USG Diamond Veneer Finish – Sanded is an economical and cost-effective solution for providing a strong, hard surface on walls and ceilings. It is preaggregated for use over Imperial® Gypsum Base or as a finish of a two-coat system over a sanded gypsum basecoat, Imperial® Basecoat Plaster, or Diamond® Veneer Basecoat. This plaster offers job site flexibility by allowing work to be halted and easily joined at any point in a room. It is more durable than gauging and lime finishes.
The finish coat of either a one or two-coat veneer plaster system over Imperial or Diamond veneer basecoat is fast applying, sets in 55-75 minutes, and dries for next-day decorating. The USG Diamond Veneer Basecoat is an economical, two-coat drywall finishing plaster that mixes easily and offers exceptional coverage. It produces a uniform base with regulated suction for constructing quality.
LM Construction provides tailored dry wall and plaster services, including DIAMOND® interior finish plaster. Interior plaster is an art form with a choice of smooth trowel or textured finishes. The finish coat of either a one- or two-coat veneer plaster system allows for finishing flexibility.
Diamond interior finishing plaster is an abrasive-resistant finish on interior walls and ceilings, harder than regular gauging and lime putty finishes. It provides excellent coverage, covering up to 6,000 square feet per ton. The plaster dries in as little as 24 hours and finishes smooth, but can be job-aggregated with clean silica sand to create a textured finish.
📹 How to Skim Coat with Diamond Veneer Plaster | NO DUST
In this video, you’ll learn how to skim coat with Diamond Veneer Plaster including water troweling to a smooth finish. NO DUST!
What is diamond plaster finish?
USG Diamond® Veneer Finish Plaster is a plaster system designed for ease of use and improved abrasion resistance compared to gypsum panels. The recommended spacing for control joints is 30 feet for walls and ceilings, and 50 feet for ceilings with perimeter relief. USG Red Top® Brand Finish Plaster can be applied over Veneer Basecoats, as mill-mixed plasters or other job-site lime/gauging plasters.
How do you clean diamond plaster walls?
Polished plaster walls can be cleaned to enhance their appearance or remove stains. However, due to their strength and delicate nature, it is essential to use gentle cleaning methods. A mild soapy detergent and damp cotton cloth can be used to wipe down the walls, while a microfiber dusting cloth can be used to dust them. It is important to use gentle cleaning products to maintain the appearance of the walls. Most Venetian plaster walls are sealed with a special wax, making daily maintenance easier.
What is the difference between diamond plaster and venetian plaster?
Diamond plaster is a decorative wall finish that is more subtle and understated than venetian plaster. It resembles a honed marble, with fewer trowel marks and a smoother texture. This makes it a more subtle and understated choice for walls, as it is more aesthetically pleasing and less polished than venetian plaster. Diamond plaster is a popular choice for its smooth, honed appearance, making it a popular choice for those looking for a subtle and elegant wall finish.
What is the best finishing plaster?
Thistle plaster is a finish plaster that bonds to both interiors and exteriors, bonding better to interiors than browning plaster. It is the finishing coat for any plastering job and dries harder than browning plaster, but not as hard as bonding plaster. Thistle is suitable for small repair jobs, minor cracks, holes in walls, and repairing wooden laths and frames. It is known for its strength, resistance to fire fumes, chemicals, and acids, and is considered a good finish plaster. Carlite plaster is another excellent type of plaster, often used after applying thistle to cover up imperfections in the background.
What are the disadvantages of Venetian plaster?
Venetian plaster is a timeless and elegant decorative element that has been used in interior design for centuries. However, it comes with its own set of disadvantages, including high costs, time-consuming application processes, and limited DIY possibilities. Despite these drawbacks, Venetian plaster offers a timeless elegance that adds a touch of classic elegance to any room. It has been used in palaces and prestigious buildings, making it a popular choice for those seeking a unique blend of aesthetics and functionality in their living spaces. However, it is important to consider the pros and cons of using Venetian plaster to make an informed decision that fits your style and needs.
What is the best plaster to buy?
Gypsum plaster is an easy-to-use, quick-drying, and easy-to-sand option that can be used in interiors. It is not recommended for exterior use or areas with high moisture levels. Venetian plaster, made from slaked lime, marble dust, and pigments, is a decorative finish with unique layered colors and textures. Lime plaster is a durable, breathable option that allows moisture to pass through and has excellent self-healing properties. It re-crystallizes to fill minor cracks and develops a hard, polished finish when properly cured.
What is the difference between diamond and imperial plaster?
DIAMOND Brand Finish Plaster is a user-friendly and straightforward to implement coating material, whereas IMPERIAL Brand Finish Plaster provides a more robust, impact-resistant finish, rendering it a prevalent selection for external coats in two-coat systems.
