Which is better plaster or. Construction alabaster, application

During construction and renovation, gypsum or alabaster is often used to finish walls, ceilings, and even floors. What is the difference between alabaster and plaster? These materials are similar in many ways, alabaster is a derivative of gypsum, however, their qualities and properties differ, so that in some cases only gypsum (Rotgypsum) can be used, and in others - alabaster. In this case, you need to know their main characteristics. Perhaps only then will you decide which of these materials will be used. Let's take a closer look at what each material is.

Construction gypsum - what is it?

Gypsum is a natural, environmentally friendly material with excellent binding characteristics, rapid hardening and subsequent strength. It is safe in case of fire. When moisture accumulates in a room, this material absorbs excess and, if necessary, releases it back into dry air. This property makes gypsum a unique finishing material.

Construction alabaster - what is it?

Alabaster is a building material that is obtained after firing crushed gypsum. Alabaster is used to repair room surfaces, and panels and slabs are also made from it. This soft material, it is easy to work with a saw. Like gypsum, it does not burn and is environmentally friendly.

• Quality of building gypsum.
• Quickly sticks to the surface and hardens.
• Withstands without destruction high temperatures.
• Open fire begins to act on plaster after 6 hours.
• Hardened plaster is not afraid of mechanical damage.
• Qualities of alabaster.
• Hardens within 5 minutes.
• Protects against crack formation.
• Levels the surface.
• Soundproofing.
• After drying, alabaster increases in volume.

Alabaster adheres firmly to almost any surface except rubber. In this regard, it is advisable to line the container in which alabaster is diluted inside with polyethylene.

What is the difference between plaster and alabaster?

Compared to the use of alabaster, gypsum is a universal building material. To the touch you can feel that gypsum is softer than alabaster, and it hardens more slowly (about half an hour). The high drying rate of alabaster is not always positive. An additive is often added to dry mixtures and liquid mortars to increase the hardening time. This increases the working time with the solution.

What is stronger: plaster or alabaster?

Gypsum has higher mechanical strength than alabaster. A serious drawback of alabaster - under It fades due to moisture. It is no coincidence that gypsum is used in different areas, including medicine - it is more environmentally friendly and safe for health, while the use of alabaster is limited to the construction sector.

Application of building gypsum

Gypsum is used as the main component for a wide range of materials: dry construction mixtures, plaster, putty, adhesives. The gypsum itself (Rotgypsum) is excellent for sealing seams, cracks, and irregularities. Natural stucco molding, cornices, and decorative interior elements are made from gypsum. For interior decoration, gypsum has also found use as a base for decorative stone, which you can even make with your own hands and facing tiles.

Both alabaster and gypsum are actively used in construction and decoration. They can be a component of various solutions (plaster, putty) and compositions for finishing. In addition, they are used on their own to create decorative elements, type of stucco. Let's see if there is a difference between plaster and alabaster?

General characteristics

Gypsum is a natural sulfate-based mineral that is environmentally friendly. It is extracted from sedimentary rocks by cleaning and grinding into powder. It is characterized by the absence of odor, which is a big plus for interior decoration premises. Others can be noted positive properties gypsum:

• Resistance to high temperatures and high fire safety;
• Completely harmless to humans;
• The ability to absorb moisture and release it. This property allows plaster finish influence the indoor microclimate, making it more even and comfortable for humans.

Alabaster is one of the varieties of gypsum, which is why they say that gypsum and alabaster are one and the same. It is produced by finely grinding gypsum mineral in combination with firing. It is the latter circumstance that determines the specific properties of alabaster, for example, its hardness. Alabaster is also often used as a component of various finishing compositions, and is also available in the form of panels.

Why is alabaster placed in a separate category?

Despite the similarity of the concepts of alabaster and gypsum, the difference between them is quite significant. To begin with, it should be noted that gypsum is a broader term that characterizes a mineral and any product based on it. Alabaster, on the other hand, is a very specific result of processing gypsum.

Let's take a closer look at alabaster and plaster - what is the difference?

