Grotto: the way to apply decorative plaster. How to make "grotto" by yourself
On the pages of our website, we have dwelled on about ten different decorative plasters and coatings Maxima decor. There were smooth and glossy, with pearly effects and textured among them. We told you about effects, which you can create and how decorative coatings look in various interiors. But the options are not limited. And this time we speak about grotto: the meaning of it and how to make grotto with your own hands.
Cera Lavabile
Decorative wax for venetian stucco
Marmorino
Decorative textured stucco
Stucco veneziano
Decorative coating with the effect of marble
Travertino
Facade stucco with natural stone effect
What is Grotto?
"Grotto" as a way of applying allows imitating a shell rock and various rough mountain rocks. The very resemblance with the relief of karst caves grotto gives the name - Grotto. Some people compare this way of applying with a map of the world - mainlands, islands, seas and rivers.
Take a look at the picture, where you can see ways of application of MARMORINO and TRAVERTINO in comparison with the photos of Earth from the satellite. Do they look alike?
Peculiarities of wall decoration in "grotto" style - a prominent relief of the surface with the glitter of "islands".
Using decorative relief plaster (MARMORINO) or plaster with the effect of natural stone (TRAVERTINO), Venetian coating (STUCCO VENEZIANO) and wax CERA LAVABILE you can create a unique interior with various decorative decisions.
Decorative coating in grotto style will be the perfect addition as to classic, so to modern interior styles including loft, minimalism and hi-tech. The final look of the decorative coating depends on your imagination only.
Advantages and disadvantages of "grotto" way of applying
We refer to the advantages of this way of applying the following:
- seamless. The decoration with wallpaper or panels leaves seams and joints, which are easy to notice but you can't say the same about decorative coatings.
- durability and stability. The decorative coating will serve you for years without losing its beauty.
- moisture resistance. You can apply it in wet premises.
- washable. When the wax is completely dry, contaminated with the time surface can be washed with soap solutions. That is why it is successfully used in premises with advanced contamination, such as halls and baby rooms.
- designing features. The appearance of the coating allows creating unique designs for the premises, which visually make the premises bigger;
- the option to choose the tone of the coating by adding pigments;
- low demands for the preparation of the walls. You can apply the plaster on the uneven surface;
- easy to take care of.
Disadvantages of "grotto" way of applying:
- quite a high price for materials. Plasters MARMORINO or TRAVERTINO, STUCCO VENEZIANO or wax CERA LAVABILE, which protects the surface;
- large time expenses;
- high price for works
But we shall admit, that the expense for decorative coating is significantly less than selecting and mantling with natural stones.
List of products you need for "grotto" way of applying:
- AQUA PRIMER concentrated primer 1^10;
- QUARTZ PRIMER is an adhesive primer with quartz filler;
- MARMORINO is a decorative relief plaster or TRAVERTINO is a plaster with a natural stone effect;
- STUCCO VENEZIANO is a Venetian coating;
- CERA LAVABILE is a decorative wax for Venetian coating.
Stage 1. Stabilizing of the base surface.
Basic preparation is enough as well as for all decorative plasters and coatings. All parts of the surface, which move under push or hit with the tools shall be removed:
- If the surface was not previously coated, you shall clean of fragile coats, dust, oil, grease and other dirt till the hard surface.
- If the surface was previously coated, it is necessary to clean the surface from old loose coats (peeled paint or varnish) in a mechanic way (with a scraper or a wire brush), thermal way (with a hot air fan, infrared radiation) or chemical way (products for paint removal). Chalk and lime-chalk coatings shall be removed till the hard base surface in a mechanical way. The surface shall be also cleaned of various kinds of dirt.
You don't need to make the walls flat completely for "grotto" way of applying.
Stage 2. Preparing the surface.
The surface shall be dry and clean of dust. Then prime the surface with AQUA PRIMER (primer-concentrate 1:10). After it gets dry, apply an adhesive primer with quartz filler (QUARTZ PRIMER). Use a roller with a medium nap. The drying period is 24 hours.
The main aim of priming is to make the base surface hard and increase adhesive ability.
stage 3. Applying of textured plaster - 1 coat.
Apply MARMORINO or TRAVERTINO on the whole surface. We recommend you decide in prior, what kind of result you want to receive after one coat.
- smooth. The plaster is applied with a metal trowel, leaving the surface dry for 24 hours. The left photo shows the surface with 2 coats already applied but the first one was smooth;
- shagreen. Apply the plaster with a metal trowel and right after that form the texture with a roller with a short nap. Leave to dry for 24 hours. The right photo shows the surface with 2 coats already applied but the first coat was textured.
stage 4. Applying textured plaster - 2 coats (trimming method).
Collect some plaster (MARMORINO or TRAVERTINO) on the edge of the trowel and, like an artistic work, form a picture with chaotic multidirectional moves.
After a short period of drying (30-40 minutes) flatten the plaster carefully with a trowel. Leave it dry for 24 hours.
stage 5. Applying Venetian coating - the first coat.
Change the color of STUCCO VENECIANO by adding a pigment concentrate to it before use. The more pigment you add to the coating the more saturated color you receive, however, we don't recommend adding more than 10% of the pigment concentrate of the total weight of the coating, otherwise, some properties of STUCCO VENEZIANO will be lost.
If you want to get dark colors of the completed coating, you can tint not only STUCCO VENEZIANO but also MARMORINO or TRAVERTINO.
If you expect light colors of the coating as a result, tint just STUCCO VENEZIANO.
Apply Venetian coating STUCCO VENEZIANO with a roller with a short nap on the whole surface with multidirectional moves. Flatten the surface with a metal trowel in 15-20 minutes. Leave it dry for 24 hours.
stage 6. Applying Venetian coating - the second coat.
Repeat the applying of the first coat of STUCCO VENEZIANO. Leave it dry for 24 hours.
stage 7. Applying wax.
Apply wax for Venetian coating CERA LAVABILE as a finishing coat. You can use a universal sponge for your comfort, and remove the rest of the wax with a metal trowel. However, every master decides either to apply the wax on "grotto" or not by himself.
Leave it dry for 12 hours.
stage 8. Polishing the surface.
Polish the surface till the mirror shines with a polisher using a felt abrasive wheel.
The main thing is to avoid polishing in the same place for a long time. If it looks like some areas are polished badly, you'd better come back to it a little bit later.
We offer you to have a look at 2 options of applied decorative plasters in "grotto" style. You can see, depending on the color of Venetian plaster and the sizes of the islands the final look of the coating differs a lot from each other.
Buy products for "grotto"
We have answered in this article, what products you need for "grotto", and the prices for "grotto" applying are at our site:
You can buy products all over the territory of Ukraine (Kiyv, Kharkiv, Lviv, Dnipro, Odesa and others) with various delivery services or pick them up from our brand shop in Sumy, Herasima Kondratieva str., 6.
We can deliver the products to the site free of charge (conditions are discussed individually and depend on the difficulty of the order).
- 20.02.2023