Marmorino Application

The most widely used and versatile plaster - Page 5 of 6

Burnishing:
When the second coat is about 90% dry, it will start to show a few lighter spots, and when there are no wet patches left, it's time to burnish the wall. This is also sometimes called 'skimming the fat.' Burnishing will reveal the color, depth and variation of the plaster. Also, when burnishing, you compress the plaster and tighten its pores which gives it a nice shine and makes it more durable. Lastly, when using natural pigments, on a microscopic level, you grind the pigments into smaller particles revealing deeper color. The more you burnish, the more color you reveal.

When you are ready to burnish, make sure your trowel is clean and doesn't have any nicks or dings. To make sure, take some 220-grit sandpaper or a sanding sponge and rub the edge of the trowel. This will prevent any lines or scratches while burnishing. Now, hold your trowel at a 5 degree angle or less, and firmly, like an iron, begin to go over your wall. One to three runs over the same spot should be enough. You'll see the results right away. Make sure to burnish the whole wall. If not, unburnished areas will be lighter then the rest of the wall, so be consistent. This particularly true when using darker colors. Be careful not to over-burnish. What will happen is that the wall will dry too much, then you'll end up using the wall like sandpaper, leaving gray marks because you're scraping off stainless steel from the trowel. Again, the process is simpler than it sounds; just try out a sample board and you'll get it.

Marmorino dries about 50% lighter than when it is wet. Consider this when tinting. The more you burnish, the more of the original color comes through.

When burnishing, make sure the wall is not too wet. If the plaster is still 'muddy,' it's too soon to burnish. You will know it's too wet if you can move the plaster easily with your finger. If you go over these areas too much, you will risk bubbles, cracking or peeling.

You can now unmask your tape. It's easier to do this when the plaster is still wet. If you are going to use Lime Paint, or sealer, you might want to leave the tape on until you're completely finished. If unmasking later, take a wet sponge or brush to the seam of the tape and plaster. This will soften the plaster making the tape easier to remove.

Sanding
After burnishing, allow 24 hours to dry. When the wall is dry, it's time to sand or polish. This is not an essential step, but highly recommended for all lime-based products to get a deeper shine, color, and to fix imperfections. You can do this with 400- and 600-grit sand paper or #0000 steel wool. If you are using a lighter color, you might not want to use steel wool because it sheds gray fibers into the nooks of the plaster. Also, if using a light color, buy light sand paper. Some brands of dark gray paper have a tendency to discolor the plaster. The best option is to attach sandpaper over a mechanical palm sander. The problem with random orbital sanders is that they don't make higher than 320-grit attachable sandpaper for it.

Sand/polish the walls
This is a dusty process, so wear a respirator, gloves and goggles. Mask off any rooms you don't want getting dusty. Lime dust is very thin and spreads easily. If you don't want dust, spray a little water on the walls and then sand.

If after burnishing there are still some undesirable light spots, you can spray water onto the area and polish it. In fact, you can do this to an entire area to get a higher shine. If doing this, do not use an electric sander. Water and electricity don't mix well. If using water, you will leave a few limey dust spots.

Remember to unmask from dry Mormorino, wet the seams of tape and plaster to soften the plaster. You might use a razor or knife to lightly score a line if the tape wants to take more plaster than it should. This will make removal much easier.

Lastly, wipe the walls with a damp cotton rag to remove dust and give it more shine. After removing the tape, wipe any trim with water. If there's a stubborn residue, soften the areas with water, lightly scrape and then wipe.

Finishing
After polishing and cleaning, you could be done, if you want the no frills version of Mormorino. At a minimum, we highly recommend our Olive Oil Sealer. It's extremely fast to apply, it brings out the color and richness of the plaster and is fairly resilient to stains, including red wine.

All the extras
- Lime Paint can be applied as a dramatically different look and extra protection.
- Seal it with Olive Oil Sealer for a richer and deeper color or a different style of color.
- Another layer of Mormorino
- Layer of Veneziano Plaster
- Murals, stencils, etc.
- Seal it with Acrylic Sealer (if waterproofing is necessary)
- Boiled linseed oil
- Wax: natural and synthetic versions can be added for a deeper shine, protection and richer color.
- Glazing

Check out our creative techniques section for dozens of other possibilities.

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