vary significantly depending on the manufacturer. For calculations, Portland cement was selected from the average price category. There is cement for 135 rubles/bag.

In total, it is necessary to purchase building materials in the amount of 10,490 rubles. The salary will be 55,000 rubles. (100 m2 x 550 rub./m2). The total cost of plastering work is 65,490 rubles.

Calculations without words show the advantages and disadvantages of each type of plastering work.

Conclusion

The above arguments say that a private customer has only one choice: cement, sand, concrete mixer.

Plastering concrete surfaces- a mandatory stage of preparing the foundation for further finishing. In rooms where a large amount of work is required, a mechanized method of applying finishing compounds is often used. Machine or hand plastering: which is better? Maybe we should completely abandon traditional methods?

Hand applied plaster

The familiar method of plastering a wall involves spreading the solution with a trowel or ladle and further distributing it over the surface. As a rule, craftsmen prepare it on site to the extent that it can be worked out in one go before setting begins. For cement plasters- 2 hours, for plaster - 20 minutes.

It is difficult to talk about the advantages of the method: the work takes a lot of time, the quality only suffers from this - the mixture hardens unevenly on the wall, in “scales”. Throwing the mass “by eye” requires a long time to achieve the overall evenness of the surface. In general, the method is becoming obsolete; it is used for finishing small areas.

Machine applied plaster

To finish large areas, a mechanized method of covering the surface with finishing solutions is used. For this purpose, special devices are used that supply the finished composition under pressure.

The essence of the method: the plastering station supplies the mixture through a hose connected to the work area, the operator directs the stream to the wall, evenly distributing the incoming volume. Plasterers immediately level the surface with a wide tool - a spatula or a rule.

The advantages of the method include:

Reduced finishing time;
High quality of the finished surface;
Uniform setting of the solution over the entire area.

The consumption of machine-applied plaster is significantly lower than manual plaster due to the method of preparation and transfer: machine mixing of a large batch of mortar and its uniform supply using technology can reduce material costs and its rejection.

What compositions to use

When comparing methods of throwing working mixtures, it is worth mentioning the compositions for their production for each method. The main difference between machine-applied and manually applied plaster is the introduction of special additives during the mixing process. Otherwise the plasters are identical to each other:

For external walls, mortars are used;
For interior work - .

For the manual method, solutions are prepared from mixtures intended for this application method. Additives are added to these to prevent the finishing mass from sticking to working tools to facilitate the finishing process.

For large projects under construction, plaster is done at factories or directly on site in a plastering station - a certain amount of water is poured into the tank and the ready-made dry mixture is added. Mixing occurs evenly and constantly.

Differences between machine applied plasters:

Special additives are added to the solutions to improve the quality of the finished surface at the production stage.
The mixtures have increased adhesion to any surfaces
For mixing, fine fraction components without large inclusions are used.

On construction market can be purchased plaster compositions universal application.

Conclusion

To choose manual or machine plastering, you should rely on the expected amount of work. If you need to finish a 3x3 wall, it will not be practical to fit a feeder. For large premises and at large construction You can’t do without the machine method: the volume of work is so large that you can’t go far with manual throwing; the loss of time and solution becomes colossal.

To plaster surfaces by machine, machine stations and hand-held machines are used. These devices can be based on different principles actions, which affects the speed and efficiency of their work. In the article we will look at the details and features of the mechanical plastering process.

Mechanical plastering of walls

Finishing walls and ceilings through plastering can be a costly process that requires manual labor.

However, it is possible to simplify and speed up the process of performing such an operation by using a mechanized method. It involves the use of specialized equipment that will result in a flawless surface.

Peculiarities

One of the main features is that some modern devices make it possible not only to carry out the plastering operation, but also a number of preparatory work on surface treatment. In some cases, this makes it possible to eliminate or minimize the need for manual labor and the use of small-scale mechanization.

What equipment is offered for automated plastering?

There are only two basic principles of machine application: jet and mechanized. In addition, the jet type is divided into two more categories: screw and pneumatic.