• Scope of application. For gypsum, it is broader and includes construction, decoration, medicine, art, and so on. Alabaster is used mainly in construction and decoration. By the way, it is more demanding on indoor conditions than gypsum.
• Features at work. Gypsum is more plastic, which can be determined even by touch. Alabaster consists of a finer powder, and therefore has greater hardness. In addition, alabaster-based solutions dry very quickly, which can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. Let's say for electrical installation work- this is an advantage, but for wall decoration- rather a minus.
  Gypsum may slightly increase in volume after drying, while alabaster almost does not change its parameters.
• Human perception. Gypsum compositions are considered safer. In addition, gypsum's ability to control moisture is greater than that of alabaster. Moreover, alabaster finishing materials are not recommended for use in rooms where changes in humidity are possible.
• Another important point: besides gypsum alabaster There is also calcite alabaster. By virtue of widespread first, if there is no clarification, then this is what is meant.

If you are renovating your house or apartment, then it is impossible to do without alabaster. Where is this material obtained from? Is it harmful to human health? Alabaster - what is it? The answers to all these questions are given below.

Material characteristics

A building material distinguished by its viscosity and obtained from gypsum is called alabaster. Very often it is used for the manufacture of various products, as well as for repair work. Construction gypsum is another name for the material.

The basis of alabaster is gypsum - by its origin natural material. Construction gypsum (alabaster) - environmentally friendly pure substance, which does not cause any harm to human health. It is characterized by excellent sound insulation and water resistance. The area is quite wide. It is used in the production of various shapes and construction products.

When carrying out repair work, the material is ideal for sealing cracks, leveling floors and walls. When dry, the alabaster solution is not susceptible to cracking and forms a thin, even and smooth layer that is applied to a clean treated surface, which, if required, is covered

Having studied the characteristics of the material, you can easily answer the question of what alabaster is.

Excursion into history

Alabaster has been used as a building material since ancient times. Its natural softness makes its processing simple and does not require complex and durable tools. The material was used to make sculptures, vessels, etc. Calcite was used for this. Now he is in little demand. Gypsum alabaster is popular in construction.

Methods for obtaining alabaster

Construction gypsum looks like a powder obtained from For this, it is fired and then crushed. The main advantage of alabaster, which distinguishes it from similar materials, is its rapid hardening. This is worth remembering when studying the question of how to breed alabaster.

This property of the material must be taken into account when creating gypsum dough, before pouring it into molds. Usually the solution is prepared in a ratio of 2/1, where 2 parts are alabaster, and 1 part is cold water. It should be remembered that the gypsum solution must be used as soon as possible, otherwise it will harden. If you need to increase the setting time, then animal glue is added to the alabaster in small quantities.

Pros and cons of alabaster

Construction gypsum is used for repair work in premises where people will subsequently live.

The disadvantages of the material include low strength and low moisture resistance. These disadvantages can be reduced by using special additives.

Where can I buy building plaster?

Manufacturers produce about 10 various brands alabaster. You can purchase it at construction stores, packed in bags of various weights. Keep building gypsum should be in a dry place, well protected from moisture, preferably no more than 6 months.

Scope of application of building gypsum

Alabaster - what is it, where do manufacturers get the raw materials for its production? Natural gypsum is extracted from quarries and then subjected to heat treatment. Subsequently, in special mills, the annealed gypsum is crushed into fine powder.

Alabaster is used for leveling walls, floors, and ceilings in rooms with minimal air humidity. It is excellent for making stucco and gypsum fiber boards.

The moisture resistance of building gypsum can be increased by adding synthetic resins or organosilicon compounds to the solution. Covering films and impregnations made from alabaster are also popular. Products made from alabaster are fire-resistant and are destroyed by fire only after 6 hours of intense heating. Therefore, they are often used as fire retardant coatings.

As with any other material, there are many nuances when using this one that should be studied if you are going to work with it and want to know: alabaster - what it is.

How to prepare gypsum dough

A solution of building gypsum is prepared at the rate of 1 kg of material per 0.5 liters of water. First, water is poured into the container, and then the material is carefully poured into it, while stirring it so that lumps do not form. The mixture should have the consistency of sour cream. The decision on how to breed alabaster must be taken very seriously. The final result of the work will largely depend on this.

