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Plasterer

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A plasterer is a tradesman who works with plaster , such as forming a layer of plaster on an interior wall or plaster decorative moldings on ceilings or walls. The process of creating plasterwork, called plastering , has been used in building construction for centuries. A plasterer is someone who does a full 4 or 2 years apprenticeship to be fully qualified.

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71-402: Plasterwork is one of the most ancient of handicrafts employed in connection with building operations, the earliest evidence showing that the dwellings of primitive man were erected in a simple fashion with sticks and plastered with mud. Soon a more lasting and sightly material was found and employed to take the place of mud or slime, and that perfection in the compounding of plastering materials

142-487: A lime kiln above 900 °C (1,650 °F) converts it into the highly caustic material burnt lime , unslaked lime or quicklime ( calcium oxide ) and, through subsequent addition of water, into the less caustic (but still strongly alkaline ) slaked lime or hydrated lime ( calcium hydroxide , Ca(OH) 2 ), the process of which is called slaking of lime . When the term is encountered in an agricultural context, it usually refers to agricultural lime , which today

213-566: A few words of common tourist languages. There are also specialty markets such as: According to the Vietnam Handicrafts Export Association (VIETCRAFT), Vietnam's handicrafts export turnover in 2023 reached US$ 2.2 billion, up 10.5% over 2022. The United States is Vietnam's largest export market, accounting for 35% of total export turnover. Vietnam's handicrafts industry currently has about 600 villages, with over 10 million direct workers. Wickerwork

284-544: A few years), spreading rapidly among the crafting population as everyone emulates the first examples, then their popularity wanes until a later resurgence. The Arts and Crafts movement originated as a late-19th-century design reform and social movement principally in Europe, North America and Australia, and continues today. Its proponents are motivated by the ideals of movement founders such as William Morris and John Ruskin , who proposed that in pre-industrial societies, such as

355-600: A half (1/4 inch thick), and double (3/8–1/2 inch thick). The thicker laths should be used in ceilings, to stand the extra strain, and the thinner variety in vertical work such as partitions, except where the latter will be subjected to rough usage, in which case thicker laths become necessary. Laths are usually nailed with a space of about 3/8 of an inch between them to form a plaster key. Laths were formerly all made by hand. A large quantity, however, are now made by machinery and are known as sawn laths, those made by hand being called rent or riven laths. Rent (riven) laths give

426-480: A lime made from kankar which is a form of calcium carbonate. Selenitic lime, also known as Scotts' cement after Henry Young Darracott Scott , is a cement of grey chalk or similar lime, such as in the Lias Group , with about 5% added gypsum plaster (calcined gypsum ). Selenite is a type of gypsum, but selenitic cement may be made using any form of sulfate or sulfuric acid . Sulfate arrests slaking, causes

497-468: A limitation on its unhydrated oxide content." The term Type S originated in 1946 in ASTM C 207 Hydrated Lime for Masonry Purposes. Type S lime is almost always dolomitic lime, hydrated under heat and pressure in an autoclave, and used in mortar, render , stucco , and plaster . Type S lime is not considered reliable as a pure binder in mortar due to high burning temperatures during production. Kankar lime,

568-444: A limited geographic area. Many handcrafters use natural, even entirely indigenous, materials while others may prefer modern, non-traditional materials, and even upcycle industrial materials. The individual artisanship of a handcrafted item is the paramount criterion; those made by mass production or machines are not handicraft goods. Seen as developing the skills and creative interests of students, generally and sometimes towards

639-411: A lower quality cost effective finish. Hair is used in plaster as a binding medium, and gives tenacity to the material. Traditionally horsehair was the most commonly used binder, as it was easily available before the development of the motor-car. Hair functions in much the same way as the strands in fiberglass resin, by controlling and containing any small cracks within the mortar while it dries or when it

710-472: A particular craft or trade, handicrafts are often integrated into educational systems, both informally and formally. Most crafts require the development of skill and the application of patience but can be learned by virtually anyone. Like folk art , handicraft output often has cultural and/or religious significance, and increasingly may have a political message as well, as in craftivism . Many crafts become very popular for brief periods of time (a few months, or

781-507: A period of years in exchange for low wages. By the time their training was complete, they were well equipped to set up in trade for themselves, earning their living with the skill that could be traded directly within the community, often for goods and services. The Industrial Revolution and the increasing mechanization of production processes gradually reduced or eliminated many of the roles professional craftspeople played, and today many handicrafts are increasingly seen, especially when no longer

