Modern mosaic plaster: types, advantages and disadvantages

Among the many modern finishing materials is mosaic plaster, thanks to which you can create your own decorative and original wall covering. This ready-made mixture of natural shredded stone and acrylic resin opens up wide possibilities for decorating and decorating rooms for various purposes.

Where and when appeared

The art of mosaic plastering was widespread in Byzantium and ancient Greece, where it was used to decorate religious and cultural buildings, decorate the walls and floors of various buildings. However, over time it went out of fashion and was forgotten. The next peak of popularity was in the XIII century. At that time in Europe, for the decoration of both temple and secular buildings, the so-called Florentine, but, in fact, only slightly modified mosaic plaster was used. But this version, which used instead of stone marble chips, was also forgotten. Once again, in the XVIII century MV Lomonosov discovered the technique of creating mosaic wall coverings. In the future, it was in Russia with the help of this technology that various types of panels were created.

What is it like?

Modern mosaic plaster does not have a clear subdivision by species, but it has several characteristics, due to which it is possible to classify this finishing material.

1. Depending on the features of use and external qualities:

• For interior decoration of decorative and architectural elements of decor or walls;
• For processing facades of structures;
• Mosaic plaster for a socle on an acrylic basis.

2. According to the size of the filler particles, the mosaic plasters can be divided into the following groups:

• Large, grain size in which can vary from 1.5 to 2 mm;
• Average, whose particles have a diameter of 1.2 to 1.6 mm;
• Small - diameter from 0.8 to 1.2 mm;
• Fine grain size, grain size less than 0.8 mm.

3. By type of filler material used:

• Granite;
• Marble;
• Quartz movement.

4. Depending on the method of coloring the particles. In order for decorative mosaic plaster to be more expressive, mix in the composition of different in color crumbs. Used as stone grains of various natural colors, and specially colored.

Advantages

Thanks to the materials that are part of the mosaic plaster, it has the following advantages:

- Resistant to ultraviolet light and the ability for a long time to "keep" the specified color;

- the ability to withstand the many diverse adverse effects of the surrounding world - thawing and freezing, heat and severe frost, various atmospheric precipitation - a long time;

- vapor permeability of the material - any surface on which the mosaic plaster was applied retains the ability to breathe;

- possibility to lay it on almost any basis: brick, concrete, natural stone, cement, foam concrete, ordinary plaster or plasterboard;

- long service life without loss of appearance;

- the possibility of a wide choice of the color of the mosaic plaster most liked by the owner or suitable for the interior or exterior of the building, in addition, today many manufacturers produce compositions for plastering with the ability to specify any color or shade suitable for the needs of the designer or customer;

- good elasticity of the material, due to which the stresses arising under the influence of various external factors are compensated.

A little about the shortcomings

According to most experts in the field of construction, the main shortcomings that mosaic plaster showed: the price is quite high, the need for highly professional application of it on the surface and, accordingly, the additional costs of money for hiring a specialist. In addition, some types of this material for exterior decoration based on acrylic have a fairly low vapor permeability, which is why manufacturers do not recommend using them for insulated structures, for example, from mineral wool, which must breathe.

A few practical tips

Before applying the mosaic plaster, the composition must be mixed. Since in the production of natural stone crumb is usually used, batches produced at different times may have slight differences in color. If you buy several packages of such plaster, be sure to check whether they are of the same lot: they are released on the same day and have the same serial number. In the event that the compositions were made on different days or in different batches, then to align them by color, experts recommend connecting them all in one large container and mix thoroughly.

It should also be remembered that on the packaging of mosaic plaster, the dimensions of the stone particles introduced into it must be specified, since the appearance of the resulting coating depends on their size, as well as the material consumption. The larger the grains present in the composition, the more the mixture will go by one square meter.

Price of issue

Today, the market for building materials offers a variety of ready-made mixes for creating a mosaic plaster surface both inside the house and outside. The average price of a kilogram of a mosaic plaster mixture produced in Russia in Moscow ranges from 120 rubles per kilogram and above. The price is affected by the material and grain size, density and adhesion. For mosaic plaster intended for outdoor façade work, the important factors determining the cost are the water absorption coefficient and frost resistance. In stores you can find the compositions at a price of 110 rubles per kilogram.