How to use alabaster curing time. Alabaster: characteristics and application of the material

Alabaster- one of the oldest building materials, known to craftsmen for more than 5 thousand years. And it is still in demand, despite the appearance of numerous dry building mixtures and the tightened requirements of the construction industry. Why?

Gypsum = alabaster?

People who are not involved in construction sometimes get confused in terms: it seems to some that gypsum and alabaster are synonyms, everyone just calls it the way they are used to, to others that alabaster is the best and high-quality variety of gypsum.

Some even believe that alabaster is a stone from which statues are sculpted, and when crushed, it is used for finishing work, so it is harder and whiter than gypsum.

So what is alabaster?

This is really a "subspecies" of gypsum. Like building plaster, it is obtained from a natural mineral - gypsum stone, both of which are calcium sulfate, onlythe first is dihydrate (CaSO4 2H2O) , aalabaster - semi-aqueous (CaSO4 0.5H2O) .

The mineral is crushed and then fired at a temperature of about 180C.

The grinding of alabaster is finer than that of building gypsum, and therefore this material has less plasticity, but greater hardness.

Also, its unique feature is the drying time - the alabaster mortar sets on average in 5 minutes, that is, much faster than other building mixtures.

These properties narrow the range of uses of alabaster to building and finishing work, while gypsum can be used in many industries, including medicine, jewelry, casting, art, etc.

Characteristics and types of alabaster

The main average characteristics of alabaster are presented in the table below:

Compressive strength	4.0 MPa
Bending strength	2.0 MPa
Binder brand	G5 - G6 for building mixtures, as well as for the production of drywall, gypsum boards and gypsum boards r13–g25 for the production of high strength elements
Water consumption (in terms of 1 kg of dry mix, according to snip)	0.65-0.70 liters
setting time	5-30 minutes from start to finish
fire resistance	n heating up to 700° without damage
Color	White, pearl gray, yellowish, light green, light pink (the color depends on the characteristics of the deposit and, according to experts, does not affect the strength properties of the finished surface)

Since one of the main features of the mixture is speed dial strength, there are three types of alabaster according to the speed of hardening:

Benefits of alabaster

Fast and straight! Due to the speed of setting, the surface can be leveled in just minutes, and after an hour, and even if taken with a margin, it is already ready for further processing.

Alabaster solution has high adhesion and great fit on almost any prepared surface

Frozen alabaster has good strength characteristics. To this day, elements of palaces and temples have been preserved, which are already more than 5 thousand years old, and they are in excellent condition. Drying, the material does not shrink and is resistant to cracks.

hardened alabaster absorbs noise, therefore, it can be used as an auxiliary material for sound insulation.
6 hours exposure to open fire- this is how much alabaster is able to withstand without significant deformations. It does not burn itself and prevents the spread of flame.

As part of the material no chemical additives, it is environmentally friendly and can be safely used in bedrooms, nurseries, etc.
Democratic in comparison with dry building mixtures similar in terms of tasks price.

The use of alabaster

Due to the characteristics of the material, the range of application of alabaster in construction is wide: it is relevant for the production of drywall, is in demand by professional builders, and is also often used by private traders for minor repairs.

Correction of cosmetic wall defects, ceilings and surfaces GKL / GVL. Alabaster mixture is traditionally used to eliminate various chips, dents, cracks, etc.
Preparing surfaces for finishing The alabaster mixture is excellent for puttying walls and partitions in rooms with normal humidity, it is used to prepare surfaces for all types of wallpaper, as well as decorative plaster. Some builders use alabaster even in bathrooms, under tiles, but in this case it is necessary that the material is completely hidden by the cladding and does not come into contact with water. This principle is also true for the kitchen, because alabaster absorbs wet vapors.
Electric installation work Alabaster is the joy of an electrician, the most convenient material that allows you to quickly fix the cable in the wall without the risk that it will move while the mixture dries. In addition, many use it when installing socket boxes, because. even when the plug is roughly pulled out of the socket, the structure, due to the hardness of the alabaster, is guaranteed to remain in the wall, which sometimes more expensive and modern dry mixes cannot provide.
Interior design. When decorating rooms with stucco, a specific problem often arises: cast gypsum elements have a solid weight and therefore must be firmly fixed to the base. This is especially true for ceilings. And alabaster in this case is an ideal option. He will also come to the rescue for masking and repairing small flaws in stucco molding and is indispensable for restoration work.

