Knauf Gypsum Plaster: Universal Mixture, Shelf Life Of Formulations

2024 Author: Beatrice Philips | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-09 13:15

Renovation has always been a long and arduous process. Difficulties began already from the preparation stage: sifting sand, separating stones from debris, mixing gypsum and lime. Mixing the finishing solution always took a lot of effort, so already at the first stage of the repair, all the desire to tinker with the details, and even more so to pay attention to the design, often disappeared. Now the circumstances have changed significantly: the world's leading construction companies are engaged in the preparation of the working mixture. Among them is the well-known brand Knauf.

About company

The Germans Karl and Alphonse Knauf founded the world famous Knauf company in 1932. In 1949, the brothers acquired a Bavarian plant, where they began to produce gypsum mixes for construction. Later, their activities spread to the countries of Western Europe and the United States. In Russia, the company launched its production relatively recently - in 1993.

Now this company owns large-scale enterprises around the world ., produces high-quality building mixtures, gypsum plasterboard sheets, heat-saving and energy-intensive insulating building materials. Knauf products enjoy great fame among professional builders and everyone who has done repairs in their home at least once is familiar with it.

Types and characteristics of mixtures

There are several varieties of gypsum plaster in a wide range of the brand:

Knauf rotband

Perhaps the most popular gypsum plaster from a German manufacturer. The secret of its success is its versatility and ease of use - this coating can be applied to different types of walls: stone, concrete, brick. In addition, even bathrooms and kitchens are often decorated with it, because the mixture can withstand high humidity. Knauf Rotband is used for interior decoration only.

The mixture consists of alabaster - a combination of gypsum and calcite. By the way, this so-called gypsum stone has been used in construction since ancient times.

Gypsum mortar became the basis of stone blocks in the Egyptian pyramids. This means that it has long established itself as the most durable and resistant material for repairs.

Advantages:

• After repair work, the surface does not crack.
• Plaster does not retain moisture and does not create excess moisture.
• There are no toxic substances in the composition, the material is safe and environmentally friendly, does not cause allergies.
• Non-flammable, plaster can be used together with heat and sound insulating materials.

If done correctly, you will end up with a perfect, even finish and no additional processing is required. On the market, this plaster is available in many colors: from classic gray to pink. The shade of the mixture does not in any way affect its quality, but depends only on the mineral composition.

Main characteristics and tips for use:

• Drying time is from 5 days to a week.
• About 9 kilograms of the mixture is consumed per 1 m2.
• It is desirable to apply a layer with a thickness of 5 to 30 mm.

Knauf goldband

This plaster is not as versatile as Rotband because it is only designed to work with rough, uneven walls. It is well applied to concrete or brick substrates. In addition, the mixture does not contain components that increase adhesion - the ability of a solution to "adhere" to a solid surface. It is usually used before finishing, as it copes with fairly serious wall defects. However, do not apply a layer thicker than 50 mm, otherwise the plaster may shrink downwards or crack.

Basically, Goldband is a simplified counterpart to the classic Rotband blend, but with less added components. All main characteristics (consumption and drying time) are completely identical to Rotband. It is recommended to apply Goldband plaster in a layer of 10-50 mm. The color variations of the mixture are the same.

Knauf hp "Start"

The Knauf starter plaster was created for manual initial wall treatment. Most often it is used before the subsequent cladding, since it eliminates the unevenness of the walls and ceiling up to 20 mm.

Main characteristics and tips for use:

• Drying time is a week.
• For 1 m2, 10 kg of the mixture is required.
• The recommended layer thickness is from 10 to 30 mm.

There is also a separate version of this mixture - MP 75 for machine application . This mixture is moisture resistant, smoothes surface irregularities. There is no need to be afraid that the coating will crack after finishing. Plaster can be easily applied to any surface, even wood and drywall.

The German company also produces gypsum primers for plastering, which are suitable for both manual and machine application mixtures.

Application methods

All plasters primarily differ in application technology. So, some of them are applied by hand, others - using special machines.

The machine method is fast and low in material consumption . The plaster is usually laid in a layer of 15 mm. The mixture for machine application is not dense, and therefore it is extremely inconvenient to apply it with a spatula - the material will simply crack under the tool.

Likewise, DIY plaster cannot be applied with a machine. This mixture is very dense and is applied in a significant layer - up to 50 mm. Due to its properties, hand plaster gets into the delicate mechanisms of the machine and ultimately leads to its breakdown.

So these two methods cannot replace each other in any way. Therefore, how you will apply the plaster should be thought out in advance in order to purchase the desired option.

As for the products of the German brand, plaster under the MP75 brand is produced for application by the machine. The rest of the Knauf plaster grades are suitable for manual application only.

Recommendations and useful tips

• No plaster needs to be applied in several layers at the same time, superimposing them on top of each other. Adhesion works only with dissimilar materials, and therefore layers of the same mixture adhere very weakly to each other. Once dry, layered plaster is likely to peel off.
• In order for the plaster to dry faster, the room must be ventilated after work.
• Since Rotband plaster adheres to the surface literally tightly, after finishing the finish, you should immediately thoroughly wash the spatula.
• Do not forget: the shelf life of any plaster is 6 months. It is better to store the bag with the mixture out of the reach of direct sunlight (for example, in the garage or in the attic), the bag should not be leaky or cracked.

Prices and reviews

A standard packaged mixture in a bag (about 30 kg) can be found in any building materials store in the price range from 400 to 500 rubles. One bag is enough to cover 4 square meters.

Reviews of all Knauf products are mostly positive: users note the high European quality of the material and ease of repair work. The only minus noted by many is that the solution “grasps” for a long time. However, as noted earlier, it is enough to let some fresh air into the room - and the drying process will accelerate significantly.