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852-425: A second coat finished as described above. After around 24 hours the render has dried but before the final plaster coat is applied a trowel is used to scrape loose sand grains from the surface which would otherwise spoil the plaster finish. The finishing or setting plaster coat which is about 3/16 inches thick is worked with a hand trowel on the surface of the rendering, which must first be well wetted. The plaster

923-661: A short period of time. Handicraft production is a small–scale production of products using manual labor. It was especially common in the Middle Ages , during the era of the Industrial Revolution it was mainly supplanted by mass production , however, it still exists for the production of goods such as luxury goods . The "handmade effect" is a phenomenon where consumers exhibit a preference for products that are crafted by human labor rather than produced through automated or robotic processes . This preference

994-460: A splendid ground for decorative painting, which at this period of Grecian history had reached a very high degree of beauty. Also known as Gyporockers. In the more common operations of plastering, comparatively few tools and few materials are required, but the workman efficient in all branches of the craft will possess a very large variety of implements. The materials of the workman are laths , lath nails, lime , sand , hair , plaster of Paris , and

1065-433: A variety of cements , together with various ingredients to form coloring washes, et cetera. Wood laths are narrow strips of some straight-grained wood, generally Baltic or American fir , in lengths of from two to four or five feet to suit the distances at which the timbers of a floor or partition are set. Laths are about an inch Lathing-wide, and are made in three thicknesses; single (1/8 to 3/16 inch thick), lath and

1136-426: Is a traditional handicraft industry, based on the use of two basic materials, bamboo and rattan . Vietnam currently has 893 villages specializing in wickerwork, accounting for 24% of the total number of villages, including 647 bamboo and rattan villages and 246 straw and water hyacinth villages. Lime (mineral) Lime is an inorganic material composed primarily of calcium oxides and hydroxides . It

1207-569: Is a traditional main sector of craft making and applies to a wide range of creative and design activities that are related to making things with one's hands and skill, including work with textiles , moldable and rigid materials, paper, plant fibers, clay, etc. One of the oldest handicraft is Dhokra ; this is a sort of metal casting that has been used in India for over 5,000 years and is still used. In Iranian Baluchistan , women still make red ware hand-made pottery with dotted ornaments, much similar to

1278-676: Is also applied, especially in the United States and mostly to hobbyists' and children's output rather than items crafted for daily use, but this distinction is not formal, and the term is easily confused with the Arts and Crafts design movement, which is in fact as practical as it is aesthetic. Handicraft has its roots in the rural crafts —the material-goods necessities—of ancient civilizations, and many specific crafts have been practiced for centuries, while others are modern inventions or popularizations of crafts which were originally practiced in

1349-471: Is also known as rich, common, air, slaked, slack, pickling, hydrated, and high calcium lime. It consists primarily of calcium hydroxide which is derived by slaking quicklime (calcium oxide), and may contain up to 5% of other ingredients. Pure lime sets very slowly through contact with carbon dioxide in the air and moisture; it is not a hydraulic lime so it will not set under water. Pure lime is pure white and can be used for whitewash, plaster, and mortar. Pure lime

1420-606: Is also the name for calcium oxide which occurs as a product of coal-seam fires and in altered limestone xenoliths in volcanic ejecta. The International Mineralogical Association recognizes lime as a mineral with the chemical formula of CaO. The word lime originates with its earliest use as building mortar and has the sense of sticking or adhering . These materials are still used in large quantities as building and engineering materials (including limestone products, cement , concrete , and mortar ), as chemical feedstocks, for sugar refining , and other uses. Lime industries and

1491-422: Is applied in two coats to slow the drying speed of the second coat and after drying must still be wetted and worked for a time to produce a thin film of watery plaster which has the effect of " Polishing " the finished surface. This finishing plaster is normally trowelled on two or three passes to achieve this. Harry Enfield's character Loadsamoney worked as a plasterer. Handicrafts A handicraft

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1562-400: Is called the lime cycle . The conditions and compounds present during each step of the lime cycle have a strong influence of the end product, thus the complex and varied physical nature of lime products. An example is when slaked lime (calcium hydroxide) is mixed into a thick slurry with sand and water to form mortar for building purposes. When the masonry has been laid, the slaked lime in

1633-479: Is done by composition as high calcium, argillaceous (clayey), silicious , conglomerate , magnesian , dolomite , and other limestones . Uncommon sources of lime include coral, sea shells, calcite and ankerite . Limestone is extracted from quarries or mines . Part of the extracted stone, selected according to its chemical composition and optical granulometry , is calcinated at about 900 °C (1,650 °F) in lime kilns to produce quicklime according to

