How to Finish Venetian Plaster
Venetian plaster serves as both a wall finish and a raw product. Use the plaster to create dozens of interesting techniques for walls, ceilings and tables. It is also quite handy for embossed (raised) stenciling, because of the plaster's firm qualities. However, the most luxurious finish imaginable is the traditional Venetian plaster, which is glass-smooth when the walls are completed. The finish may be in a subtle cream color or the tinted a deep shade. Both will give dramatic and timeless results, as long as you begin with a wall that is smooth, not textured. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Venetian plaster - tinted or raw
- Metal spoon
- Venetian trowel with rounded corners
- Putty knife
- Flat heavy weight plate
- Sanding block
- Rag
- Acrylic wax in a clear satin finish
Instructions
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1
Spoon Venetian plaster onto a plate. Hold the Venetian trowel in your dominant hand and determine which edge of the trowel will be closest to the wall as you apply plaster. Use the putty knife to load a small quantity of plaster along only the wall side of the Venetian trowel.
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2
Push the plaster onto the wall in a paper-thin layer, starting at the ceiling and working left to right along the wall. Hold your trowel at a high angle to scrape the plaster as you go, which will provide a thin, even application.
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3
Smooth any bumps or plaster lines as you apply the plaster. Work quickly to cover at least 80 percent of the wall surface with the first layer. Let the plaster dry for several hours.
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4
Sand very lightly and quickly with a sanding block to knock off any bumps that remain in the first layer. Apply a second coat of plaster over the first coat, covering the wall 100 percent with plaster. Let the plaster dry overnight.
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5
Sand very lightly again over the second layer. Use a barely damp rag to dust the wall from the ceiling to the floor.
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6
Trowel a thin layer of wax over the finished plaster. Let it dry and trowel a second coat of wax.
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Burnish the wax finish by rubbing your Venetian trowel over the wax with the full face of the trowel against the wall. Be careful not to cut the wall with the edges of the trowel. Rub in circles across the finish to polish it to a high gloss.
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Tips & Warnings
Plaster takes on a darker tone when it is wet. Unlike paint, it dries lighter.
If you wipe the wall down after the second coat with a wet rag, you'll need to wait until the wall is completely dry again before the final wax coat.
Get a helper if you can because this is a very labor-intensive application.