Installation of pneumatic hammer: machine for applying plaster using a mechanized method

A pneumatic hammer or pneumatic shovel is equipped with several nozzles that are designed for hard and soft solutions. The device consists of:

steel container for scooping the mixture;
four nozzles for supplying the composition;
four nozzles for air supply;
tube holder with built-in valve supply and adjustment of compressed air.

Pneumatic pistol automatic

A pneumatic gun for automatic plastering is a short nozzle barrel, which is equipped with threaded connection for installing various attachments. Depending on the type of nozzle used, the degree of spraying of the mixture and other parameters are determined.

At the top of the machine there is a container for the mixture, usually five liters. The device is also equipped with a trigger that controls the supply of plaster. IN bottom part gun, a hose for supplying compressed air is inserted into a specially provided hole.

Is it possible to make wall leveling equipment yourself?

You can make a homemade unit for plastering walls yourself; according to the principle of operation, it will repeat the spray gun, which is powered by a compressor.

A cut fire extinguisher is used as the basis for the device, so that a container of four to five liters is obtained. Next, a tube with a nozzle with a diameter of four millimeters is inserted inside to supply air directly into the outlet of the fire extinguisher. The power of the device is affected by the diameter of the outlet nozzle, as well as the size of the gap from it to the compressor valve.

What kind of compressor should be for the device?

The compressor for the station must be good and pump air quickly. His main task is to create and maintain an operating mode at a pressure of two to three atmospheres.

Pros and cons of plastering with stations for leveling walls by machine

When considering the issue of the machine method of plastering surfaces, it is necessary to separately analyze the advantages and disadvantages of this method.

Among the advantages are:

High labor productivity.
The ability to ensure a strong connection between the plaster layer and the base.
Possibility to significantly save plaster.

Disadvantages include:

The need to purchase an expensive station, rent it, or hire a crew.
It is necessary to ensure sufficient and uninterrupted supply of power and water.

It takes up to five days for a fresh plaster layer to dry, and the temperature range in the room should be maintained between 5 and 30 degrees.

Automatic gypsum machine plastering of walls: which machine is suitable

Automatic gypsum machine plastering is the process of applying a leveling and decorative layer to a previously prepared surface using specialized equipment. To perform such an operation, one of the main types of devices is suitable:

pneumatic shovel;
air gun;
plastering machine.

Each of the devices is characterized by its own characteristics, properties and principle of operation.

It is extremely important to apply the layer of plaster evenly, evenly and quickly. Only a trained and experienced specialist can effectively handle such a task.

How to apply plaster to ceilings and walls

The working process of applying plaster by machine is divided into stages.

First of all, preparatory measures are carried out in the room where the work will be carried out. Accordingly, at this moment, wiring and other hidden communications are laid, and then beacons are installed.

In parallel with the preparatory activities, the plastering station is set up, which, as a rule, has three phase motor and does not work, without special permission, from an ordinary home network. Water can be supplied to the station from a water supply pipe or a reservoir of sufficient volume. A high-quality plaster composition with good strength characteristics is prepared inside a plastering station. Traditionally, a proportion is used where there are five liters of water per ten kilograms of dry mixture. The mixture is prepared in an airtight container. After the mixture has been prepared, the main work process begins. After setting up and starting up the equipment, the mixture is supplied under pressure through a pressure hose, and then applied to a previously prepared surface using a special gun.

The speed of applying plaster is quite high, which makes it possible to carry out large volumes of work in a short time. Thanks to special thickener additives, the mixture does not spread over the surface of the ceiling or walls.

To ensure proper operation plastering station and an impeccable result after the operation, it is recommended to use only specialized mixtures.

Work on applying the plaster layer begins from the corner of the room, moving further between the beacons. After the mixture has been applied, it may in some cases be necessary to manually level the layer and then grout.

The article discusses information about the details and features of the mechanical plastering process, as well as its advantages and disadvantages.

Useful video

One of the most popular ways to level walls is plaster. This procedure is labor-intensive, especially when it comes to large areas. To facilitate its implementation, special mechanisms were invented.

