Cracks at the joints of gypsum boards will not appear if you glue fiberglass under the putty
It can be very disappointing when, after the end of a long and expensive repairs Cracks suddenly appear on the ceiling or walls in those places where the joints pass between sheets of plasterboard or other facing material. To prevent this from happening, experienced builders It is recommended not to limit yourself to serpyanka mesh for reinforcing seams, but to completely cover the surfaces with fiberglass with your own hands.
Gluing fiberglass is much easier than wallpaper, it takes little time, but you can rest assured of the quality of the finish and not be afraid that due to shrinkage of the house or temperature changes, repairs will soon be needed again. Let's find out what kind of material this is, how it “works” and what is needed to install it.
Fiberglass
Fiberglass is non-woven material made of fiberglass, externally resembling a thin “blotter”. It is produced by pressing rather than interweaving fibers. By itself, it does not have strength and breaks easily, but after gluing to the surface, provided that the technology is strictly followed, it forms a reinforcing coating that is very resistant to deformation.
Fiberglass is sold in rolls of 45-50 meters with a width of 1 meter, and may differ in density. It has a front and back side, which must be taken into account during installation.
The price of the material is low; depending on the density, a roll can cost from 300 to 1000 rubles. This is not something to skimp on, as repeated repairs resulting from cracks will cost much more.
Auxiliary materials and tools
Of course, the fiberglass itself will not stick to the wall; this requires special glue and standard set tools:
- Glue sometimes comes complete with fiberglass. If this is not the case, buy glue for glass wallpaper - no other glue, including PVA or composition for heavy wallpaper, is suitable;
Note. Counting required amount glue, multiply the consumption stated for glass wallpaper by 1.5-2, since fiberglass has high absorbency. In addition, the instructions require that the already glued sheets be coated with adhesive on top.
- To apply glue, which has a fairly thick consistency, to the surface it is best to use a wide brush;
- It is convenient to smooth fiberglass with a special plastic wallpaper spatula, which experts call a “shark fin”;
Wallpaper spatula and lines along which it expels air from under the canvas
- You will also need a sharp painting knife and a long ruler or wide spatula for joining the canvases and trimming overlaps.
Installation technology
In progress self-repair Many questions often arise.
In our case, the most important ones are the following:
- How to prepare a surface for fiberglass reinforcement;
- How to glue it correctly;
- Is it necessary to putty the fiberglass before finishing?
We will answer in this order.
Preparing walls for reinforcement
Before gluing fiberglass to a wall or ceiling, the surface must be leveled with putty (see Leveling walls with putty according to all the rules). This stage can be skipped only if it has already been puttied earlier and the coating is smooth and durable.
It is allowed to have no large cracks thickness no more than 1 mm.
- Large cracks on the plastered surface are opened and sealed in several steps with putty or special composition for seams;
- Joints between sheets of plasterboard (see How to putty joints of plasterboard according to technology) and other sheets facing materials, as well as the places where they are attached to the frame, are also puttied, and the seams are necessarily reinforced with serpyanka;
- After the “patches” have dried, the entire surface is leveled with putty and sanded until a flat plane is obtained;
Fiberglass, or gossamer, is a thin non-woven sheet of pressed fiberglass threads. It is produced in rolls 1 meter wide and 20 or 50 meters long. Unlike glass wallpaper, this material is not intended for finishing, but for protection against cracks on walls and ceilings.
Fiberglass varies in density: the thinnest (20-25 g/sq. m) is best suited for painting, and the denser (50 g/sq. m) is recommended for better reinforcement if there are visible cracks on the surface.
This material will hide flaws and imperfections in surfaces, prevent the formation of microcracks, while allowing the walls to breathe. It is absolutely natural and environmentally friendly, does not rot, prevents the appearance of fungus, is resistant to wear and fire, is not sensitive to many chemicals and is suitable even for rooms with high humidity.
Many, and especially happy owners of housing in new buildings, are familiar with the sad consequences inevitable shrinkage walls - a network of small and sometimes quite impressive cracks. To correct such a defect, all that remains is to start the repair again.
Therefore, covering walls and ceilings with fiberglass is The best way save your time, nerves and budget, especially since this process does not require highly qualified performer. Remember that the pasted surface will not crack later.
Application
Fiberglass can be glued to almost any surface. This is necessary to increase the strength of putty and decorative plaster; if there is a fear of cracking, then it is also used before painting the coating.
Note: The fiberglass canvas has a front and back side. The facial one is usually located with inside roll, it feels smoother to the touch. The reverse side, on the contrary, is more fleecy. Accordingly, it adheres better to the surface being pasted.