Preparation for work

When working with alabaster, half of the success depends on the quality of preparation, namely, on the selection of containers and tools.
To make the process easier, consider the following principles.

There is no metal container! Alabaster will firmly stick to the iron walls, which means loss of material, inconvenience and damaged capacity. Plastic dishes are better, but rubber is still the most comfortable option: the solution does not stick to the springy walls, and after finishing work, the dried residues are easily shaken out, for this it is enough to squeeze the form several times and then turn it over. In addition, if desired, special buckets for working with plaster can be purchased at hardware stores.
There is no container with the remnants of the solution right away! The dried mortar accelerates the hardening of the new batch to be mixed.
As for the spatula, they are very convenient. modern instruments from plastic or rubber, the mixture does not stick to them. But a classic steel spatula is also quite suitable, better than a new one: according to the observations of some craftsmen, rust accelerates the setting of an already rapidly hardening mortar

For small mix volumes

Small portions of alabaster are conveniently closed in kapron buckets or compact rubber containers. Often, builders use halves of ordinary children's balls of a suitable diameter.
For stirring "small doses" of the alabaster mixture, a spatula is optimal.

For large volumes

Plastic or rubber bucket line with a single piece of cellophane, dense and without holes, pinch the “tails” to the edges of the container so that the polyethylene does not move during stirring; after use, the film is simply removed from the bucket and thrown away.

It is convenient to stir the solution with a construction mixer, and in its absence, with a drill with a nozzle.

Closing and working with mortar

It is important to answer three questions here: in what proportion to close, how exactly to close and what nuances should be taken into account when kneading?

Actually, the proportions depend on the purposes for which the solution is planned to be used. SNiP recommends the following ratios:

In order not to ruin the material and get a quality solution, strictly adhere to technology.

remember, that the mixture is added to the water, but in no case vice versa!

powder need pour gradually like flour in pancake dough, and mix thoroughly until the mass is homogeneous.

The correct putty mortar has the consistency of mousse or yogurt.

If the solution begins to harden, and you didn't use it or do what you planned just throw it away without trying to "reanimate" by adding water. With alabaster, the principle “she died so she died” is 200% correct, the seized solution is no longer suitable for anything.

When applying the solution, make a note that when it dries, the material increases slightly in volume.

Masters Tips:

1. Theory and SniPs- this, of course, is good, but in practice, alas, the dry mixture can behave differently, it all depends on the brand and even the batch. Therefore, before closing the entire required volume, test with 100 grams of material.

2. For mixing use cold water.

3. When mixing the mortar, it is definitely worth strive for uniformity. However, overdoing it is also fraught: there is an opinion that too long and thorough mixing, especially with a mixer, breaks the structure of the alabaster, as a result of which it loses its strength.

How to prolong the viability of alabaster solution?

Novice craftsmen, as well as private traders without experience and building dexterity, when working with alabaster, often wonder if it is possible to slow down the hardening of the mortar a little.

And there really are such ways. Some of them are quite scientific, some refer to "folk" methods, which, nevertheless, have shown themselves well in practice.

Method 1. Bone glue.

A good old tool, approved by more than one generation of builders. When mixing, any bone-based glue is added, whether it be slightly diluted paint or carpentry. The main thing is the dosage: 2% of the total weight of the mixture.

Method 2. Citric acid

The recipe is as follows: for 0.5 cups of alabaster, take 4-5 grains of citric acid and throw it into cold water while kneading. However, the masters note that, with apparent simplicity, the method is not universal, since the amount of acid must be selected for a specific alabaster mixture, that is, tests and experiments are required.