Why is Venetian plaster so expensive?
Venetian plaster installation costs include materials, labor, and size, with larger projects requiring more materials. The cost per square foot is $10 to $25, with larger spaces requiring more time and materials. Application materials include sandpaper, painting primer, colorant, topcoat, and plaster, along with tools like a steel trowel or drywall knife and paintbrush, which can cost $60 to $200 depending on their quality, type, and amount. A plaster repair professional can estimate the cost for your specific job.
Is plaster finish expensive?
The cost of plastering per square foot is contingent upon the necessity of resurfacing. The average cost of resurfacing is approximately $10 per square foot, while the average cost of plastering is between $2 and $5 per square foot.
Which type of plastering is best?
Gypsum plastering, also known as plaster of paris, is a popular technique in the construction industry that involves applying a thin cover of plaster, a mixture of lime or cement, sand, and water, over the exposed surfaces of walls, ceilings, or partitions. The primary purpose of plastering is to provide a smooth and seamless finish, concealing brickwork, concrete, and other materials. Despite its aesthetic appeal, plastering plays a vital role in construction in terms of protection, durability, levelling, and alignment of walls and ceilings.
There are several types of plaster, each serving different needs, environmental conditions, and aesthetic preferences. Some of the most commonly used types include:
- Gypsum plaster: This type of plaster is a blend of lime or cement, sand, and water, which provides a smooth, polished appearance. It is a popular choice for interior surfaces due to its smooth texture and ability to dries quickly.
Can you sand diamond plaster?
The Diamond Veneer Finish—Sanded is recommended for interior wall and ceiling surfaces, as well as over properly prepared monolithic concrete.
📹 Diamond Sure-Cote Veneer Wall Plaster
Diamond Sure-Cote Veneer Plaster is a high quality polymer enhanced cementitious veneer plaster which provides a rock hard …
Hello! great article…. I just had a couple questions! How do you know when to start layer two ? is layer one a certain consistency at that point that you can check before starting layer two? Also, have you ever tinted the plaster so its a final finish instead of painting over? If so what product do you use?
Gypsum and plaster of paris are completely different products. Plaster of paris may well be used as an excilerator in this product, and can be used as such with drywall spackeling compound as well. The dry mix quick set drywall mixes are simply dry mix spackle with various amounts of Plaster of paris mixed in based upon the desired set up time. The felt brushes are fine for brushing over the finish product in order to make a more uniform look. But back in the day we used 10″ bristle brushes for trowling. We used soaked lime mixed with gauging plaster and applied over a gypsum brown coat. So as an old plasterer, i will say you did pretty well on this job.
Very nice, there are so few articles about working with Diamond Veneer outside of Kirk Giordano, and his method is very unorthodox: he doesn’t double back a second coat or water trowel, and I am not sure how he is smoothing out his wet plaster without tearing a bunch of it off, which is what happened when I tried it. I do wish you had shown more about how you worked around that outlet, especially the narrowest part underneath it. One issue I have had is my Diamond is curing a bit chalky, and can be scratched with a fingernail. My only thoughts are I used too much water while smoothing, or over troweled while it was still wet, or maybe spread it too thin, would any of those cause this problem?
How about Plaster Weld (pink stuff) to prep wall. I like that you can water trowel it. Looked like you were burnishing it. If skill set for application not 100% I still think its manageable. All depending on the size of area. It’s doable for must DIY’ers with half decent skill set. Nice job. I like the explanation on what to see and expect using this product.
I intend to add a diamond veneer skim coat over existing plaster. I have closed in a couple of doors with sheetrock and have brought everything level with the existing plaster with stuctolite. The existing plaster finish is old world and my intent is to plaster weld and apply diamond veneer without a base coat. I am okay with it having an imperfect smooth look. You stated in the comments that a base coat is preferred but is it necessary for my application?
Good article. For me, I’d double up the first wall you did. Leaving it for too long before doubling it will surely result in the first pass pulling, resembling a tearing effect. You don’t want the first pass to sit too long, and it’s never too quick to make a second pass. For the color change…you want to have your first trowel down before it turns gray, then a second and third trowel after the color darkens. Easier to work with then. Also, square edged trowel…I know Kirk G likes the pool trowels, but they’re limited in their uses. Pool trowels tend to be too flexible. A less flexing, more stiff trowel is best. Curry, Marshalltown and Ox make good trowels. Good article, keep up the good work! Steve.
Thank our. Unsure if you know what tools to use to apply very very stiff lime plaster. Iam having to check with Japanese Jigane trowel, or I cut a piece of hot rolled mild steel and make my own trowel. Mild steel at 2mm thick is stiff blade and grips lime plaster better than stainless or carbon steel. Great real life articles you do. Thanks.