However, as practice shows, failure to comply with this rule will not lead to dire consequences if the glue is applied in sufficient quantities and the material adheres tightly to the surface over the entire area.
Tip 1: It is better to work with gloves and a respirator: small particles of fiberglass, although not toxic, are very irritating to the skin and respiratory tract.
Tip 2: It is not recommended to glue fiberglass under wallpaper. The drying process usually takes a long time and bubbles may form as a result.
Preparing the surface for gluing
Puttying walls and ceilings
Before starting work, it is advisable to fill the walls and ceilings with finishing putty (Vetonit LR+ is ideal), since small unevenness can cause the appearance of bubbles and voids, which will negatively affect the final result.
Immediately before gluing, the surface is treated with a primer. Don't forget to close all the windows: there should be no drafts in the room, just like when hanging regular wallpaper.
Working with drywall
If fiberglass is glued to a plasterboard surface, all seams are first sealed with strong putty, and the sheets are glued so that their joints do not end up in the same place as the joints of the plasterboard sheets.
It is better to try to glue the sheets onto the drywall end-to-end and without trimming, as far as possible: the surface is covered plasterboard sheet, it may crack at the pruning site, especially with frequent changes in humidity in the room.
Pasting
It is better to use ready-made glue. It is sold in buckets. For example, you can choose KLEO Ultra. If you purchased dry glue, dilute it in the specified proportion and add a little PVA glue at the end at a rate of 1:6 for stronger and more durable gluing.
The most important thing is to choose a special glue for glass wallpaper. No other composition is suitable for such materials. The glue is thickly applied to the surface, the cut fabric is glued and leveled using a wallpaper spatula from the middle to the edges.
Joining fiberglass is much easier than ordinary wallpaper: the canvases can be glued overlapping and you can cut through both layers, removing the excess - the joint will be invisible. There is no need to press hard on the blade; the material is cut very easily.
If the glue on the surface is not applied thickly enough, you can lubricate the pasted canvas with it and rub it in with a wallpaper spatula.
It is important to know that on internal and external corners, especially if they are not ideal, it is better to cut the fiberglass to avoid the appearance of voids. Cracks in the corners are glued with sickle tape or paper tape in advance, and the corners are leveled. The same applies to the junction of the wall and ceiling, if the installation ceiling plinth there are no further plans.
Finishing
After complete drying, which takes about a day, the surface can be puttied. For ideal preparation for painting, apply two layers of fine putty (for example, Sheetrock), allowing each layer to dry completely, and sand the surface with fine sandpaper. Immediately before painting, we treat the material with a primer.
If putty is undesirable due to tight deadlines, and from excess dust, which is inevitable during sanding, it is permissible to paint the surface covered with fiberglass without puttying.
Minimum necessary preparation in this case, apply highly diluted glue to the pasted surface. Such impregnation will reduce paint consumption, but will not eliminate the visible texture of the cobwebs even if painted several times. Therefore, if your goal is a smooth surface, you cannot do without putty.
I recommend watchingBy mistake, for gluing the ceiling, instead of fiberglass with a density of 25, I purchased a lot of 50. Please tell me whether such fiberglass will hold up or is it better to replace it with 25. And also tell me what is better to use for priming the ceiling: primer or diluted glue? Ceiling – plastered and puttied concrete plates, there are small cracks at the joints.
There is no particular error. For similar works Both fiberglass with a density of 25 g/m and 50 g/m are quite suitable. If you have already purchased higher density material, use that. It is more profitable to use fiberglass canvas of lower density, since it costs much less. You should also take into account the glue consumption: for 50 pieces it will be required an order of magnitude more. In your case, 25 would cope with the task, because... there is no serious damage to the ceiling. Fiberglass with a density of 50 g/m is used for large cracks and other significant defects in the ceiling, since it is more durable.
Usually, in a new house, the walls shrink for several years, and cracks appear accordingly; fiberglass will cope perfectly with cracks not only visually, but will also prevent them from expanding.
Fiberglass, according to manufacturers, is made of natural materials, non-toxic, air and vapor permeable, just like regular wallpaper. However, unlike the latter, it reinforces walls and ceilings, is not afraid of chemical reagents, is not static, and is less susceptible to mechanical damage
Preparation for work is extremely simple: large cracks must be widened and cleaned of “splinters”, i.e. remove everything that crumbles or crumbles. Small cracks also need to be inspected and checked for chips with a spatula.
You can prime it with the most common primer deep penetration on acrylic base
The primer will provide reliable adhesion and protection against bacteria and fungus. You can use adhesive solution, but a primer will be better.