1704-406: Is driven, in large part, by the perception that handmade products symbolically "contain love ." The handmade effect is influenced by two key factors. Firstly, consumers express stronger intentions to purchase handmade products when buying gifts for loved ones, compared to more distant recipients. Secondly, they are willing to pay a higher price for handmade gifts when the purchase is motivated by

1775-599: Is explained not only by economic and natural–geographical factors, but also by the support and encouragement of the handicraft industry from the state. There are almost as many variations on the theme of handicrafts as there are crafters with time on their hands, but they can be broken down into a number of categories: Handicrafts are often made for home use and decor. If sold, they are sold in direct sales , gift shops , public markets , and online shopping . In developing countries, handicrafts are sold to locals and as souvenirs to tourists. Sellers tend to speak at least

1846-399: Is known as fat, pure, chalk or rich lime. Hydraulic limes are also used by the plasterer, chiefly for external work. Perfect slaking of the calcined lime before being used is very important as, if used in a partially slaked condition, it will "blow" when in position and blister the work. Lime should therefore be run as soon as the building is begun, and at least three weeks should elapse between

1917-501: Is made by adding forms of silica or alumina such as clay to the limestone during firing, or by adding a pozzolana to pure lime. Hydraulic limes are classified by their strength: feebly , moderately and eminently hydraulic lime. Feebly hydraulic lime contains 5-10% clay, slakes in minutes, and sets in about three weeks. It is used for less expensive work and in mild climates. Moderately hydraulic lime contains 11-20% clay, slakes in one to two hours, and sets in approximately one week. It

1988-627: Is named for the Dolomite Mountains in the Italian and Austrian Alps. In the United States the most commonly used masonry lime is Type S hydrated lime which is intended to be added to Portland cement to improve plasticity , water retention and other qualities. The S in type S stands for special which distinguishes it from Type N hydrated lime where the N stands for normal. The special attributes of Type S are its "...ability to develop high, early plasticity and higher water retentivity and by

2059-408: Is often added to make the mix more pliable. After dampening the surface to be coated, two horizontal bands of render called "screeds" are applied, one at around head height and the other just above floor level, these are then marked for vertical/horizontal alignment, finished, then allowed to partially dry. In a process similar to laying concrete, the wall is then rendered to a slightly higher level than

2130-506: Is particularly pronounced for products with higher symbolic value, where expressing one's beliefs and personality holds greater significance. Consumers , especially in contexts emphasizing symbolic consumption, have a stronger motivation for uniqueness and associate human labor more closely with product uniqueness. In product categories where mechanical production is common, consumers are more attracted to products labeled as handmade. The positive handmade effect on product attractiveness

2201-400: Is required the surface is scored by later use of a float with nails protruding from the base. If the render is to be the finished surface then a float with a sponge attached to the base is then used on the wall until the surface is blemish free. For quality work, or where the wall is out of plumb requiring a large variation in render thickness, a thin "scratch" render coat is first applied then

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2272-425: Is similar to hydraulic lime but has less soluble silica (usually minimum 6%) and aluminates , and will set under water but will never harden. Hydraulic lime is also called water lime . Hydraulic lime contains lime with silica or alumina and sets with exposure to water and can set under water. Natural hydraulic lime (NHL) is made from a limestone which naturally contains some clay . Artificial hydraulic lime

2343-492: Is soluble in water containing carbonic acid , a natural, weak acid which is a solution of carbon dioxide in water and acid rain so it will slowly wash away, but this characteristic also produces autogenous or self-healing process where the dissolved lime can flow into cracks in the material and be redeposited, automatically repairing the crack. Semi-hydraulic lime, also called partially hydraulic and grey lime, sets initially with water and then continues to set with air. This lime

2414-451: Is subject to flexing. Ox-hair, which is sold in three qualities, is now the kind usually specified; but horsehair, which is shorter, is sometimes substituted or mixed with the ox-hair in the lower qualities. Good hair should be long (In the UK cow and horse hair of short and long lengths is used), and left greasey (lanolin grease) because this protects against some degradation when introduced into

2485-632: Is used for better quality work and exterior walls in freezing climates. Eminently hydraulic lime contains 21-30% clay, slakes very slowly, and sets in approximately a day. It is used in harsh environments such as damp locations and near saltwater. Hydraulic lime is off-white in color. "The degree of hydraulicity of mortars will affect many characteristics. By selecting an appropriate ratio of clay to limestone mortars that carbonate or set hydraulically to varying extents can be designed for particular application requirements such as setting time, strength, colour, durability, frost resistance, workability, speed of set in

