Walls and Ceilings - Concrete Wall wanted
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Kymash
07-03-08, 12:01 PM
This is my first thread and I tried earlier to add it and don't see it. I have an adobe fireplace wall in a 40 year old home (unpainted) and would like to trowel on concrete or cement to have a fresh updated look. My husband thinks I'm crazy to cover "good bricks". I know this is possible and wonder if anyone can give me help as to what mixture to prepare. PLEASE HELP! :confused
chandler
07-03-08, 07:35 PM
Your OP was in Faux finishing. Just troweling on cement won't give you the results I am sure you want. You will have to fill all the grout lines and bring it all to the same surface. Some would even suggest lathing the surface and doing three coats of stucco/plaster.
Kymash
07-04-08, 11:15 AM
Dear Chandler, Thank you for your reply. Happy Fourth of July, I feel blessed to be an American! I am going to try to mix a batch of cement and fill the grout lines today and bring it to the same surface and then tomorrow or one day soon I'll make another batch and float the second coat of cement on with a trowel. Does stucco/plaster have the same look of cement? I love the light gray color and industrial look of concrete.
tightcoat
07-04-08, 11:56 AM
If it isn't too late you should paint a coat of bonding agent over the adobe. Weld-Crete by Larsen's Products is the best brand. There are other brands.
Concrete or Portland cement plaster is harder than adobe and it is not a good practice to put something harder and stronger over something softer and weaker. Since this is interior there is less risk of bond failure.
If you are in a part of the country where there is still some plastering done you could find gypsum plaster. It will be a little softer and probably more compatible with the adobe. But it doesn't have the institutional concrete look you desire.
For Portland cement plaster mix by volume
3 parts plaster sand or mason sand
1 part Portland cement
1/4 to 1/2 part hydrated lime.
On second thought you could just mix masonry cement 2 1/2 parts sand : 1 part masonry cement. This will give you a little softer, weaker mix that is still plenty hard and strong for interior walls. Put temporary wood edges at the corners and plumb them to get nice straight corners.
Do one side and let it set then take the strips down and place them on the other side and when yo are done spot the holes where you nailed them on the finished side.
Get the work straight by screeding it off with a 1 X 4. Float it when it is pretty tight with a red sponge float. This will give you a nice sand finish
Concrete or Portland cement plaster is harder than adobe and it is not a good practice to put something harder and stronger over something softer and weaker. Since this is interior there is less risk of bond failure.
If you are in a part of the country where there is still some plastering done you could find gypsum plaster. It will be a little softer and probably more compatible with the adobe. But it doesn't have the institutional concrete look you desire.
For Portland cement plaster mix by volume
3 parts plaster sand or mason sand
1 part Portland cement
1/4 to 1/2 part hydrated lime.
On second thought you could just mix masonry cement 2 1/2 parts sand : 1 part masonry cement. This will give you a little softer, weaker mix that is still plenty hard and strong for interior walls. Put temporary wood edges at the corners and plumb them to get nice straight corners.
Do one side and let it set then take the strips down and place them on the other side and when yo are done spot the holes where you nailed them on the finished side.
Get the work straight by screeding it off with a 1 X 4. Float it when it is pretty tight with a red sponge float. This will give you a nice sand finish