Chapter 9

FINISHING
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CONTENTS
Introduction
Plastering
Pointing
White washing
Color washing
Paints and painting
Varnish and varnishing
Distemper and Distempering
Miscellaneous finish
External Finish
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1. Introduction
 Building finishes are used:
To give protective coating to the surface which preserves and
protects the materials used in building from weather effects
such has rain water, heat, frost, etc.
To provide decorative finishes which add to the appearance
of the material surfaces and building as a whole.
 Types of building finish:
Plastering,
pointing,
white washing and color washing,
painting,
varnishing, and
distempering
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1. Introduction
Selection of finishing type
 In making the decision for the selection of a suitable finish, its specifications
and color, the following major factors need to be considered.
 The appearance required,
 The maintenance necessary for giving the satisfactory
appearance,
 The degree of protection against rain penetration to be
provided by the finish,
 The severity of exposure to atmospheric and climatic
agencies affecting durability,
 The time of year during which the finish is applied,
 The background materials on which the finish is to be
applied, and
 The cost.
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2. Plastering
2.1 Introduction
Plastering is the process of covering various
surfaces of structure with a plastic material such as
cement mortar, lime mortar or composite
mortar, etc. to obtain an even, smooth, regular,
clean and durable surface.
Purpose of Plastering:
 Conceals inferior quality materials and defective workmanship,
 Provides a protective coating against atmospheric effects
 Provides a base or receiving other decorative finishes
 Tools - Laying trowel, float, floating rule and gauging trowel
2.2 Plastering Materials:
 Binders - hydrated lime, gypsum or Portland cement
 Sand - used also to reduce shrinkage of binders, and should be free from
organic matters and silt.
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2. Plastering
2.3 Back ground for plastering
 The durability of plastering depends not only on the properties of the
mixture itself but also its adhesion with the background.
 A good background must be plain enough for suitable application of
plaster and should have enough strength.
 The usual types of backgrounds that are used for plaster work are:
A. Solid background: For instance brick work, concrete blocks,
heavy clay blocks , etc.
B. Lathing: These include wood laths, expanded metal lathing ,
wire meshes etc.,
C. Boards and slabs in non-mortar construction: E.g. slabs of
gypsum plaster, fiberboards, etc.
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2. Plastering
2.4 Requirements for good plastering
Some requirements of a good plaster are:
i. It should provide a smooth, non-absorbent and washable
surface.
ii. It should not contract in volume while drying and setting
otherwise it will crack and give an unsightly appearance.
iii. It should adhere firmly to the surface and resist the effects of
weather agencies such as rain, heat, etc.
iv. It should offer good insulation against sound and high
resistance against fire.
v. It should provide the surface with the required decorative effect
and durability.
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2. Plastering
2.5 defects in plastering
 Some of the defects in plastered work include cracking, blistering,
efflorescence and falling out of plaster.
A. Cracking in plastering
 The major causes of cracking in plastering can be:
i. Structural defects in building and discontinuity of surface,
ii. Plastering on very wet background,
iii. Old surface not being properly prepared,
iv. Movement in the background due to thermal expansion or rapid
drying of backing surface,
v. Movements in the plaster itself, due to expansion as in the case of
gypsum plaster or due to shrinkage of plasters coat during, drying
as in the case of lime-sand plasters,
vi. Excessive shrinkage of the plaster due to thick coat,
vii. Due to faulty workmanship or method of application.
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2. Plastering
2.5 defects in plastering
B. Blistering or blowing of plaster
 This consists of formation of one or more swelling in small patches
over the finished plastered surfaces.
 It is caused due to faulty slaking of lime particles in the plaster
after its application.