2556-407: Is usually crushed limestone, not a product of a lime kiln. Otherwise it most commonly means slaked lime , as the more dangerous form is usually described more specifically as quicklime or burnt lime . In the lime industry, limestone is a general term for rocks that contain 80% or more of calcium or magnesium carbonate , including marble , chalk , oolite , and marl . Further classification

2627-408: The market . Mostly these were household products: dishes, furniture, jewelry, souvenirs, clothes, shoes. However, over time, other goods, such as weapons , began to go on sale. In pre–revolutionary Russia , handicraft production was quite widespread: about 30% of all manufactured products were produced by handicraft methods. Products were sold at fairs , and barter exchange was widespread. With

2698-500: The 4,000-year-old pottery tradition of Kalpurgan, an archaeological site near the village. Usually, the term is applied to traditional techniques of creating items (whether for personal use or as products) that are both practical and aesthetic. Handicraft industries are those that produce things with hands to meet the needs of the people in their locality without using machines. Collective terms for handicrafts include artisanry , crafting , and handcrafting . The term arts and crafts

2769-477: The European Middle Ages , people had achieved fulfillment through the creative process of handicrafts. This was held up in contrast to what was perceived to be the alienating effects of industrial labor. These activities were called crafts because originally many of them were professions under the guild system. Adolescents were apprenticed to a master craftsman and refined their skills over

2840-466: The Manila hemp, on the other hand, showed great cohesion, and required some effort to pull it apart, the hemp fiber being undamaged. For fine plasterer's sand-work, special sands, not hitherto referred to, are used, such as silver sand or fine foundry sand, which is used when a light color and fine texture are required. In medical centres one part Barium is added to two parts cement and five of sand where

2911-652: The beginning of industrialisation and collectivization of the Soviet Union, the handicraft mode of production was declared "the highest degree of oppression of the working people" and ceased to exist in almost all spheres of the Soviet economy except on an informal basis. Some state economies, such as that of Vietnam , are largely based on handicraft production. For example, in the 1950s in North Vietnam , there were more than 100,000 handicraft enterprises. In

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2982-751: The best known in England being the Jhilmil, the Bostwick, Lathing, and the Expanded Metal lathing. The two last-named are also widely used in America. Lathing nails are usually of iron, cut, wrought or cast, and in the better class of work they are galvanized to prevent rusting. Zinc nails are sometimes used, but are costly. The lime principally used for internal plastering is that calcined from chalk , oyster shells or other nearly pure limestone , and

3053-499: The best results, as they split in a line with the grain of the wood, and are stronger and not so liable to twist as machine-made laths, some of the fibers of which are usually cut in the process of sawing. Care should be taken to check the PH value of the wood; oak contains tannic acid which attacks the lime, this can compromise bond strength. Laths must be nailed so as to break joint in bays three or four feet wide with ends butted one against

3124-473: The centre upon which the laths are then nailed. This is done to preserve a good key for the plaster. Walls liable to damp are sometimes battened and lathed in order to form an air cavity between the damp wall and the plastering. Lathing of metal, either of wire or in the form of perforated sheets, is now extensively used on account of its fireproof and lasting quality. There are very many kinds of this material Metal made in different designs under various patents,

3195-402: The desire to convey love rather than simply acquiring the best-performing product. The handicraft method of production has been used by people since ancient times. Initially, people engaged in handicraft production aimed to satisfy the needs of their own economy, however, with the development of commodity–money relations , an increasing number of goods produced by them began to be supplied to

3266-528: The early 1970s, even before the end of the war , handicraft production provided about half of all the products of the local industry and almost a third of the total industrial production of the republic. By 1977, after the reunification of Vietnam, there were 700,000 handicraftsmen in South Vietnam . Handicraft production in Nepal withstands competition with industrial production and foreign goods, which

3337-633: The formation of magnesium sulfate salts." Magnesium sulfate salts may damage the mortar when they dry and recrystallize due to expansion of the crystals as they form, which is known as sulfate attack . Lime used in building materials is broadly classified as "pure", "hydraulic", and "poor" lime; can be natural or artificial ; and may be further identified by its magnesium content such as dolomitic or magnesium lime. Uses include lime mortar , lime plaster , lime render , lime-ash floors , tabby concrete , whitewash , silicate mineral paint , and limestone blocks which may be of many types . The qualities of

