Ready mix plaster is a blend of cement and fine graded sand mixed with polymer additives in right proportions and available in a ready to use form. They are applied by simply mixing water in right proportions. Ready-mix plaster are used extensively in brick works, block work and plastering works. A quality plaster material acts as a skin of the entire structure and protect the structure from rain,sun,snow, moisture etc.
Portland Cement 53 Grade, Grade Sand, fly Ash, Lime and Additive (Fibres , Plasticizers, Water Proofing agent proprietary additives and admixtures for better durability ,added in an automated process.
What makes ready mix plaster a preferred option in place of conventional cement sand plaster?
Conventional cement sand plaster
Plastering is the prime construction activity presenting the exact look and feel of the building interiors and exteriors. The function of plastering is as follows.
- To provide a smooth, even, and durable surface for finishes like Putty/POP, painting, etc.
- They act as a barrier against atmospheric conditions involving moisture, water, snow, heat, dust, etc.
- Plastering can cover the defects, fine cracks, etc developed in the construction.
Ingredients like cement and sand are procured separately, conveyed, and mixed with water in the right proportions before application for conventional plaster.
For maintaining a perfect plaster quality, the sand has to be graded and free from the slit and other organic impurities, etc. The quality is not followed in construction sites which in turn affects the plaster quality. Let us dive into the reasons why readymix plaster is a perfect and quality alternative against conventional cement sand plaster.
Also read : Gypsum plaster – A reliable plastering alternative
Ready-mix plaster vs conventional plaster
Ready-mix plaster is preferred over conventional plaster due to a lot of unique properties which we are going to describe in this articles.
Video on Ready mix plaster vs conventional plaster
Quality of ingredients
The main ingredient used in conventional cement sand plaster is sand. The quality of sand determines the quality and durability of plaster.
| cement plaster | ready mix plaster |
| Sand is obtained from river beds and may contain slit and other organic impurities and most of the times they may not be graded. | Uses cement, clean and fine graded sand, fly ash and polymer additives. |
| May not be able to follow gradation of sand which may lead to cracks and other defects. | Graded sand is used in a ready mix plaster and can ensure quality and compactness in plastering. |
The strength of plaster depends on compactness that requires perfect packing of particles. The compactness of plaster is dependent on the gradation of particles of sand. If sand is not graded it is very difficult to achieve the required compactness which reduces the plaster strength significantly.
Material handling and mixing
| Cement sand plaster | ready mix plaster |
| Ingredients are procured loose, conveyed and mixed at site before application. | Ingredients are available in ready mix form. Only water to be added before application. |
| The quality of ingredients may vary due to possible change in sand sources. Additional labor charges incurred in ingredient shifting and mixing. | The quality of ingredients will be standard. The materials are ready mixed and can be easily conveyed and mixed at site. |
| Ingredient mixing proportions may vary due to manual mixing at the site. Very difficult to maintain proportions of ingredients at the site. | The ingredients are in ready mix form and the proportions will not vary. The proportions are maintained easily and hence the quality of plaster is also excellent. |
Wastage of ingredients
| cement sand plaster | ready mix plaster |
| The main ingredient sand is available in loose form and has to be stored. The wastage of sand is very high in conventional plaster. Cement plaster creates more wastages at site and housekeeping labor cost will be high. | Plaster material is available in ready mix form and very easy to store and convey for works. Ready-mix plaster generates less wastage. Housekeeping labor charges are less compared to cement plaster. |
Ease of application
| Cement plaster adhesion is less and hence application speed is low. and rebound wastage is very high | Ready mix plaster consists of polymer based additives and hence adhesion is very easy and application speed is fast. Rebound wastage is very less compared to conventional cement plaster. |
| Requires a long curing period extending up to 7 days | Polymeric content induces high water retention properties and hence requires on 3-4 days of curing. |
Application of ready mix plaster
Ready mix plaster is used for both external and internal applications.
- Can be applied in both horizontal and vertical planes
- Applied to textures or patterns
- Can be used for plastering in place of conventional plaster
- Can be used for plastering brick wall, AAC blocks, clc blocks, concrete block etc.
Advantages of ready mix plaster
Ready – mix plaster got a lot of advantages that makes it an unique alternative in place of conventional plaster. Here we will list out the advantages.
| particulars | ready mix plaster | conventional plaster |
| Application time | very fast | Takes time |
| Ingredient quality & proportions | Using clean and graded materials and factory mixed | Uses available sand and manual mixed |
| Shrinkage cracks | Minimum shrinkage cracks | High shrinkage cracks |
| Material handling and storage requirements | Available in packets. Easy to handle and store | Available in loose materials. Difficult to store and handle. |
| Wastage | negligible | high wastage |
| Organic efflorescence | nil | May happen due to usage of river sand. |
| sand gradation | Graded | Not graded |
| Rebound wastage | Minimum | Very high |
Application standards
For internal walls : 8-10 mm in single coat
For external walls : 8-10 mm base coat & 8-10 mm top coat with a total thickness of 16-20 mm.
Maximum aggregate size is around 3 mm.
Conclusion
Considering the nonavailability of quality sand ,enormous quality difference , minimal wastage ready mix plaster is widely used now a days . Ready mix plaster is a better and economical choice when compared to conventional plaster.