Mechanical plaster is an innovative method of wall finishing. This procedure is carried out using a special plaster station, which applies the solution to the base automatically. Despite its novelty, this method has quickly spread in the construction industry. It allows you not only to speed up the finishing procedure, but to make it cheaper and of better quality.

Applying plaster using a mechanized method

It is important to understand that the function of most plastering stations is limited to applying the mixture to the walls. Preparation of the base, leveling procedure, priming and grouting are carried out in the traditional manual way. Although the latest developments in devices are capable of providing the entire range of plastering work, their prices are still sky-high. In addition to leveling walls, the automatic station can be used to pour concrete floors and small foundations.

The undoubted advantages of mechanized plaster include:

High performance. Even the most primitive stations supply solution at a rate of 1.2 m³/hour. When recalculated for one day shift, the result is 20-40 m² of wall. Compared to the manual method, the time gain reaches four or more times. If everything is done correctly, then even the rough base will be more even, which significantly saves time on further leveling.

No environmental pollution. This makes it possible to use mechanized plaster to carry out repairs in schools, kindergartens, offices and other premises where people work or study. This is explained by the fact that the stations operate on environmentally friendly solutions that do not contain harmful toxic additives.

Economic effect. Thanks to the saturation of the solution with air, uniform laying is achieved inside the station. This eliminates waste of material. To apply one layer by machine, 13 kg of mixture is enough (although the same area with manual plastering will “pull” 16 kg). This is explained by the fact that the solution prepared in the machine is more voluminous. Moreover, due to high quality The resulting base is enough to putty one layer (instead of two when applied manually). It also makes it cheaper total cost construction work.

Cheapness. Manufacturers produce special plaster mixtures for mechanical application. Application of solutions for handmade are allowed, but they will cost several times more.

Excellent adhesion to the rough base. The device ejects a fine-grained plaster mixture under a certain pressure, which helps it quickly stick to the wall. Besides, good adhesion provide special modifiers: without sticking to the mechanism components, they adhere well to the wall. The resulting finish is characterized by strength and evenness: as a rule, practically no cracks or salt stains appear on its surface.

As practical experience has shown, manual plastering is an order of magnitude inferior to mechanical plastering in terms of quality and durability. The manual method involves laying the solution in small portions over an area of up to 3 m² at a time. While the next batch is being made (this takes 40-60 minutes), the previously finished area has time to set.

As a result, hand plastering is more reminiscent of putting together puzzles from individual pieces with varying degrees of humidity. The quality of the solidity of the plaster cover suffers from this. As a rule, it is the joints of these puzzles that subsequently have a tendency to crack. Machine application ensures that the entire finished area has approximately the same moisture content and dries more evenly.

There are fewer disadvantages to mechanized plaster, but they are still present:

High cost of equipment. According to experts, the economic effect, taking into account the cost of the station, occurs only when finishing surfaces with an area of more than 900 m². Similar volumes are typical for professional activities. If we are talking about leveling the walls in an apartment, it would be more profitable to do it manually or rent a plastering station.

The need to equip the workplace with reliable electrical wiring and centralized water supply. If the work is carried out in an apartment, it is recommended to use a separate cable to connect the device, which is directly connected to the panel. A special hose is used for uninterrupted water supply.

The need to care for the car. You need to make sure that the plaster mixture is not inside the supply hose for more than 15 minutes, otherwise it will harden. At the end of the work, the hose and reservoir must be thoroughly rinsed to remove any remaining solution.

Drying time. As you know, it takes about a week for a hand-plastered surface to dry. In the case of mechanized laying, this period must be extended to a month, all other things being equal. This is due to the presence of specific ingredients in the mixture. It turns out that while saving on the speed of application, you have to lengthen the drying pause. This once again proves the advisability of using mechanized plaster exclusively for finishing large areas.

If a careful analysis has shown the advisability of using mechanical plaster, you should purchase or rent a special unit. Its design includes a control unit, mixer, compressor, receiving hopper and feeding mechanism. Due to the bulkiness of the device, it is advisable to choose a spacious place for its installation.