C. Falling out of plaster

 Some portion of the surface comes off (peeling) due to:
 Lack of adhesion,
 Excessive moisture in the background,
 Excessive thermal changes in the background,
 Rapid drying of plaster coats,
 Insufficient drying between each coat of plaster.
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2. Plastering
2.5 defects in plastering
D. Efflorescence
 Efflorescence is the whitish crystalline
substance, which appears on the surface of walls
due to the presence of salts in the lime, cements,
and bricks and sometimes even in water.
 Efflorescence can be rectified or checked by the following measures.
i. By scrubbing with brushes. It can also be removed by applying a
solution of 1:5 HC:H2O or H2SO4 and spraying with clean water,
ii. By using burnt bricks and clean water, which is free from salt,
iii. Using a mortar, which is waterproof, is also useful in preventing
efflorescence.
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2. Plastering
2.5 defects in plastering
E. Faulty workmanship
 The following points can be cited as major workmanship error in
plastering:
i. Excessive trawling may cause the binder to come to the
surface,
ii. The interval between successive application may be short,
iii. The coats may have been too thick,
iv. Addition of water to hydraulic lime after initial set has taken
place may prove to be harmful.
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3. Pointing
 Pointing is the process of finishing of mortar joints in exposed brick or
stone masonry.
Pointing consists of raking out the green mortar in
the joint to a depth of about 15mm and then
refilling the joint with fresh mortar.
 Pointing gives good appearance and water resistance.
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3. Pointing
Types of pointing finishes

Typical pointing profile

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4. White washing
Preparation of Surface
 Surface – shall be clean, made free from loose materials
 If surface to be coated is extra smooth – then rub by sand paper
for adhesion
 Re – whiting – scales shall be scrapped off, holes, irregularities,
minor repair shall be made
Application of white wash
 Apply white wash in specified coats with a jute brush
 Usually three coats for new and one to two for old works

5. Color washing
A color wash is usually prepared by adding the necessary coloring
pigments in suitable quantifies to the screened whitewash or liquid
mixture or whitewash.
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6. Paints and painting

 Paints are coating of fluid materials, which are applied as a final
finish to all surfaces such as walls, ceilings, woodwork, metalwork,
etc.
The process of application of paint as a coating
is termed as painting.

Objects of painting
 The objects of painting can be summarized as to:
 Protect the surface from weathering effects of the atmosphere,
 Protect the decay of wood and corrosion of metals,
 Provide a decorative finish to obtain a clean, colorful and
pleasing surface.
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6. Paints and painting

Characteristic of a good paint
 A good paint should have such a consistency that it can be
applied easily and freely on the surface with a brush or spray,
 a good paint should be in initial cost and prove economical in
the long run,
 The paint color should neither fade nor change by
atmospheric influences in its designed service life, and
 should not show any signs such as brush marks, shrinkage
marks, cracks, patches, etc. on drying.
Types of paint
 Aluminum paint  Cement paint
 Anti corrosive paint  Oil paint
 Asbestos paint  Plastic paint
 Bituminous and tar paint  Synthetic rubber paint
 Cellulose paint  Cellulose paint
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7. Varnish and varnishing

 Varnish is a solution of resinous substance in oil, turpentine or
alcohol.
 Varnishing is the process of applying varnish to the wooden surfaces
and also to the painted surface in order to improve their appearance
and protect them from atmospheric action.
 The objects of varnishing are to:
 Brighten the ornamental appearance of the grains of the
unpainted wood surfaces,
 Protect the structural wooden surfaces from atmospheric action,
 Give brilliancy to the painted surface and also to papered walls
and
 Protect the painted surface from atmospheric actions in order to
increase the durability of the paint film.
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7. Varnish and varnishing

Requirements of a good varnish

 A good varnish should have the following characteristics or qualities:

i. It should dry rapidly or quickly.
ii. On drying, it should form a protective film, which should be
hard, tough, resistance to wear or durable.
iii. It should exhibit a glassy surface.
iv. The finished surface should be uniform in nature and pleasing
in appearance.
v. The color of the varnish should not fade or change when
exposed to atmospheric action.
vi. It should not crack in drying and should have sufficient
elasticity.
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8. Distemper and distempering

 Distempering is the process of applying distempers over the various
surfaces more easily and with less cost than paints and varnishes, to
safeguard them against weather effects and improve their appearance.

 Distempers are considered to water paints, consisting of whiting (i.e.

powdered chalk), glue or casein as a binder, and suitable proportion
of coloring pigments if desired.