Method 3. PVA glue

Here the builders are divided into two camps. Some say that 3% PVA per mixture mass gives an excellent result, that is, they prolong the viability of the solution by almost several times and in the future do not affect its strength in any way. Others object to them - they say that the film that PVA forms on the surface during drying can block the evaporation of water, so that recrystallization and coarsening of sodium sulfate hydrate crystals are likely, and this leads to a deterioration in strength characteristics.

How to choose and where to buy?

It would seem that alabaster is a simple mixture, without chemicals, without plasticizers, take the first bag of any brand that comes across and go ahead, because it is difficult to spoil the material. However, there are still nuances in the choice.

Since alabaster is extremely susceptible to moisture, it must be stored in dry rooms. So it is advisable to purchase the mixture in stores, and not in the markets, where the tightness of containers often leaves much to be desired, and even more so not on open-air sites.
Check the integrity of the packaging carefully, because at the slightest violation of it, there is a chance that the material has partially or completely lost its properties.
As simple as the alabaster mixture is, It is worth choosing not only by price, but also by the manufacturer: large manufacturers are a priority, since they, thanks to an established and regulated production, are ready to ensure quality stability, while for noname brands, the quality can greatly “dance” from batch to batch.
Give back preference for brands, on the packages of which the proportions for mixing their mixture are indicated, because, despite the norms of SNiP, recommendations may vary.

For more than one millennium, this unique building material has been used in the construction and repair of premises, for decoration, the manufacture of sculptures and vessels. Alabaster, which is often called building gypsum, is aesthetically pleasing and easy to process.

About the intricacies of breeding alabaster

The main feature of water mixtures with alabaster is their rapid solidification. This circumstance should be taken into account before proceeding with its breeding. In addition, the setting speed leads to the formation of hardened residues of the mixture in containers from under it. Therefore, sometimes it is not easy to remove them from metal buckets and tanks.

To save yourself from mistakes when breeding alabaster, you must:

prepare the mixture in small portions to prevent it from setting before five minutes
for breeding, it is better to use containers made of rubber or silicone, which are easy to clean
put a plastic bag inside the container, the upper edge of which is securely fixed before stirring
strictly observe the ratio of alabaster and water for the preparation of a specific solution
pour dry alabaster into water gradually, stirring constantly until a mass is obtained without lumps and bubbles

At what proportions is building gypsum obtained

Building gypsum can be prepared for various finishing operations. For each of them, the regulatory documentation provides for certain requirements for the preparation of an asbestos solution. So, if it is supposed to be used to fill the strobes when performing work related to the laying of electrical wiring, one kilogram of alabaster should be diluted in half a liter of water.

In the case of preparing a plaster mortar based on alabaster and lime, a kilogram of dry powder is diluted in 650 grams of lime mortar or water. A liquid putty mortar, with which uneven walls are leveled, a kilogram of dry building gypsum is poured into a liter of water.

The main thing when breeding alabaster is pouring the dry mixture into water. If this is done in small portions while stirring, the formation of lumps is minimized.

However, a quality solution is also provided:

using mechanical tools in the form of a drill with nozzles for stirring
moistening the alabaster while stirring by hand, after which it is intensively stirred with a spatula
the inadmissibility of diluting the mixture that has seized with a liquid due to loss of quality

The main property of alabaster is the ability to quickly harden, mixing with water. This creates a hard, stone-like surface. Thanks to these properties, he finds wide application in various industries construction, industrial production, art. With its help close up seams in surfaces, openings and roughnesses.

When conducting electrical wiring with alabaster, wires and cables are fixed in specially prepared grooves. They putty walls and other surfaces of premises, various building structures.

However, ordinary alabaster quickly sets and hardens, after which it is not recommended to re-mix it with water. The quality of such a mixture deteriorates sharply.

