How to Calculate Plastering Quantity During House Construction

Starting a home construction project is like making dreams come true. It's about making a place for memories and stories, not just building walls. Hence, along with a strong and durable structure, you need an elegantly constructed structure. 

Creating beautifully finished buildings with beautiful walls and smooth ceilings takes more than just skilled hands. A detailed knowledge of plastering ratios is necessary for achieving perfection. Plastering is a process that starts with the right mixture of cement, sand, lime and water. In addition to improving the beauty of a structure, plastering gives durability and protection to the surfaces. Thus, it is a crucial component of your home construction projects. 

So, read on to learn about plastering, the materials required for plastering and how to calculate plastering quantity during your house construction because the plastering material calculation plays an important role in the overall cost calculation.

What is Plastering & Its Importance?

In plastering, external and internal walls, ceilings and other surfaces are covered with layers of a paste made of cement, sand, lime, and water to give them a smoother finish. Furthermore, in addition to giving them durability, plastering shields them from environmental conditions.

Materials Required for Plastering

It's crucial that you become familiar with the main plastering materials before you dive deep into the plastering material calculation process.

1. Cement

Cement is the key ingredient of the plastering; it works as a binding agent in the plaster mix, which holds all the other materials together. Cement gives strength and durability to the plaster; hence, carefully calculate the cement required for plaster. Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC), Portland Slag Cement (PSC), and White Cement are the most common types of cement which are used in plastering.

2. Sand

Sand is another key material of the plastering; it gives bulk and workability to the plaster mix. It also helps to reduce cracking and shrinkage; hence, the quality and type of sand influence the overall finishing of the plaster. So, depending on the type of surface being plastered, you have to choose the sand from different grades like coarse, medium, and fine. In addition,

3. Water

Water plays a crucial role in plaster mix to activate the cement and create a workable paste. Water helps activate the chemical reactions in the plaster mix that lead to its hardening and setting. Hence, clean, potable water is used to make the plaster mix. Using estuarine water or brackish water and seawater can impact the performance of your plaster mix. In addition, it’s most important to carefully regulate the amount of water used to make a paste to get the right consistency and workability.

4. Lime

Lime makes the plaster mix more durable and easier to work with. It increases the bond between the surface and plaster and also reduces the chances of cracking.

Plastering Material Calculation

You have to be careful with plastering material calculation to reduce wastage while making a consistent and efficient plaster mix. So, follow the steps below to calculate plaster quantity and the required amount of materials for your home construction.

1. Surface Area Measurement:

First, you have to measure the lengths of the walls and ceilings that need to be plastered. You need that measurement in square meters; hence, to find each area of the surface in square meters, multiply its height and length.

2. Decide the Thickness of the Plaster: 

Determine the desired plaster thickness, such as the plaster thickness of walls and the plaster thickness of the ceiling. Typically, it is expressed in mm-millimeters.

3. Calculate the Volume of the Plaster:

Calculate the plaster quantity or required volume of plaster by multiplying your selected thickness by your total surface area.

4. Consider Wastage: 

It's always beneficial to consider some wastage that might happen while plastering, so add an extra 10% to the estimated volume of the plaster.

5. The Ratio of Cement to Sand: 

Try to choose the best cement-sand ratio for plastering. Depending on the type of plaster, the optimum ratio of cement to sand is different, but generally, for ceilings, it is 1:4, which means one part cement to four parts sand, and for walls, 1:6 (one part cement to six parts sand).

6. Calculate Cement Quantity: 

To determine the cement required for plaster, you have to multiply the plaster volume by the cement-to-sand ratio.

7. Calculate Sand  Quantity:

To find the required amount of sand, multiply the plaster volume by the sand ratio.

8. Calculate the Water Need: 

For plaster, the water-to-cement ratio should be approximately 0.4. So, to determine the amount of water, you need to multiply this ratio with the quantity of cement.

9. For Double-Coat Plastering: 

If your requirement is double-coat plastering, you need double-coat plastering calculation. So, to calculate the double-coat plastering quantity, repeat the calculation for each coat independently and add all the quantities together.

Conclusion

On a final note, when you start building your dream home, think of plastering not just as a technical step but as an essential element that adds strength, durability, and aesthetic appeal to your house. Hence, following the step-by-step procedure to calculate plastering quantity ensures effectiveness and reduces waste while striving for quality. But make sure your measurements are in consistent units, such as meters for length and square meters for area. Remember that these are only recommendations; local building codes and practices may differ for plastering calculation. So, if you are looking for accurate plastering calculations based on your unique project requirements, consulting a technical expert or a reputed construction company like Brick&Bolt is advisable.