 Distempers form a cheap, durable and easily applied decoration for

internal use on plastered, cement concrete and various wall board
surfaces.
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9. Miscellaneous finish
I. Wall tilling: It is the process of lining or finishing the walls with
special tiles either for height varying from 60 to 120 cm above the
floor level or up to the ceiling.
II. Papering: It is the process of pasting the papers on the walls and
ceilings for improving the aesthetic values of the interior of rooms.
III. Whitening: It is the process of whitening the walls and ceilings by
a mixture of white fine powder, glue and water.
IV. Coal tarring: it is the process of applying the coating of local tar
to woodwork or iron work for preserving them.
V. Wax-polishing: It is done on varnished surface to improve their
elegance and also to protect the under coats.
VI. Wood oiling: It is normally used as a substitute for paining on
woodwork not exposed to weather,
[Link]: It is the work of fixing panels of glass in window, door
and other frames.
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10. Other external finish

 The following external finishes are considered to be important in the
application of various finishing qualities.
 Pebble-dash or dry-dash: This is the finish in which small pebbles
or crushed stone of suitable sizes are thrown on to a freshly applied
final coat of mortar and left exposed.
 Rough cast: This is a finish in which the final coat containing a
proposition of fairly coarse aggregate is thrown as a wet mix and is
left in a wet condition.
 Scarped finishes: In this type of finishes the final coat of mortar,
after being leveled and allowed to stiffen, is scraped with a steel
straight edge so as to give a rough surface.
 Textured finishes: with the aid of suitable tools, ribbed stucco or fun
textures can be created in the final coat.
 Smooth finish: this type of finish has got a level and a smooth
surface. The wooden float normally used as a steel float, gives
surface much more liable to craze.
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10. Other external finish

 Machine applied finishes: A variety of finishes in which the final
coat is applied by machine, which throws or spatters the material
on the wall.
 Board marked concrete: A variety of surface textures and
overall patterned effects can be achieved by casting concrete
against suitably prepared rough sawn boards.
 Exposed aggregate concrete finishes: Removal of the cement-
Sand mortar from the surface of concrete to reveal the underling
coarse aggregate produces a durable textured finishes.
 Tooled concrete finishes: By tooling hardened concrete, the outer
surface is broken away to leave a rough textured durable finishes.
 CHAPTER-12
DAMP PREVENTION
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CONTENTS
Introduction
Source of dampness
Effects of dampness
Method of damp proofing
Materials used for damp proofing course
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1. Introduction
One of the basic requirements of a building is that it should remain
dry or free from moisture passing through walls, roofs or floors.
Dampness is the presence of hygroscopic or gravitational moisture.
It leads to unhygienic conditions affecting badly the health and
comfort of the inhabitants.
It also seriously deteriorates the stability of the building.
Damp prevention is, therefore, one of the important items of building
design.
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2. Source of dampness
The following causes are considered to be the main sources of
dampness in buildings
I. Moisture rising up the walls from the ground
 All the structures are founded on soils, and the substructure is
embedded into it. If the soil is pervious, moisture constantly
travels through it.
 This moisture may rise up into the wall and the floor through
capillary action.
 Ground water rise will also result in moisture entry into the
building through walls and floors.
II. Rain travel from wall tops
 If the wall tops are not properly protected from rain
penetration, rain will enter the wall and will travel down.
 Leaking roofs will also permit water to enter.
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2. Source of dampness
III. Moisture rising up the walls from the ground
 Heavy showers of rain may beat against the external faces of
walls and if the walls are not properly treated, moisture will
enter the wall, causing dampness in the interior.
 This moisture travel would completely deface interior
decoration of the wall.
IV. Condensation
 Due to condensation of atmospheric moisture, water is
deposited on the walls, floors and ceilings. The moisture may
cause dampness.
V. Miscellaneous causes
 Moisture may also enter due to the following miscellaneous causes
 poor drainage at the building site,
 Imperfect orientation: walls getting less sunlight and heavy
showers may remain damp,
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2. Source of dampness
 Imperfect roof slope: specially in the case of flat roofs,
 Defective construction: imperfect wall jointing, joints in
roofs, defective throating etc.,
 Absorption of water from defective rainwater pipes,
 water introduced in the building during construction,
 shrinkage of wooden frames permits an entry of rain,
 Poor material choice, e.g. use of porous bricks in chimneys.