Experienced craftsmen have their own methods for extending the action of the finished solution. According to one of them, a small amount of wallpaper glue is added to a container with such a solution.

After that, it is tightly closed with a piece polyethylene film. Masters claim that this allows, without losing the quality of the alabaster mixture, to increase its setting time.

Types of alabaster

Different types of alabaster, as a natural mineral for the manufacture of building gypsum, are mined in many countries.

So calcite alabaster is formed by flows of calcareous waters and sediments. It can have various, mostly greenish hues. Breaks down on impact of hydrochloric acid unlike gypsum alabaster.

Gypsum alabaster is the main raw material for the manufacture of gypsum. As a result of its processing at high temperature in special devices, a powder-like binder gypsum for construction is obtained. If it is subjected to finer grinding, the resulting powder can be used for molding operations. Specially purified raw materials are used for the production of gypsum for medical purposes.

There are rare forms of alabaster. In Italy, China and the USA, in addition to white, pink and black alabaster is also mined. There is a reddish and brown alabaster.

The setting time varies:

fast-hardening, which begins to harden after a couple of minutes and finally sets in a quarter of an hour
normally hardening with the onset of setting no earlier than six minutes later and the final hardening in half an hour
hardening slowly, which begins to set no earlier than twenty minutes

For the most part, the powder of modern building gypsum is white color. The most applicable in the construction of such gypsum, which is marked G-5, G-6.

This alabaster is widely used for:

plastering work in dry rooms
preparation of putty and plaster mixtures according to special recipes
production of partition panels based on gypsum
dry plaster sheet
various types of drywall sheets
gypsum fiber boards and gypsum boards

Such building gypsum is used where high strength characteristics of the material are not required. Due to the presence of a coarse-grained component, it has lower strength and greater porosity.

To meet the needs of industries that need high-strength molds for casting parts for various purposes, performing special work, it is necessary to opt for alabaster, which is highly durable, marked from G-13 to G-25. Such material complies with modern safety and construction standards.

The cost of quality alabaster

Ordinary building alabaster is considered relatively inexpensive building material which makes it extremely popular in the market. It is sold mainly in strong paper multi-layer bags, designed for 5-50 kg. One kilogram of ordinary building gypsum grade G-5 can cost an average of 5-15 rubles.

Alabaster, characterized by high strength, is significantly superior to ordinary building gypsum. They are made from gypsum stone, both using traditional technologies and complex chemical and technological processes.

Therefore, such materials are indispensable for:

completion of drilled wells in the oil and gas industry
production of ceramic products and sculptural works
manufacturing elements decorative design building objects
in medicine for the manufacture of orthopedic and dental prostheses
molding castings in the manufacture of jewelry
high-strength molds for the needs of some industries

Modern building materials are diverse and their diversity causes surprise and confusion when choosing. Masters use both new materials and very old ones, which have been known since ancient times, such as gypsum or alabaster.

Often the question arises, is there a difference in the compositions? What mixture to apply in this or that case? To do right choice, it should be understood how gypsum differs from alabaster.

Building mixtures: alabaster and gypsum what is the difference

You can figure out what the difference between alabaster and gypsum is after a detailed study of the methods for obtaining one or another dry mixture and the scope of these compositions.

Gypsum, what is it? Dry composition based on natural natural gypsum stone, extracted from sedimentary rocks, crushed into a fine powder, is called gypsum. It is odorless and unaffected by high temperatures and high humidity. Gypsum is a hypoallergenic building material for humans and is completely harmless.

Gypsum pretty widely used in Everyday life of people. It is used in construction work, it is the basis for the manufacture of gypsum boards. It is used as finishing material. The most finely ground mixture, powder, is used in medicine, as a fixing material in traumatology and dentistry.

