Checklist
How to Select the Right Plastering Material for Your Home?
Cement plaster combines products like Portland Cement, sand, and water. Generally, OPC 43 grade cement is used for plastering. Besides, you can also use PPC cement for attaining your desired plasterwork. Cement plaster is extensively used among various materials used for plastering. Some other types of application include lime plaster, clay plaster, etc. In order to cover your building with plaster, you must consider two major factors.- Surface Protection
- Cost of Materials
- Plastering material should be cheap and economical
- The materials should be strong enough to resist any climatic changes that the structure is supposed to witness during its entire lifetime
- The plastering materials must have excellent workability, which can be applied during different weather conditions
Calculating Cement and Sand Ratio for Plastering
Here are some general points to remember when calculating cement to sand ratio for plasterwork- This article mentioned the volumetric ratio of cement and sand. For instance, Cement: Sand = 1:5 refers to 1 part of cement and 5 parts of sand in a mortar mix.
- The overall thickness of plastering should be 20mm minimum, including two coats.
- The plasterwork should be done in two coats or layers. The first coat of plaster is laid with a thickness of around 12mm – 15mm. It is known as the rough coat or primary coat.
- The second coat should be laid with a thickness of around 8mm, known as the finish coat or secondary coat of plastering.
- Cement has a dry density volume of 1440kg/m3
- Each bag of cement contains 50kg of cement
- The volume of 50kg cement is around 50/1440 = 0.0348 m3
- The dry density of sand is 1600kg/ m3
Mix Ratio | Areas of Usage |
1:6 & 1:5 | This ratio is appropriate for the internal plastering of bricks |
1:4 | This ratio is suitable for ceiling and external walls |
1:3 | This ratio is suitable for external walls prone to severe climatic conditions. It also can be used for repair works. |
Steps to Find Plastering Material Quantities
You can follow these steps to figure out the quantities:- Find the total area of the wall that you want to plaster in square meters
- Consider the ratio and thickness before plastering
- Calculate the total volume of plastering by multiplying the thickness. Make sure to convert the units.
- Find out the volume of cement and sand individually for both the coats
- Calculate the total volume of cement and sand required for plastering
Calculation Example for a 10m-by-10m Wall
Let us consider you want to plaster a wall that is 10m by 10m in measurement. Now,- The ratio of the primary coat of plastering is 1:5 with a thickness of 12mm
- The ratio of the secondary coat of plastering is 1:3 with a thickness of 8mm