3408-435: The general public, and are constructed from materials with histories that exceed the boundaries of Western "fine art" tradition, such as ceramics , glass , textiles , metal and wood . These products are produced within a specific community of practice , and while they mostly differ from the products produced within the communities of art and design, the boundaries often overlap, resulting in hybrid objects. Additionally, as

3479-401: The interpretation and validation of art is frequently a matter of context, an audience may perceive handcrafted objects as art objects when these objects are viewed within an art context, such as in a museum or in a position of prominence in one's home. Simple "arts and crafts" projects are a common elementary and middle school activity in both mainstream and alternative education systems around

3550-437: The magnesium compounds also slake to periclase which slake more slowly than calcium oxide and when hydrated produce several other compounds. Thus, these limes contain inclusions of portlandite , brucite , magnesite , and other magnesium hydroxycarbonate compounds. These magnesium compounds have very limited, contradictory research which questions whether they "...may be significantly reactive with acid rain, which could lead to

3621-408: The mainstay of a formal vocational trade , as a form of hobby , folk art and sometimes fine art . The term handicrafts can also refer to the products themselves of such artisanal efforts, that require specialized knowledge, maybe highly technical in their execution, require specialized equipment and/or facilities to produce, involve manual labor or a blue-collar work ethic, are accessible to

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3692-752: The many types of processed lime affect how they are used. The Romans used two types of lime mortar to make Roman concrete , which allowed them to revolutionize architecture, sometimes called the Concrete revolution . Lime has many complex qualities as a building product including workability which includes cohesion, adhesion, air content, water content, crystal shape, board-life, spreadability, and flowability; bond strength; comprehensive strength; setting time; sand-carrying capacity; hydraulicity; free lime content; vapor permeability; flexibility; and resistance to sulfates. These qualities are affected by many factors during each step of manufacturing and installation, including

3763-583: The materials that surround us for economical, cultural and environmental purposes. Secondary schools and college and university art departments increasingly provide elective options for more handicraft-based arts, in addition to formal " fine arts ", a distinction that continues to fade throughout the years, especially with the rise of studio craft , i.e. the use of traditional handicrafts techniques by professional fine artists. Many community centers and schools run evening or day classes and workshops, for adults and children, offering to teach basic craft skills in

3834-420: The mortar slowly begins to react with carbon dioxide to form calcium carbonate (limestone) according to the reaction: The carbon dioxide that takes part in this reaction is principally available in the air or dissolved in rainwater so pure lime mortar will not recarbonate under water or inside a thick masonry wall. The lime cycle for dolomitic and magnesium lime is not well understood but more complex because

3905-439: The operation of running the lime and its use. Due to time constraints Hydrated Lime mixed with plaster is normally used for modern construction. Slaking is not required if more time is allowed for finishing the surface after application which is a common practice where a quality finish is required, however in the housing industry it is often run for three days, the time it takes to prepare an average house for plastering, to achieve

3976-476: The original ingredients of the source of lime; added ingredients before and during firing including inclusion of compounds from the fuel exhaust; firing temperature and duration; method of slaking including a hot mix (quicklime added to sand and water to make mortar), dry slaking and wet slaking; ratio of the mixture with aggregates and water; the sizes and types of aggregate; contaminants in the mixing water; workmanship; and rate of drying during curing. Pure lime

4047-422: The other. By breaking the joints of the lathing in this way, the tendency for the plaster to crack along the line of joints is diminished and a better key is obtained and it provides restraint for the timber frame. Every lath should be nailed at each end and wherever it crosses a joist or stud. All timbers over three inches (76 mm) wide should be counter-lathed, that is, have a fillet or double lath nailed along

4118-455: The plaster coat needs to be particularly strong and resistant to cracking, such as the walls of a squash court , Sizing is mixed with the plaster before application to increase both the surface bond strength and flexibility. The first coat of render is from 1/2 to 3/4 inches thick, and is mixed, dependant on the surface to be covered, in the proportions of from one part of cement to two of sand to one part to six of sand. A ½ shovel of Lime

4189-405: The presence of water, vapour permeability etc." Poor lime is also known as lean or meager lime. Poor lime sets and cures very slowly and has weak bonding. Poor lime is grey in color. Magnesium lime contains more than 5% magnesium oxide (BS 6100) or 5-35% magnesium carbonate (ASTM C 59-91). Dolomitic lime has a high magnesium content of 35-46% magnesium carbonate (ASTM C 59-91). Dolomitic lime