We should not forget that the solution hardens within half an hour, and sometimes faster. If the prepared mixture has thickened, then it should not be diluted with water, and this is unlikely to happen. To increase the setting time of the solution, you can add a little carpentry or wallpaper glue to it.

To improve the water resistance of an alabaster product, it can be painted or coated with a special moisture-proof paste.

The gypsum dough is applied with a spatula or trowel; after finishing the work, the tool must be rinsed well.

Alabaster should be stored in rooms where air humidity does not exceed 60%.

Conclusion

By adopting the rules for working with alabaster and adhering to them, you can efficiently carry out all the required construction or repair work.

Gypsum has been known since ancient times, but has not yet lost its popularity, even many modern materials cannot compete with him. It is used in the construction, porcelain, ceramics, petroleum and medicine industries.

Description of building material

Gypsum is produced from gypsum stone. To obtain gypsum powder, the stone is fired in rotary kilns and then ground to form a powder. Gypsum is most common in construction.

Walls plastered with gypsum mortar are capable of absorbing excess moisture and give it away when the air is too dry.

Gypsum formula

The name gypsum comes from the Greek word gipsos. This material belongs to the class of sulfates. His chemical formula CaSO4?2H2O.

There are two types of gypsum:

1. Fibrous - selenite;
2. Grainy – alabaster.

Photos of gypsum varieties

Selenite Alabaster

Technical characteristics and properties

All gypsum mixtures have very similar technical characteristics; let us dwell on the properties and features of building gypsum.

These include:

• Density. Gypsum has a dense, fine-grained structure. The true density is 2.60-2.76 g/cm?. When loosely poured, it has a density of 850-1150 kg/m2, and when compacted, the density is 1245-1455 kg/m2.
• How long does it take to dry? The advantages of gypsum include rapid setting and hardening. The gypsum sets in the fourth minute after mixing the solution, and after half an hour it completely hardens. Therefore, the finished gypsum solution must be used immediately. To slow down the setting, water-soluble animal glue is added to the plaster.
• Specific gravity. Is the specific gravity of gypsum measured in kg/m? in the MKGSS system. Since the ratio of mass is equal to the volume it occupies, the specific, volumetric and bulk weight of gypsum is approximately the same.
• What temperature can it withstand? t melting). Gypsum can be heated to 600-700°C without destruction. The fire resistance of gypsum products is high. Their destruction occurs only six to eight hours after exposure to high temperature.
• Strength. Construction gypsum has a compressive strength of 4-6 MPa, high-strength - from 15 to 40 MPa or more. Well-dried samples have two to three times higher strength.
• GOST State standard of gypsum 125-79 (ST SEV 826-77).
• Thermal conductivity. Gypsum is a poor conductor of heat. Its thermal conductivity is 0.259 kcal/m deg/hour in the range from 15 to 45°C.
• Solubility in water. R dissolves in small quantities: 2.256 g dissolves in 1 liter of water at 0°, 2.534 g at 15°, 2.684 g at 35°; with further heating, the solubility decreases again.

The video talks about building gypsum and how you can improve its properties by giving additional strength:

Types of gypsum

Gypsum has the greatest variety of uses among other binding materials. It allows you to save on other materials. There are many varieties of gypsum.

Building

It is used for the production of gypsum parts, partition boards for plastering works. Work with gypsum mortar must be carried out in a very short time - from 8 to 25 minutes, it depends on the type of gypsum. During this time it must be completely used up. When hardening begins, gypsum already gains about 40% of its final strength.

Since cracks do not form on the gypsum during hardening, when mixing the solution with lime mortar, which gives it plasticity, you don’t have to add various fillers. Due to short terms setting retarders are added to gypsum. Construction gypsum reduces labor intensity and construction costs.

In deposits by blasting gypsum-containing rock. The ore is then transported to factories in the form of gypsum stones.

High strength

By chemical composition high-strength gypsum is similar to building gypsum. But building gypsum has smaller crystals, while high-strength gypsum has large crystals, so it has less porosity and very high strength.

High-strength gypsum is produced using heat treatment in a sealed apparatus where they place gypsum stone.