For designers, artists, sculptors, all people involved in creativity and art gypsum universal material allowing to embody the most daring creative ideas. Gypsum stucco is used to decorate the facades of buildings from the outside.

as material gypsum has plasticity. Dries fairly quickly. After drying, the gypsum may slightly increase in volume, this quality should be taken into account. The dry mixture of gypsum is practically not stored due to its hygroscopicity. The ability to absorb moisture and quickly harden inside the package is very high. The composition should be stored in dry rooms.

Alabaster - what is it

Alabaster is the Latin name for the dry mixture from which the vases were made. In a word, alabaster is called rock, which consists of fine-grained gypsum. Alabaster in its composition contains a powder of fine fraction extracted from gypsum stone.

But in its manufacture use high temperatures, grinded raw materials are fired, the output is a gypsum mixture with new technical characteristics. Its second name is building gypsum.

Alabaster becomes the hardest compared to gypsum. The curing of the composition is faster. Choosing alabaster as a composition that levels the surface of the walls, you can plaster the walls in twenty minutes. Alabaster mixture has several advantages:

more resistant to high temperatures;
has the ability to regulate the humidity in the room;
completely safe for humans.

The use of alabaster in construction and finishing works is widespread. In electrical work for fixing electrical wires due to rapid hardening, it is convenient to use alabaster solution. The use is more expedient for sealing seams, chipped sections of the wall and cracks.

The composition penetrates deeper inside the crack. This means that the binding will more reliable and better. Expose beacons and slopes with alabaster, because the composition has a high hardness and dries quickly. Alabaster is used for puttying walls and structures that enclose or divide a room.

Building plaster, alabaster, use for decorating rooms and production of decorative items. Alabaster, the use of which is widely used in the manufacture of vases, figurines and various crafts being polished. Products are polished according to old methods, using horsetail or scraping.

For better polishing use crushed mother-of-pearl. The only requirement for using items in the interior will be the humidity of the room. With high humidity in the premises, the characteristic properties of alabaster are lost until destruction. And also rather dry air can lead to cracking of the material.

Building gypsum quick-drying composition to change this property into alabaster add polymer impurities. A mixture with various additives has about twelve varieties. One or another composition differs in its hardness and hardening time. The hardened composition of alabaster is light, no changes in volume or shape occur, there is no shrinkage.

The working composition of alabaster is obtained by adding a certain amount of water to a portion of the dry mixture. Any alabaster mortar will be fast-hardening, this must always be remembered.

The solution, which began to harden, cannot be reanimated, it is disposed of. There is a few rules, using which you can avoid unpleasant moments in the preparation and use of the solution:

The solution of the alabaster mixture must be prepared so much that it can be used in six minutes. The portion of the finished mixture will be small.
Alabaster mix is very difficult to clean off plastic or metal surfaces, therefore, it is better to breed alabaster in a container made of rubber or silicone. If there is no rubber or silicone container at hand, then by covering the dish with a plastic bag, you can use a plastic or metal container.
Depending on the application of the building alabaster composition, strictly adhere to the proportions of the dry mixture and water.
In order to avoid the formation of lumps of the solution and the appearance of unnecessary air bubbles, it is necessary to add the dry mixture in small portions to the water, constantly stirring.

To perform various construction works, the proportions of the dry mix and water will be different. Wall plastering with a liquid mortar of building gypsum can be done by diluting alabaster in a ratio of 1:1, 500 grams of alabaster and the same amount of water are taken.

The resulting slurry of building gypsum is suitable for leveling the surface of the walls, as well as leveling the surface of the partitions. A thicker solution of alabaster can be obtained in a ratio of 0.5: 1, i.e. there will be 500 grams of water in the composition, and 1 thousand grams of the dry mixture. With this composition, it is recommended to glue gypsum stucco to walls or ceilings.

For electrical work, a solution of building gypsum is required even thicker. It is this consistency of the composition that will allow you to fix wires or cup holders for sockets and switches in the walls almost instantly. Construction alabaster is diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 2, that is, one part of water and two parts of a dry mixture are taken.

