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Here is How You Can Maintain Various Interior Wall Finishes

Interior wall finishes impart the ultimate look to the wall. However, choosing the most suitable interior wall finish does not depend only on texture and look. It also depends to a large extent on humidity, heat, allergy of occupants to certain products, area etc. However, most of these wall finishes are prone to some or the other issues. They need to be maintained and small defects need to be attended to so that they don’t grow into bigger issues. Let’s discuss various interior wall finishes and how they can be maintained.

Brick or Stone Wall Finish

Such type of finish is not common in living rooms. However, you can see them in kitchens, around fireplaces etc. They impart a classic look to the place. But, you need to have a thorough inspection of the wall after every rain storm to prevent seepage of water. Fix the problem, as soon as a water patch is noticed. Stone walls too are attractive and durable, but they are prone to cracking due to repeated freeze-thaw cycles. So, you need to check the wall after every snow storm or rain storm. If there is any patch of water visible inside, there may be a crack. Call a mason or discuss with him about ways to stop the problem from spreading.  

Concrete Wall Finish

Concrete wall finish is akin to walls with no finish, and such walls are seen mostly in places like basements. Concrete walls finishes don’t usually get damaged as a result of normal usage. However, such walls may develop cracks due to framing damage or other types of damages. If you notice something call a mason.

Textured Wall Finish

Textured or stucco wall finish offers durable, aesthetic and water resistant wall covering. They are applied in two to three coats over brick, stone or masonry surfaces. Such a finish can also be sculpted and decorated to impart customised finish to the wall. However, you need to employ skilled artisan to install such wall finish, otherwise, the surface may become wavy. Stucco is also prone to collecting dirt and absorbing stain. To prevent this you need to ensure that it does not come in contact with surface water carrying contaminants. Long term exposure to dirty water can stain textured walls as well as aid in the growth of fungi.

Ceramic Tile Wall Finish

Ceramic tiles do render a nice appearance to the bathroom or kitchen, but keeping them clean and neat is not very easy. Such tiles can get easily stained if there is even a very small leakage in the grout or a crack in the corners of shower. It is difficult to clean long term stains. So you need to ensure that there is no crack or leakage for seepage of water. For this the grout need to be checked. If there is any leakage, it must be taken out very professionally and filled in neatly with new paste.

Drywall

Drywalls are commonly used as interior wall finish since they are quite advantageous. They are aesthetic, durable, fire resistant, sound proof and moisture resistant. However, these too need to be maintained regularly. It also needs to be strengthened and repaired occasionally. Drywall is prone to staining by water seeping from the ceiling. So you need to ensure that the wet area is painted with a stain resistant paint.

Panelled Interior Wall Finish

Walls panelled with veneered plywood, veneered particle board, asbestos cement board or wood impart a neat and sophisticated look to the room. These are durable too, but you need to maintain them. The key to maintaining them properly is to know what they are made of. If they are made of laminate, fabric or paper you need to keep them away from water as well as prolonged exposure to strong light such as sunlight. So they need not be installed opposite your doors and windows.

Plaster Walls

Although drywall and plaster are basically the same, plaster is mixed on the spot and applied on the wall whereas drywall is brought in place in one piece. Plaster walls are highly durable, but you need to save them from water. If it remains in contact with water for a substantial time it may stain. In long term it may also get damaged.

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Benefits of Interior Plastering

In Interior wall finishing plaster is the most common material being used. Interior plastering goes on to provide a solid surface to the walls. It is done to provide a permanent fixture to your room rather than experimenting with any unknown painting technique. It could be applied to the full texture of your room or a specific area like a door or window as well.

When you are building or remodelling your home do consider the different aspects of interior plastering. Each coin has two faces and the same applies to plaster as well. No doubt it is loaded with advantages, but it does have its pitfalls as well.

Stylization and Aesthetics

A living space of your room needs much more than smooth barren distempered walls. Plaster does go on to add a sense of fullness to your home as well. If you are planning to get that wow factor, in your room at a minimum cost, you can achieve it by incorporating plastic moulds on your ceiling and wall. When you are about to choose plaster moulds there are a lot of things to consider as well in the form of colours, themes or designs. A slight change in depth or art would make it look a work of art.