The scope of application of high-strength gypsum is extensive. Various building mixtures are prepared from it and fireproof partitions are built. It is also made from various shapes for the production of porcelain and earthenware sanitary products. High-strength gypsum is used in traumatology and dentistry.

Polymeric

With synthetic polymer gypsum Orthopedists and traumatologists are more familiar with it; plaster bandages are produced on its basis for applying bandages for fractures.

Advantages of polymer plaster casts:

1. three times lighter than conventional plaster;
2. easy to apply;
3. allow the skin to breathe, as they have good permeability;
4. resistant to moisture;
5. allow you to control bone fusion, as they are permeable to x-rays.

Cellacast

Bandages are also made from this plaster; their structure allows the bandage to be stretched in all directions, so very complex bandages can be made from it. Cellacast has all the properties of a polymer bandage.

Sculpted or molded

This is the most highly durable gypsum, it does not contain any impurities, it has high natural whiteness. It is used for making molds for sculptures, plaster figurines, sculpting souvenirs, in the porcelain and earthenware, aviation and automotive industries.

This is the main component of dry putty mixtures. Molding gypsum is obtained from building gypsum; for this, it is additionally sifted and ground.

Known for several centuries, it still remains relevant in our time. The most common rosettes are gypsum, they are easy to make with your own hands.

Acrylic

Acrylic plaster is made from water-soluble acrylic resin. After hardening, it looks similar to regular plaster, but is much lighter. Ceiling stucco and other decorative details are made from it.

Acrylic gypsum is frost-resistant and has little moisture absorption, so it can be used to decorate building facades, creating interesting design solutions.

Working with acrylic plaster is very simple. If you add a little marble chips or aluminum powder or other inert fillers to the solution, acrylic plaster products will closely resemble marble or metal ones.

This is what acrylic plaster looks like

Polyurethane

Gypsum stucco can also be made from polyurethane or polystyrene gypsum. It costs much less than ordinary gypsum, and its qualities are almost no different from it.

White

Using white gypsum, seams and cracks are sealed, stucco is made and other types of construction and repair work are carried out. It is compatible with various types building materials. White gypsum hardening time 10 minutes.

Fine grain

Fine-grained gypsum is also called translucent. It is used to fill seams, joints in slabs, etc.

Liquid

Liquid gypsum is prepared from gypsum powder.

It is prepared using the following technology:

• Pour water in the required quantity.
• Pour in plaster and mix immediately.
• The density of the solution can be varied. A liquid solution is made to fill the molds

Waterproof (moisture resistant)

Waterproof gypsum is obtained by processing raw materials according to special technology. To improve the properties of gypsum, stillage, a waste product from the production of ethyl alcohol, is added to it.

Refractory

Gypsum is a non-flammable material, non-flammable, but plasterboard sheets, made from it are quite flammable. To give them fire resistance, tongue-and-groove gypsum is used. It is used wherever it is required to increase fire resistance.

Architectural

Architectural gypsum does not contain toxic components, it is very plastic. Its acidity is similar to that of human skin. Classic modeling from architectural plaster is very popular among designers; there is a very high demand for it.

It requires certain knowledge, so you should first carefully study the features of such work, and only then proceed to practice.

Stamps

Plaster marking is carried out after testing standard samples of sticks for bending and compression two hours after they are molded. According to GOST 129-79, twelve grades of gypsum are established, with strength indicators from G2 to G25.

Plaster substitute

An analogue of gypsum is a fine grayish powder white- alabaster. It is also popular in construction. Alabaster is obtained from natural gypsum dihydrate by heat treatment at temperatures from 150 to 180? C. Externally, alabaster and gypsum are no different from each other.

Alabaster is used to plaster walls and ceilings at low indoor humidity. Gypsum panels are produced from it.

What is the difference between plaster and alabaster?

Gypsum and alabaster have the following differences:

1. Alabaster is more limited in use, since it is used only in construction industry. Gypsum is also used in medicine.
2. Alabaster dries instantly, so it is not suitable without the addition of special substances.
3. Gypsum is safer for environment and human health.
4. Alabaster has greater hardness than gypsum.