It is necessary to dilute the dry mixture room temperature water. If the water is hot, then the diluted mixture will shorten the hardening time. After completing all work, immediately wash all tools in warm water. Complete drying of the solution on the instruments will not allow it to be cleaned. The composition hardens and sticks to the tools "tightly".

Building material based on natural stone versatile and time tested. Alabaster products and mixtures will not lose their uniqueness. Alabaster is easy to work with. The combination of aesthetics, accessibility, range of applications and high-quality results, building gypsum for a long time will take its high place in the variety of building materials.

Often, when making various crafts, the instructions in the instructions are not entirely complete. For example, when making a tree from beads, it is recommended to use alabaster for the base, ground, and trunk of a tree. And how alabaster is bred, the instructions for the master class do not say.

In order to correct this injustice, we will create a separate instruction that tells about this process.

What is alabaster and how is it different from alabaster

Don't think there is a mistake here. Indeed, there are two materials, with completely different properties, called by the same word - "alabaster". There is a mineral, calcium carbonate, from which vases, funerary vessels, and sculpture were made in antiquity. He can be different colors- from white to black - and has some transparency for light, which, however, was quite enough to fill window openings in churches in the Middle Ages.

The translucent material is also called alabaster onyx. Today, various decorative items are also made from calcite alabaster. This material is relatively hard (3 on the mineralogical hardness scale) and is processed with tools - cut, polished. Naturally, we are not talking about diluting calcite alabaster with water.

More common and habitually associated with the word "alabaster" is another material - gypsum alabaster, or simply gypsum. It is well known to those who, one way or another, faced repairs or broke some limb. The material from which the surgeon makes a splint to immobilize a limb or part of the body in case of fractures, sprains or other types of injuries, and the electrician uses to fix the cable in the strobe, is all alabaster. Both of them choose this material because of the property of the gypsum solution to harden in an extremely short time - from 2 to 20 minutes, with the final set of strength within an hour.

Gypsum is made from gypsum stone (alabaster), a mineral from the sulfate class. Natural raw materials are fired and crushed, resulting in a material called β-gypsum. The coarser fraction is used as a binder in mortars, and is commonly referred to as alabaster or building gypsum. A finer grinding material is used for making casts and castings, for example, in the manufacture of plaster moldings This is a molding plaster. From raw materials of high purity and fine grinding, they make material for the needs of medicine. With additional processing of ground gypsum stone, α-gypsum is obtained, which has a greater strength compared to β-gypsum.

Which is better: building alabaster or building plaster

From the foregoing, it is clear that alabaster and gypsum are one and the same, and do not be fooled by “experienced advice” that explains to you the advantages of gypsum over alabaster or vice versa, and also proves that alabaster hardens more slowly than gypsum. The life time of the gypsum mortar depends on the additives added by the manufacturer to the dry mix. And the manufacturer does this in accordance with GOST 125-79, which describes specifications production of gypsum binders. According to the named guest, gypsum mixtures can be of various grades - depending on the strength and three degrees of hardening:

A - fast-hardening, solution life from 2 to 15 minutes;
B - normally hardening (6-30 minutes);
B - slow-hardening (the beginning of hardening - from 20 minutes, the end is not standardized).

Manufacturers can write both “gypsum” and “alabaster” on the packaging, and sometimes even both terms at the same time. Therefore, choose the material for your tasks not by name, but by the technical qualities indicated by the marking. If you need to quickly fix something, for example, plaster beacons or a cable in a strobe, quick-hardening gypsum is suitable for you, and if you want to make something, then normally hardening mixture is better. Molding plaster is more expensive, but if your casting has fine details, then it will be preferable to construction, which has a large grain. Medical is also more expensive than construction, but, apart from the price and the inscription, there are no other differences on the packaging for making crafts from molding.

How to breed alabaster

Well, finally, having understood the nuances of the differences between alabaster and gypsum, let's move on to the procedure for mixing the solution. In fact, if you plan to do something from gypsum and have already bought a bag of dry mix, then this instruction is of no use to you: any manufacturer on the package indicates how and in what proportions the solution is made. In general, this instruction advises to make a solution, taking one part of water and two parts of alabaster.