It is not necessary to use special glue (for example, Wellton GW300-k). Regular will do PVA
We cover the places of large cracks with pieces of reinforced fiberglass; it is not necessary to seal small ones.
If the canvas roll has bad edges, it’s okay, glue it overlapping, without smoothing the joint too much, then immediately stationery knife a slit is made in 2 sheets and the excess is removed.
Fiberglass web has proven itself as a finishing material and has helped get rid of many problems. Today, even in new apartment There are many problems with repairs. Cracks appear on the walls or ceiling, which are very difficult to get rid of. Even if you plaster them repeatedly, they will appear again. The web mesh is designed to change the situation. The popularity of this material is growing more and more. Its use avoids possible problems further. And it is very easy to glue it. The main thing is to do everything right.
Fiberglass, one of the varieties of materials for puttying or painting. It is a thin non-woven sheet that is pressed from fiberglass threads. It looks like a grid. This material is being manufactured roll method, one meter wide and twenty and fifty meters long. It should be borne in mind that this material is not intended for finishing. Its area of application is to protect surfaces from cracks.
The web has a density from 20 g/m2 to 60 g/m2. For painting, a mesh of lower density is used, for reinforcement of a higher density. This material allows you to hide microcracks and also allows the walls to breathe. The complete naturalness of the material does not disturb the environmental conditions of the room. When used, the appearance of fungus is prevented; it does not react with chemicals. Can be used in areas with high humidity.
Fiberglass web adds increased strength to the base and prevents cracks Areas of use
This material can be glued to any surface. It gives increased strength to plaster and putty. If necessary, it can be applied before staining. Very often, cobwebs are used before wallpapering. But this can lead to the formation of bubbles, which appear due to the fact that the drying process takes a very long time.
You should know! Fiberglass has two sides - back and front. They differ in their structure, front side very smooth to the touch. The reverse side has lint, it sticks better. Although there is a correct division into sides, if they are confused, there will be no special consequences. The main thing is to comply required quantity glue and press the material tightly to the surface.
Pasting mixture
The glue for the “web” should be selected correctly. It needs a special one, which is designed specifically for this purpose. There is no need to try to save money and use other types of glue. This can lead to consequences that could not be expected.
The glue is applied thickly, but without excess. It is very convenient that if there is not enough glue, and the mesh is already glued, then you can coat it on top - saturate it. The spider web mixture has the following advantages:
- the glue is completely environmentally friendly;
- leaves no stains or marks;
- final setting time – 2 days;
- does not react to cold.
Rules for applying a web mesh
To glue cobwebs, you don’t need any special skills at all. It is important to follow the rules, which are quite simple. But if you have no experience, then it is best to practice a little. You shouldn’t take on large amounts of work right away. A little patience, and soon everything will work out like real masters.
VIDEO: how to work with fiberglass
The process of applying fiberglass can be divided into several stages. A lot depends on the correctness of their implementation.
- The surface on which this material will be glued is prepared. It is advisable to remove all irregularities, they can cause bubbles. All dirt is washed off with a damp cloth.
- The glue is applied to the wall or ceiling. You shouldn’t skimp on the glue, but you don’t need to use a lot of it either. The fact is that the process of applying a grid is very similar to wallpapering. The same rules apply here.
- A pre-prepared mesh web of the required width is applied to the surface. It is best to ensure that the front and back sides are correct.
- Fiberglass is smoothed out well. If you can’t do it with your hands, you can use a soft cloth. Using a spatula, remove the remaining air. You should move from the middle to the edge. But it's important to be careful. The web can be easily torn, which should be avoided.
- Everything that sticks out is cut off. The glue is applied again. A well-soaked sheet becomes dark.
- Subsequent sheets should be properly glued overlapping. Drafts must be avoided. Otherwise, all the work will go down the drain.
If external and internal corners are not ideal, then in these places it is best to cut the mesh. Then you can avoid the appearance of voids. Cracks in the corners must be sealed with tape (paper). This should also be done at the junctions of walls and ceilings.
Fiberglass and drywall
If the surface is made of plasterboard, it is required preliminary preparation. All seams must be sealed with putty. It is important to know that the joints of the drywall sheets and the mesh should not coincide.
Unlike simple walls or ceilings, when the web is glued overlapping, it must be glued end-to-end onto the drywall. Pruning should also be avoided. If this is not observed, cracks may form in these places.
Final stage
When complete drying occurs, and this can take up to two days, you can begin to putty the surface. If painting is intended, it is better to use finely dispersed putty. It should be applied in several layers. Each layer must be allowed to dry completely. After this, you can begin sanding using sandpaper. We must not forget that, as with simple painting, you must first prime the walls or ceiling.
