Veneziano Application

Venetian Plaster made with lime and crushed marble - Page 6 of 7

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.

Use 400-grit sandpaper for sanding away layers that you want to reveal or hide, and then use 600-grit for polishing the same areas. You can use the #0000 steel wool for further polishing. You can also use steel wool exclusively. 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 there are still some flat spots, you can dampen the wall with water and "wet sand" it with 600-grit sandpaper. Wet sanding brings out more shine and depth than regular sanding. It essentially rewets and reburnishes the area. Wet the wall until it almost resists water, and then sand it right away. This will almost make a paste when sanding. Almost immediately the wet area will turn into a clay-like dampness. At this point, you can sand with 600-grit sandpaper again and this time it will polish out the area to a high shine if desired. Another option at this point is to actually burnish the wet area with a trowel. If using an electric sander with water, please be very careful. Water and electricity don't mix and can be dangerous. We do not recommend it.

Dampening the wall is an excellent way to keep down the dust.

Remember: to unmask dried Veneziano; 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 rag to remove dust and give it more shine. After removing the tape, wipe the trim with water. If residue is stubborn, soften the area with water, lightly scrape it and then wipe it clean.

Finishing
After polishing and cleaning, you could be done, if you want a standard version of Veneziano, which is beautiful in itself.

Although you can wet Veneziano for polishing, ideally you should not let Veneziano get too much water on it. You can wipe it with a damp cloth, but hard water droplets can leave slight marks. With this said, Veneziano is beautiful by itself or with a sealer. Remember you can control the sheen of Veneziano. It can be polished until it's like glass, or left flat. If left mostly unpolished, Veneziano is like a soft matte silk, which is elegant, but not flashy.

All the extras

Lime Paint can be applied on top as a dramatically different look.
Seal it with Olive Oil Sealer for a richer and deeper color or a different style of color.
Seal it with Acrylic Sealer (if waterproofing is necessary).
Apply boiled linseed oil (apply very thinly and test on sample boards first).
Wax: natural and synthetic versions can be added for a deeper shine, protection and added color.
Murals, stencils, and other artistic flourishes can be added.

VENEZIANO APPLICATION CONTINUED
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