Varied Designs

In the domain of interior plastering the choice of designs is infinite. It does go on to provide unique design opportunities in the form of decorative corbels, acoustic panels, architectural columns etc.  You can model a plaster into an unimaginable shape as it modules into different situations. An endless world of opportunities from traditional to modern designs is personified.

Easy Installation

The major benefit of plaster has to be the easy installation. It is easy and convenient to install it as no form of dust is generated except when you go on to add water at the very beginning. There is no need for any form of sanding and the wall could be plastered within a short time frame. Since no sanding is needed and if you go on use multiple coats it is usually applied before the down layer is completed. A wall made of plaster does take less time to finish and moreover less mess is also produced.

Durability

Not only a sense of beauty and elegance is provided to the walls, but the durability aspect is also enhanced. In comparison to dry wall a plastic coating goes on to create a proper finish when it is applied properly. At the same time the walls do become stronger because of the chemical reaction which occurs when water escapes from the plastic mixture. Plastic is resistant to any form of knocks or dents and the backing is responsible for its strength at the same time.

Noise is Absorbed and Prevents Fire

It is obvious on your part to see the difference in case of rooms fitted with plastic in comparison to drywall. In fact the traditional version of lime plastic is famous for its fire resistance.

But all is not a bed of roses as far as interior plastering is concerned. There are some drawbacks of it as well. You are likely to face repairing difficulties as well. It is virtually a Herculean task in order to repair the damaged plaster. With the passage of time plaster is known to change its colour, texture and periodic repairs are called for.

Last but not the least it has an expensive proportion. If you compare it to dry wall labouring, plastering of the walls could prove to be a lot difficult. If you are planning to get the walls plastered you would need to avail the services of professionals in this domain. Since it is more of a specialized job, the workers are bound to charge more for the level of services that they offer.

If you are planning to plaster the interiors of your home, do consider the significant aspects of all these compounds. Whatever form of technique you are planning to use needs to be cost effective and is going to make your home much beautiful than before.

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Here is What You Need to Know About Plasterboard Finishing

Plasterboard is needed for making every portion of a house, but you need different finish for different portions. The desired level of finish is predetermined, and it is engineered at the design stage. The decision about plasterboard finishing should not be kept pending till installation or decoration state since that would not yield the desired result. However, for domestic buildings a level 4 finish may just be perfect. Let us look at the levels first.

Level 3

This is for areas that don’t require any decoration. You will find it in areas like above the ceilings, inside the service shafts etc. These areas are not usually painted and decorated, and appearance does not matter much.

Level 4

This is the standard level of finish. This is needed for places where you would expect normal decoration or painting. This is the default level of finish for domestic buildings and offices.

Level 5

This is the highest level of finish. Here the predetermined outcome is to have such a finished surface which is more or less free from blemishes and defects. However, there may be texture variation. Nevertheless, level 5 finish needs to specified.

Realistic Expectations

House owners do have an expectation that the surface of the walls will be completely free from blemishes. This means that plasterboard finishing would be perfect with no defect. But this is unrealistic in nature and is difficult to achieve. A more realistic scenario is to have a surface that does not have any visible joints and has a uniform finish that is serviceable and decorative.

Achieving a level 4 finish

A level 4 finish is the default level and can be used in any place unless level 5 is specified. To achieve this, a three coat system is used. After the first coat of joint cement is employed, all the joints and interior angles are embedded with tape. Thereafter, two more coats of the joint cement is applied over the surface, joints, angles, fastener heads etc. You must see that the joint cement or the plaster you are using is evenly finished and there is no tool mark on the finish.

Unsatisfactory outcome

The house owner may not be satisfied with the appearance of the finish after the job is done. The contractor may then consider upgrading the plasterboard finishing to level 5 by skim coating the surface. This would apparently hide the blemishes, if any, and impart a satisfactory appearance to the walls. Skim coating is done with a plastering material or some kind of a special paint. Though the job does improve the appearance, it is never equivalent to a level 5 finish. It is not possible to achieve a level 5 finish at this stage. You need to have a discussion between the builder, designer, plasterer, framer as well as the decorator to have such a finish. In short, for achieving a level 5 finish and to meet the expectations of the consumer, it must be factored in at the design stage.