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

The question often arises: is there a difference in the compositions? Which mixture should be used in this or that case? To do right choice, you should understand how gypsum differs from alabaster.

Building mixtures: alabaster and gypsum - what's the difference?

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

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

Pretty plaster widely used V Everyday life of people. It is used in construction work ah, it is the basis for the manufacture of plasterboard 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 you to embody the most daring creative ideas. Plaster stucco molding decorates the exterior facades of buildings.

How is the material gypsum has plasticity. Dries quite quickly. After drying, the gypsum may increase slightly in volume; this quality should be taken into account. The dry gypsum mixture 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 Latin name dry mixture from which vases were made. In a word, alabaster is called rock, which consists of fine-grained gypsum. Alabaster contains fine powder extracted from gypsum stone.

But in its manufacture high temperatures are used, the ground raw materials are fired, and the output is gypsum mixture with new ones technical characteristics. Its second name is building gypsum.

Alabaster becomes the hardest, in comparison with gypsum. Curing of the composition occurs faster. By choosing alabaster as a composition to level the surface of the walls, you can plaster the walls in twenty minutes. Alabaster mixture has a number of advantages:

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

The use of alabaster in construction and finishing works widespread. In electrical installation work for fastening electrical wires Due to its rapid hardening, it is convenient to use alabaster mortar. The application is more appropriate for sealing seams, chipped sections of the wall and cracks.

The composition penetrates deeper inside the crack. This means that the bond will be more reliable and better quality. Beacons and slopes are laid out with alabaster, because the composition has high hardness and dries quickly. Alabaster is used for plastering walls and structures that enclose or divide a room.

Construction gypsum, alabaster, use for room decoration and production of decorative items. Alabaster, which is widely used in the manufacture of vases, figurines and various crafts, is subjected to polishing. Products are polished using old methods, using horsetail or scraping.

To get a better polish of the product crushed mother of pearl is used. The only requirement for using items in the interior will be the humidity of the room. When the room humidity is high, the characteristic properties of alabaster are lost, even to the point of destruction. Also, fairly dry air can lead to cracking of the material.

Building gypsum is a quick-drying composition to change this property into alabaster add polymer impurities. The mixture with various additives has about twelve varieties. This or that composition differs in its hardness and hardening time. The hardened composition of alabaster is light, no changes in volume or shape occur, and 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 harden quickly, this must always be remembered.

A solution that has begun to harden cannot be revived; it is disposed of. Eat a few rules, using which you can avoid unpleasant moments when preparing and using the solution:

1. The alabaster mixture solution must be prepared so much that it can be used in six minutes. A portion ready mixture will be small.
2. Alabaster mixture is very difficult to clean from plastic or metal surfaces, therefore it is better to dilute alabaster in a container made of rubber or silicone. If you don’t have a rubber or silicone container at hand, then cover the container with plastic bag You can use a plastic or metal container.
3. Depending on the use of the building alabaster composition, strictly adhere to the proportions of the dry mixture and water.
4. To avoid the formation of lumps of the solution and the appearance of unnecessary air bubbles, it is necessary to add the dry mixture to the water in small portions, stirring constantly.

To perform various construction works, the proportions of dry mixture and water will be different. Plastering walls with a liquid solution of building gypsum can be done by diluting alabaster in a 1:1 ratio, take 500 grams of alabaster and the same amount of water.

The resulting liquid solution of building gypsum is suitable for leveling wall surfaces, as well as leveling the surface of the partitions. A thicker alabaster solution can be obtained in a ratio of 0.5:1, i.e. the composition will contain 500 grams of water and 1 thousand grams of dry mixture. This composition is recommended for gluing plaster stucco to walls or ceilings.

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

The dry mixture must be diluted water room temperature . If the water is hot, the diluted mixture will shorten the hardening time. After completing all work, you must immediately wash all tools in warm water. Letting the solution dry completely on the instruments will prevent them from being cleaned. The composition hardens and sticks tightly to the instruments.

Building material based natural stone universal and time-tested. Alabaster products and mixtures will not lose their uniqueness. Working with alabaster is easy. The combination of aesthetics, accessibility, range of applications and quality results of building gypsum is more long time will occupy its high place in the variety of building materials.