Decorative Plaster and Spachtelputz, Applied or Removed

Applying decorative plaster

I apply decorative plaster and spachtelputz, a textured plaster finish that keeps its German name in the Netherlands, to walls, inside and out. Want a wall with texture instead of a flat, white layer? This is the finish that gives you that. I work the plaster on with the trowel in a pattern that suits the room: coarse with a clear grain, fine and almost smooth, or somewhere in between.

Decorative plaster comes in several variants. Granol has a grainy, somewhat rough texture and is often finished in a light colour. Italian plasterwork and marble stucco go the other way: smooth, with a soft sheen, more a polished surface than a grain. Which direction suits your room, I discuss beforehand. A coarse texture in a small hallway looks different from that same texture in a living room with plenty of light, and a dark colour brings out a grain more strongly than white.

Applying it happens in steps. First I prepare the surface, then a base coat so the decorative plaster bonds properly, and only after that the texture layer itself. I finish that in one go per wall, because the plaster has to join wet-on-wet. Stop halfway across a wall and you’ll see that seam later. At corners and transitions to a window frame or the ceiling, I work with tape, so the line stays sharp and the plaster doesn’t spread where it shouldn’t.

The surface underneath determines the result just as much as the plaster itself. A wall with old paint layers, leftover wallpaper, or a smooth, non-absorbent surface needs a primer first. Skip that step and the plaster dries unevenly, and you’ll see that in the finished result. I check the wall before I start and say so honestly if it needs prep work first, for example a bit of wall plastering to get an uneven surface flat before the texture layer can go on.

Decorative plaster can be applied in colour, with pigment mixed through the plaster itself, or left untreated and paint-ready for later. The second option gives you more freedom: you choose the colour only once the texture is finished and dry enough to paint, and you can change the colour again later without redoing the texture.

Removing or smoothing spachtelputz

Got a wall covered in old spachtelputz and want it gone? I either remove it or smooth it down. Which of the two depends on what you want for the wall: back to a completely flat surface, or keep the existing texture and sand it down to something calmer.

Removing spachtelputz and granol is more work than applying it. The texture is bonded to the wall, often in several layers, and under the visible layer there’s sometimes an older coat of paint or a texture layer from an earlier renovation. I test a small patch first to see how stubborn the layer is, before I choose an approach. Sometimes the texture can be sanded down and skimmed level without hacking it all off, sometimes the whole layer has to come off before a new finish can go on.

Sanding and skimming creates dust, more with a coarse texture than a fine one. I tape off the room and work as tidily as I can, but this kind of job comes with some dust. I say that upfront, so you’re not caught out once the job is under way.

After removing or smoothing, the wall is ready to be painted, wallpapered or re-plastered. If there’s a hole or a crack under the old texture, I repair that first. That work really falls under plaster repair, and I fold it into the same job when needed, so you don’t have to book two separate appointments for what’s really one job.

Decorative paintwork

Alongside decorative plaster, I also do decorative paintwork. That’s giving a wall an effect with paint instead of plaster: a marble look, a textured paint, or a wall that gets a lively, cloudy effect from a technique instead of a flat colour.

The difference with decorative plaster is in the layer. Decorative paintwork goes on with paint, in thin coats, without the wall actually gaining relief. Decorative plaster gives a texture you can feel with your hand, decorative paintwork stays flat under your hand but plays with colour, sheen and pattern. Both give you a wall that stands out, but the choice depends on what you’re after: a subtle effect you can paint over again later, or a real texture layer that lasts longer and needs more preparation.

Decorative paintwork is also an option if you don’t want an existing, smooth wall re-plastered but do want something other than a flat colour. The surface stays the same, only the layer on top changes. That makes it a lighter job than decorative plaster, and usually a quicker one too.

For plain interior painting, a wall or ceiling in a flat colour with no decorative effect, check the painting page. This page covers the decorative side: techniques and textures, not a flat coat of paint.

Decorative plaster inside and out

Decorative plaster works both inside and out. Outside, I set different requirements for the plaster: it has to withstand rain and frost, and the texture mustn’t come loose from temperature swings between summer and winter. Inside you have more freedom in the type of plaster, because there’s no weather to deal with and the temperature stays fairly constant year-round.

For a whole facade in decorative plaster or spachtelputz, I work the same way as with exterior rendering: check the surface first, then the texture layer. A facade is exposed to sun, rain and wind, so the bond has to be extra good there. For a single wall inside, the prep is usually less work and the chance of problems afterwards is smaller.

Want a fresh look outside without texture? Then exterior painting might suit you better. That’s a lighter job than redoing a whole facade in decorative plaster.

Surface and preparation

With decorative plaster and spachtelputz, the preparation matters at least as much as the texture layer itself. A surface that draws moisture, sheds dust, or is still damp causes problems you only see later: hairline cracks in the texture, stains, or plaster coming loose in patches.

I look first at what’s already on the wall. Limewash, a smooth filler layer, wallpaper, or a wall that’s just been plastered and hasn’t fully cured, each need a different kind of preparation. On a freshly plastered surface I wait until the layer underneath is dry enough before I put decorative plaster over it, otherwise moisture from the layer below draws through the new texture.

A primer makes sure the plaster bonds equally well everywhere and doesn’t dry faster in one spot than another. The latter leaves streaks in the texture that you can’t easily get rid of later without redoing the whole thing. This step takes time, but skipping it costs more time afterwards, and usually more work too.

Maintaining decorative plaster and spachtelputz

A decorative plaster or spachtelputz wall needs little maintenance, but not none. Dust clings more easily to a coarse texture than to a smooth wall, especially in a hallway or by a door you pass often. A soft brush or the vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment usually takes care of that.

Stains are trickier, especially on an untreated, porous texture. A plaster finished as paint-ready can simply be repainted later if the colour fades or gets marked. If there’s no paint layer on it, prevention is easier than cure: in a kitchen or hallway with a lot of traffic, I’d rather choose a texture that can take a knock, and I discuss that with you beforehand.

DIY or leave it to me

Applying decorative plaster yourself is possible, but getting an even texture across a whole wall is trickier than it looks. The plaster dries as you work, so you have to finish a wall in one go to avoid visible joins. Every unevenness in the texture shows the moment light falls on the wall, especially in raking light in the morning or evening.

For a small area, part of a wall or a test patch, having a go yourself can work out fine. For a whole living room, a hallway with plenty of light or a facade, the chance of visible seams and differences is bigger, and a failed attempt is harder to put right afterwards than a wall that hasn’t been touched yet.

I’d rather come and have a look straightaway, even if you’re still weighing up doing it yourself or having it done. That way you’ll at least know where the tricky parts are, like a corner, a socket in the middle of the wall, or a transition to a different material.

Decorative plaster in Gorinchem and the surrounding area

I work out of Gorinchem and across the wider region around it, from the Alblasserwaard to Dordrecht and beyond. My work area lists everywhere I come. Clients who’ve hired me before for plastering or painting leave their experience on Werkspot. Those are all in my reviews, word for word and in full. For the rest of my work, see my other services.

Not sure whether you want decorative plaster applied or removed? Send a photo of the wall. Then I can tell you specifically what fits and what the best approach is for your situation.