Do not forget that gypsum hardens in a few minutes, and the main rule when diluting is to make as much mortar as you can work out during the lower hardening time limit, characteristic of the brand of gypsum that you bought. That is, if the package says “from 6 to 30 minutes”, then you need to count on six minutes.

That is why you should not try to plaster or putty with alabaster, they can only fill in small bumps or chips. In prefabricated gypsum putties and plasters, in addition to gypsum, there are additives that slow down the setting process, making work comfortable.

When working with plaster, there are several secrets:

the use of warm water for mortar accelerates the curing time;
attempts to add water to the hardening solution will not lead to anything good;
at home, wallpaper glue can serve as an additive that slows down the hardening of gypsum;

Due to its positive qualities, alabaster is widely used in the construction industry. However, when using it, it is important to be careful, because after the dry powder comes into contact with water, it hardens very quickly. It is this property of alabaster that made it so popular. Therefore, it is used in cases where it is necessary to carry out work quickly and without loss of quality, for example, when laying wires. In this article, we invite you to learn how to breed alabaster.

This material has the following properties:

durability;
when applying the mixture, a flat surface is formed;
strength;
water resistance;
crack resistance;
high degree of sound insulation.

Among the positive aspects of alabaster, the following can be distinguished:

Grab speed. For some jobs, this is very important.
Fire resistance.
When solidified, it does not shrink.
Not dangerous to the human body.
The ability to withstand loads.

Given the fact that alabaster absorbs moisture, it is not recommended to use it in a room with high humidity.

Among the minuses, one can single out poor resistance to dry and humid air. In the absence of moisture, alabaster loses its technical properties and simply crumbles.

As for the proportions, they are prescribed by building codes and regulations. For example, according to SNIP, they are expressed as follows: 650 ml of water or lime mortar should be consumed per 1 kg of dry mix. For fastening the wire during electrical work, 1 kg accounts for 500 ml of water. If it is necessary to obtain a liquid mixture of alabaster, then the proportion is 1: 1.

Unlike other solutions, such as putty, alabaster dries very quickly. For this reason, it is necessary to take seriously the choice of dishes for kneading alabaster dough. It is not recommended to use a metal bowl or bucket. In this case, it will be difficult for you to remove residues from their surface. Therefore, it is best to dilute the solution in a rubber or plastic container. Dried alabaster is removed by compressing the dishes.

If it is necessary to knead in a small portion and once, then lay a plastic bag in any convenient container. Fix the film securely around the edges. When finished, the film is removed.

Alternatively, you can knead in an old rubber ball. To do this, cut it and knead it in the inside. Also can be cut plastic bottle(1.5 or 2 l) lengthwise.

Building alabaster is prepared in different proportions, in relation to water, based on the purpose of its use. So, if it is necessary to align walls or partitions, then the mixture is kneaded 1: 1. to install junction boxes a viscous mass is required - 2: 1.

If during the work the alabaster began to harden, then do not try to add water to it. It should be thrown away immediately.

The kneading process itself boils down to the fact that you add the dry mixture to water, but not vice versa. The process of adding powder should be gradual. Otherwise, there is a risk that the entire mass will be taken in a lump that cannot be broken. As an option for stirring, you can use a drill with a mixer attachment. In this case, you will be able to make a batch without a single lump.

The consistency of alabaster should resemble thick sour cream. For all components of the mixture to react, it is enough to wait half a minute. After that, you can cover up the cracks or perform other actions. All work must be carried out quickly and at the same time accurately.

After finishing work, it is important to thoroughly rinse all tools; it is recommended to wash in warm water.

When mixing, use only cold water at room temperature. Hot water speeds up the setting process several times.

So, we examined with you the features of alabaster for walls, as well as the technique of kneading it. By following all the above recommendations, we hope that you will be able to make the correct kneading of alabaster.