4260-465: The principal tools of the plasterer of that time were practically identical in design, shape and purpose with those used today. For their finest work the Egyptians used a plaster made from calcined gypsum just like plaster of Paris of the present time, and their methods of plastering on reeds resemble in every way our lath, plaster, float and set work. Hair was introduced to strengthen the stuff, and

4331-444: The quicklime to a form referred to as lime putty. Because lime has an adhesive property with bricks and stones, it is often used as a binding mortar in masonry works. It is also used in whitewashing as a wall-coat to allow the whitewash to adhere the wall. The process by which limestone (calcium carbonate) is converted to quicklime by heating, then to slaked lime by hydration, and naturally reverts to calcium carbonate by carbonation

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4402-409: The reaction: Before use, quicklime is hydrated , that is combined with water, called slaking, so hydrated lime is also known as slaked lime, and is produced according to the reaction: Dry slaking is slaking quicklime with just enough water to hydrate the quicklime, but to keep it as a powder; it is referred to as hydrated lime. In wet slaking , a slight excess of water is added to hydrate

4473-469: The screeds, and using a "straight edge" ( screed ), the Plasterer uses the screeds as guides removing the excess render and leaving a rough flat surface. For a lower cost finish or if a rough surface is specified the screeds can be dispensed with. The render is then finished with a float (a smooth flat wooden tool with handle) to fill or remove larger imperfections. For some applications where a stronger key

4544-559: The use of many of the resulting products date from prehistoric times in both the Old World and the New World. Lime is used extensively for wastewater treatment with ferrous sulfate . The rocks and minerals from which these materials are derived, typically limestone or chalk , are composed primarily of calcium carbonate . They may be cut, crushed, or pulverized and chemically altered. Burning ( calcination ) of calcium carbonate in

4615-541: The use of polyprolene fibres in new lime renders [6]. Research presented at the UK Building Limes Forum 2012 looked at the potential for hair degradation in lime plasters. Manila hemp fiber has been used as a substitute for hair. Plaster for hair slabs made with manila hemp fiber broke at 195 pounds (88 kg), plaster mixed with sisal hemp at 150 pounds (68 kg), jute at 145 pounds (66 kg), and goats' hair at 144 pounds (65 kg). Another test

4686-602: The very high alkaline plaster[1]. Before use it must be well beaten, or teased, to separate the lumps. In America, goats' hair is frequently used, though it is not so strong as ox-hair. The quantity used in good work is one pound of hair to two or three cubic feet of coarse stuff (in the UK up to 12 kg per metric cube). Hair reinforcement in lime plaster is common, and many types of hair and other organic fibres can be found in historic plasters [4]. However, organic material in lime will degrade in damp environments, particularly on damp external renders.[5] This problem has given rise to

4757-471: The walls need to block X-rays . When coating or rendering concrete surfaces a "splash" coat of one part cement to one of sand in liquid form is either thrown with a trowel or sprayed on the surface. This not only provides a better key for the render but prevents the porous concrete from sucking the water from it. For external work Portland cement is undoubtedly the best material on account of its strength, durability, and weather resisting External properties. If

4828-465: The whole finished somewhat under an inch thick. Very early in the history of Greek architecture we find the use of plaster of a fine white lime stucco , such has been found at Mycenae . The art had reached perfection in Greece more than five centuries before Christ, and plaster was frequently used to cover temples externally and internally, in some cases even where the building was of marble. It formed

4899-745: The world. In some of the Scandinavian or Nordic countries, more advanced handicrafts form part of the formal, compulsory school curriculum, and are collectively referred to as slöjd in Swedish, and käsityö in Finnish. Students learn how to work mainly with metal, textile and wood, not for professional training purposes as in American vocational–technical schools , but with the aim to develop children's and teens' practical skills, such as everyday problem-solving ability, tool use, and understanding of

4970-483: Was approached at a very remote period is made evident by the fact that some of the earliest plastering which has remained undisturbed excels in its scientific composition that which we use at the present day. The pyramids in Egypt contain plasterwork executed at least four thousand years ago, probably much earlier, and yet existing, hard and durable, at the present time. From recent discoveries it has been ascertained that

5041-434: Was made in the following manner. Two barrels of mortar were made up of equal proportions of lime and sand, one containing the usual quantity of goats' hair, and the other Manila fiber. After remaining in a dry cellar for nine months the barrels were opened. It was found that the hair had been almost entirely eaten away by the action of the lime, and the mortar consequently broke up and crumbled quite easily. The mortar containing

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