Tools Used for Plastering

The following tools are generally used in the plastering work.

1. Ganging Trowel: This is the ordinary trowel used for gauging small quantities of materials for other tools and for applying plasters to mouldings, corners, etc. This is available in sizes varying in length from 15 to 45 cm. The ends of the steel blades of trowels are either pointed or bull-nosed.

2. Floats: A ‘float’ is a tool used for spreading the mortar on the surface. A wooden float, similar to a laying trowel, is used for final or finishing coat of plaster. This wooden float is known as the ‘skimming float’. The grains of the blade are non-lengthwise. The size of float is about 30 cm x 10 cm and the thickness is about 10 mm.

The ordinary metal float, also known as laying trowel, is used for laying the material and for trowelling so as to get the desired finish. The blade of this metal float is made of thin tempered steel and is of about 30 x 10 cm in size. The float (similar to skimming float), which has got nails projecting by about 3 mm from the surface is known as the ‘Devil float’. This float is used for scratching the plastered surfaces to make indentations so as to form a key with the subsequent coat.

3. Floating Rule: This tool has a rule which is used to check the level of the plastered surface between the successive screeds.

4. Plumb bob: This tool is used in forming the screeds (i.e., strips of mortar) perfectly in a vertical plane.

5. Miscellaneous Tools: In addition to the above mentioned tools, other tools such as straight edges, brushes, set squares, spirit levels, scratchers, plumb rules, etc., are used in plaster-work at different stages of plastering.


Find More About,

Plastering

Types of Plasters

Objectives of Plastering

Terms used in Plastering

Lime Plastering

Cement Plastering

Stucco Plastering

Mud Plastering