Nowadays, they are increasingly skipping the puttying stage. This is replaced by applying a generous layer of glue. With this trick you can reduce paint consumption. Just keep in mind that in this case the mesh structure of the web will be noticeable. This will be impossible to change even if you apply many layers of paint. Smooth surface will not work.
Fiberglass has many advantages, but there are also some minor disadvantages to consider. When cutting the mesh, small particles of fiberglass appear. Getting on open areas bodies, mucous membranes, they cause severe irritation. Therefore, work is carried out exclusively in special clothing and respirators.
But such minor shortcomings cannot cancel out the advantages that fiberglass web has. Its use allows you to avoid many unpleasant moments in the future. In addition, its pasting does not require special skills.
Preparing surfaces for painting is a complex matter that requires high qualifications. But even this does not always prevent small cracks from appearing - the house shrinks, the plaster dries unevenly. As a result, we have small tears that spoil appearance. Painting fiberglass- a material that makes it easier to prepare surfaces for painting and also serves as protection against small cracks.
Painting fiberglass - what is it and why?
When the building shrinks or the plaster/putty dries, small cracks form on the walls and ceiling. They greatly spoil the appearance of painted surfaces. To prevent their formation when plastering, use a painting mesh. It reinforces finishing materials, preventing the formation of large cracks. Microcracks are combated with the help of painting fiberglass. It is a thin non-woven material made from many glass fibers. different thicknesses. The fibers are connected randomly to each other, which prevents cracks from appearing. There may be microcracks, but they are not visible. This determines the scope of application of painting fiberglass - to improve quality finishing walls and ceiling.
To keep painted surfaces even and smooth, use a “cobweb”
The thickness of this material is small - it is translucent. Because of its appearance it received the name “cobweb”. Sold in rolls 1 meter wide, with different densities - from 20 g/m2 to 55 g/m2. The density is selected depending on the application. For interior works 30-40 g/m2 is more often used.
Fiberglass is glued with glue for glass wallpaper onto more or less smooth walls. It successfully masks small cracks (up to 0.5 mm wide) and unevenness, creating a smooth surface. That’s why this technology is becoming more and more widespread - it simplifies the preparation of walls for painting (putty), and the result is no worse. The same material can be glued to drywall. It successfully masks joints and prevents the formation of cracks in these places. The main thing when gluing is to place the seams of fiberglass away from the joints of the gypsum board.
Painting fiberglass is inconvenient to work with - the fiberglass breaks, and its smallest particles can get into the lungs. Therefore, you need to work in protective clothing and, preferably, a respirator. After it is pasted and hidden with several layers finishing materials, there is no talk of any migration of fiberglass. In this state it is absolutely harmless.
Methods of application
Glue the painting fiberglass onto a flat surface gypsum plaster or per layer starting putty. According to the technology, alignment is required after gluing thin layer finishing putty(for stripping), then primer, and then paint. With this sequence of work, paint consumption is minimal; for a good result, 2 layers of paint are enough. Despite the additional cost of putty, if you are using expensive paint, it is better to stick with this technique. This method is also used if the paint is glossy or semi-gloss.
There is another approach. The cobweb is glued and painted after drying. No puttying. The end result is a good result - a slightly structured surface with a slight “hairiness”. But it takes a lot of paint, and for a normal result you have to apply at least 4 layers. The first pass, the paint is absorbed very quickly, the consumption is 3-4 times more than normal. At the same time, the appearance of the wall is unsatisfactory: in some places there is not enough paint, in others - where we went over one place with a roller several times - there is a lot of it.
The second coat of paint takes almost half as much and looks a little better. Consumption continues to decrease, but not at the same rate. After 4 layers, the appearance of the wall is already normal, but the total amount of paint composition is impressive.
To reduce paint consumption, after gluing, coat the painting fiberglass with a primer. Can be done in two layers. It will take a lot of primer, but much less paint. Moreover, even the first layer will lie well. For a good result, you will need 2-3 layers, but with normal consumption. So this method is also not bad, but it can be used with matte or semi-matte paint.
Bonding technology
Painting fiberglass canvas is glued to glass wallpaper adhesive. It is important that the glue is good, but it does not have to be expensive. The gluing technology is very similar to wallpapering:
As you can see, nothing complicated. Only all operations must be carried out carefully, achieving best result that you are capable of.
There are several nuances regarding working conditions. There should be no drafts in the room, the temperature should not be lower than +15°C, humidity should be within normal limits. Keep doors and windows closed until the glue dries. If the sun is hot, it is better to curtain the windows. That's all, actually.