When level 5 finish is called for

A level 5 finish may be required in places which are exposed to critical lighting such as spot lights, low angle glancing lights etc and have dark colors. Such lighting arrangements and color combinations tend to highlight blemishes and imperfections. This is why such places call for a level 5 finish. But achieving the finish is easier said than done.

If level 5 is specified, be it in dwelling unit or commercial units, you cannot achieve it singlehandedly. It calls for close coordination between builder, installer, framer, plasterer and the painter.

Achieving a level 5 finish

A three coat system is followed for achieving a level 5 finish too. Here too, after the first coat of join cement is applied, all joints and interior angles are embedded with tapes. A further two coats of joint cement is applied over angles, fastener heads, joints etc. Since the surface is meant for painting, the joint cement must be uniformly finished and free from any tool mark or ridges. The final finish is achieved by applying a specialty paint or by spraying or rolling a plastering material over the surface. However, even that may not be enough. The final outcome may only appear after sanding the required areas. This would only make the surface ready for painting.

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Steps to Select Interior Decorating Services New Zealand

Whether it is a 1000 sq. feet apartment in Auckland or a 2500 sq. feet house somewhere else in New Zealand, it needs to be properly decorated. Decoration does not mean putting up wall hangings and paintings and things like that. It is not a cosmetic procedure. Interior decorators rearrange the whole room and treat the apartment or house as a ensemble of things that need to have a cohesive look. The idea of interior decoration is to arrange everything present in a room in such a way that it creates a vibe that is in keeping with the innate desire of the customer. In doing so, the designer or the decorating service may need to buy new furniture or pieces of decoration that would impart a refreshing look to the room. This calls for years of experience. There are many companies providing interior decorating services in New Zealand. It is good to select one that fulfills the following criteria.

Experience

Experience is the most sought after criteria when you are selecting one from several Interior Decorating Services companies in New Zealand. An experienced interior designer has worked on a number of projects. Such people have comprehensive exposure to various types and sizes of rooms, furniture, choices, habits, locations etc. Such a designer has a developed sense of cohesiveness, arrangement of things, color combinations etc. But, above all, such a designer is usually able to impart a look to your house that best represents your preferences and style. Moreover, he or she can do it at minimum cost and with minimum accessories.

Local

A local interior decorator is always a better choice than a faraway one. A local designer cannot just give a makeover to your home and escape. You can call him or her if any element of the arrangement or decoration does not seem to go well with the room. Decorators often buy furniture or pieces of decoration or other things that they may think as necessary to fill up a void or make up for something. A local decorator cannot just procure a poor quality material, fit it in your room and go away. If the material develops faults, you can call the decorator or just drive in to his place and ask for a replacement. He would have a lot to explain. But you may not expect the same conduct from a far away interior decorating service.

Reference

Whether it is a 1000 feet apartment or a 2500 feet house, it requires a great artistic and aesthetic sense to impart a cohesive look to it. Usually, the bigger the area the more difficult is the task of imparting a consistent look to it. Bigger areas like big apartments or houses often have more and bigger furniture, furnishing and decorative pieces. This makes the task even more challenging. The perfect interior decorator who is at ease in any situation is one who has a great sense of artistic and aesthetic sense. But he or she also needs to have an idea about the financial limits of his or her client, and yet deliver the best possible makeover. So, you need to get references from your neighbors, colleagues, relatives etc about good interior decorating services in New Zealand. Select three to four decorating services after sorting all the designs in your colleague’s or relative’s house. And, yes they must be experienced and local.

Go through Portfolios

Once you have selected some decorating services, call them and ask for their portfolios. They would show you portfolios of houses or apartments that they have decorated. There must be a variety of room and house/apartment sizes in their portfolio. To select the best decorator, it may be a good way to go through designs of homes that come close to yours in terms of size, furniture, choice, decorative pieces and price. Go through these designs minutely and discuss with the designer in the context of your house or apartment.

Negotiate for Price

Now, before selecting one from the Interior Decorating Services New Zealand, you need to negotiate with the service regarding the cost. Keep in mind the blueprint of design/decoration, and negotiate without compromising on the quality of objects to be procured or the look of your refurbished house; you may ill afford to hire an interior decorator service again.