#Venetian plaster concrete look how to#
#Venetian plaster concrete look cracked#

If the fireplace is not a zero clearance, then most builders want to apply concrete board around the fireplace and then drywall the rest of the upper portions and returns. This is not only safer for children and animals, but also provides a much cooler surface to prevent any heat discoloration over years of use, and usually means the fireplace can be boarded as a zero clearance. It is also highly recommended to use a vent kit so the heat vents out the top of the fireplace and leaves the face more cool. If you have a covering or grill then this will hide this area. Often times fireplaces are finished with drywall and the board does not meet up with the fireplace edges and cannot be plastered properly. The work can all be carried out with drywall compound in this case.Ĭheck the opening around the fireplace, if there is a grill or cover or if the drywall needs to meet up to the fireplace lip perfectly. Make sure the drywall meets the fireplace flange correctly and has an L bead installed around the fireplace as described below. If it is zero clearance, then always have your contractor drywall the entire fireplace and finish it with corner bead and paper tape to a level 4 finish.

#Venetian plaster concrete look how to#

How to Venetian or Concrete-Look Plaster your Fireplace:ĭetermine if the fireplace is zero clearance or not.

With no other options I decided to design my own system for fireplaces which have now been in place for years and utilize special systems and Hydraulic lime basecoats that are designed specifically for the purpose of covering over cement board and drywall junctions, or entire cement board fireplaces.

#Venetian plaster concrete look cracked#

The main issue using thin set is the sand is too fine and it is very sticky and is not designed to be spread as a plaster, and the EIFS basecoat was not much different and cracked very easily in my opinion. I always found myself using thin set as basecoats or other random cement polymer based products such as EIFS basecoats and they were terrible for workability, covering over cement boards, joints and did not provide proper substrates for my final layers of decorative plaster. There are many companies around the world selling plasters and, in my experience, very few offered much help in the way of knowledge for fireplace use etc.