To apply plaster using a mechanized method, special equipment is required.

The dry mixture is poured into the hopper compartment, where it is divided into small portions: from there they go into the mixer. After water is supplied, the solution is mixed: thanks to the possibility of programming, the consistency of the plaster is ideal. Ready mix enters the supply system, and from there, through the supply hose, onto the base to be leveled.

Stages of work:

Preparing the wall. The quality of this procedure directly affects the overall quality of the alignment. The base must be completely cleaned of all old finishes. The same applies to all protruding parts (mechanical fasteners create particular interference). All dust is removed from the prepared wall using a pneumatic device.
Padding. Acrylic impregnation is suitable for this. All detected cracks and weak points are strengthened with reinforcing mesh.
Checking the verticality of the wall, marking the points of maximum slope. The same applies to angles and horizontal directions.
Installation of beacon strips at external corners.
Setting up the equipment station. This makes it possible to set the required level of solution consistency.
Applying plaster. The optimal distance to the wall is 20-30 cm, at an angle of 90 degrees. It is necessary to achieve uniform filling of the main area, as well as joint and corner areas. Laying thickness is 3-20 mm (it is adjusted by the speed of movement of the hose).
Without waiting for the laid plaster to harden, it must be leveled according to the rule. This will require one more worker.
The set mixture (this takes 15-20 minutes) is trimmed using a trapezoidal rule.
Grout. It allows you to tell the plastered wall perfect condition. The surface may be rubbed no earlier than an hour after finishing leveling. A special sponge device (grater) is used for rubbing. If milk protrudes, processing continues using a wide spatula. The process is repeated several times.

Also watch a useful video on mechanical application of plaster.

Any type of plastering, classical or decorative, can be done manually or by machine. Both of these technologies have their own characteristics, so even among specialists there are different opinions about which method is better. Let's look at the difference between machine-applied plaster and hand-applied plaster.

Key differences and similarities

The composition of the preliminary preparatory work in both technologies is the same. True, machine-applied plaster will require the installation of guide beacons in increments of ≤ 1 m, while hand-applied plaster allows for longer distances.
The difference between machine-applied and hand-applied plasters lies in the composition of the mixture used. For the first, components are added to the solution to allow its use in a plastering station. These additives prevent the mixture from sticking to the working surfaces of the plastering unit and allow you to automate the processes of preparing, mixing and laying the solution. This mixture is cheaper.
To manually apply the mortar, only classic tools are used (plaster ladle, trowel, spatulas). And for mechanical spraying you need a plastering station, supply hoses and tips in the form of nozzles or a semi-automatic machine, in which the mixture is poured into a tank with manual mixing, and the solution is supplied through a hose using a compressor and a cartouche gun.
The difference between plasters when applied by machine is that the most physically difficult operations are performed; the preparation of the solution and spraying on the surface to be plastered is mechanized. This leads to high performance(several times higher than hand technology) and the possibility of reducing the composition of the work team.
Sketching a solution by hand is labor-intensive and time-consuming. The solution, due to its rapid hardening, is prepared in small portions, which further increases the time it takes to complete the work. In addition, plastering is carried out in several layers, the subsequent ones are laid after the previous ones have been leveled and when they begin to set. Under these conditions, it is almost impossible to prepare the entire solution with the same consistency. As a result of this technology, uneven drying of the plaster occurs, leading to a high probability of subsequent cracks and unevenness. Putty becomes necessary. Mechanical method allows the mortar to be laid in one thick layer. The mixture, constantly stirring, becomes homogeneous. Pressure feed mortar mixtures provides a tight fit without voids, which reduces the risk of peeling and cracking. The walls are characterized by good evenness and smoothness, which allows wallpapering without further finishing.
The consumption of machine-applied plaster is less due to its uniform distribution over the surface and the saturation of the solution with air bubbles, which increases its volume.
When machine plastering the external walls of one-story buildings, no scaffolding is needed.
The cost of performing work with manual plastering is higher.