A polished plaster finish can be noticed especially when traditional Italian plaster finish is used. Polished plaster covers a wide range of different types of decorative plaster finishes and the most authentic wall and ceiling veneer finish you can have. Venetian Polished plaster consists of mainly marble dust, slaked lime, and marble chips and this is exactly the reason why it has such a distinctive look. The main use of polished plaster is on walls as well as ceilings. Typically applied over a primer as well as a key-coat base, layering can be as many as 4 times. It is also sealed using a layer of wax for added luxury feel and protection to give a stunning finish.

Polished Plaster is an Old World technique that started limestone rocks from rivers or quarries. By the use of heat, water and time, the limestone was turned into an amazing “lime putty”. Mixed with a range of colorants as ground marble dust, and applied via steel trowels with refined artisan techniques, Polished Plaster turns an ordinary wall or ceiling into a masterpiece.

This material creates the distinct translucent texture of polished plaster. For centuries, fine artisans have been creating beautiful walls through the use of limestone plasters coloured with natural ingredients. As you travel through the Mediterranean countries you are able to see these walls, softened with a rich patina by age. But you don’t need to travel to Europe any longer as these plaster techniques are here at ApplicArt. They have caught the attention of Interior Designers and Architects in a major way here in the UK.

Although some Venetian Plasters are polished or “burnished” with a sheen, techniques have been developed to give a multitude of different effects from suede to marble to stone, we even have full rust effect finish that can lend itself as far as you imagination will allow! It is through the artisan’s imagination and the refinement of technique that truly wonderful effects are created. These effects can be used in many styles. Such as our Eco Feel, Fresco feel and Micro feel

The process of making the polished plaster involved cooking the mined limestone (calcium carbonate) in ovens or kilns at between 850-1300 degrees Celsius, producing calcium oxide (quicklime), which is then slaked with water to produce calcium hydroxide. The mixture is then left to mature or age. Roman law required the slaked lime to be aged for a minimum of 3 years. This process is called hydration. The result is lime putty or grasselo, also known as non-hydraulic (it will not cure under water), hydrated, because the lime is chemically bound to the water, or aerial lime because it requires exposure to air to cure. Next, the slaked lime putty is filtered and mixed with marble flour, kaolin, marble dust or quartz to produce a variety of decorative plasters. Atmospheric carbon dioxide cures the lime putty after application by reacting with it to produce calcium carbonate, thereby returning it to its original state and completing the cycle. This final process is called carbonation, and takes some weeks to complete.

We mix and manufacture Polished Plaster in the North West of the UK in Lancashire covering not just Cheshire, South Manchester- Hale, Prestbury and Wilmslow) Merseyside and Cumbria, in fact we support the whole of the UK.

At ApplicArt we not only do decorative wall finishes with our exclusive wide range of Italian Polished plaster & micro cement, we supply and install Topciment products.