I have a question about the diamond plaster finish wall damage from water leak. It’s hard to find good information about this. We had the walls done with the whole metal base mesh, coating, etc., and a few months later we had a water leak that was hard to fix and as a result we ended up with a stained diamond plaster in that area. Our contractor said to paint over it, but then you will see the difference between the beautiful, satin finish diamond plaster, and the paint. You’re applying the plaster veneer right onto the previous surface. Can the that be done to the diamond plaster? The plaster has not bubbled or flaked or cracked, it’s just badly stained.
Hello I ran into a snag, when I applied my second pass I waited about 20 minutes however my product didn’t go on smooth and my product started to turn gray to quickly, so I wet-troweled what I could as fast as I could before the product hardened but I didn’t get to the entire wall in time. Did I wait too long for my second pass and how do I correct this after the product cures? The bottom of the wall is fairly smooth the top o the wall is rough.
Thank you for the article. Is there a reason that you did not use the base veneer product first? I am a first-timer and trying to cover a cement board with plaster (trying to blend one wall of the bathroom where we have installed cement board to the rest of the bathroom that is plaster). USG recommended the base coat first and then moving along to the finish. I realize the bonding agent is key, but am wondering if they are upselling me with the base coat. Thanks again for the great tutorial!
Great article. It has helped me tremendously in my first attempt at plastering and using the Diamond Veneer. I know it’ll be far from perfect, but what the hay. One of my issues is clean up. When I get ready to clean my tools I find the DV had hardened to where it is the hardest part of the job, the clean up. How do you handle this part? Getting my mixer clean would be easier with C4. 😂
nice. years ago I did some plastering after picking up some tips from Walter and Wally Walden (SP?) in Philadelphia. I believe they used sheep shit for a retarding agent when they used one. They started with a pile of sand and plaster for a base coat. They were like third generation plasterers. They were simply incredible. I did 3 coat plaster pretty well but never achieved their level of speed. They were real artists and I was simply an imitator. I used to buy plaster lathe and soak it in water on occasion but mostly used wire. Fast forward 34 years and I have to do some repair work in our basement and really I’ve never used a Diamond finish so it was useful to see your article. I appreciate your comment about the bonding agent and dye. It’s interesting to see people using the rounded edge trowels. I always used the old Marshall square trowels and after a while it had a naturally slightly round corner and a flair to it from use. I used to have buckets of lime putty ready for jobs…. the material just spoke to me and brushing out and troweling was of course challenging but rewarding. Unless you have or develop a knack for it I’m not sure it is something you can explain. For me, the material just spoke to me. Sorry for the ramble..
Why do you not apply a pigment to the final coat so you do not have to paint it. If you go to all the trouble to do a lovely hand troweled wall I want to see the variations in the plaster and put a mat sealer on for protection. I just want a slightly different tone than the Grey of the Diamond Veneer.
Gréât vidéo and learned lots. I live in an apt that was built in 1910. Most walls are plaster except for a closet that was added to my foyer in the 1980’s. The closet has drywall that I would like to skim coat with Diamond veneer plaster in order to match the rest of the walls. Any insight or tips would be greatly appreciated!
Would you use a pool trowel to apply a skim coat plaster containing lime and silica sand ? Which is a good Pool trowel ? What is the procedure to apply the skim coat ? How would you apply a very very very stiff almost ‘water free’ lime base coat e.g. 8×3 inch Midget trowel or a Japanese Jigane trowel or other ?thank you for your help.
Great article! Thanks for making! Quick question I hope you can answer: What if you’re doing a large wall and can only do it in smaller sections? What happens if the first section is completed and you’re ready to start the next? Can you overlap newer diamond over previous? Or do you need to re-apply bonding agent on the previous section before overlapping? Instructions say not to overlap but I’m sure you’re encountered this before?
Thank you for sharing this article. The details you include in the narrative and the camera work and angles helped me immensely to take on and accomplish a remodel job where the homeowners wanted a diamond veneer finish as opposed to drywall joint compound (my greater experience). I used both a square trowel and a pool trowel for the application and found the pool trowel much better for me to work with, except the corner areas of course. Would you please tell me where I can find the the type of work lights you use? Thanks again and much respect.
i don’t know where you learned this method my friend,any qualified good plaster’ needs only one coat,and could have probably done a small house in the time it took you to tape everything off.You are just a rookie if you asked me.Be careful and watch a few of these article’s not just one if you plan on doing something like this:face-blue-wide-eyes: yourself,i don’t recommened tacking this because you better know what your doing to take a project like this people,just my option