8 advantages of Gypsum plaster you should absolutely know

Vartika Gupta Vartika Gupta
Parete di arredo in cartongesso, Cartongesso Design Cartongesso Design Modern Corridor, Hallway and Staircase
Loading admin actions …

Plastering the walls is important for a smooth finish to the room. The typical sand cement plaster is still the most prevalent type of plastering all over the country, however the advantages that gypsum offers over the conventional sand cement plaster is making gypsum plaster growing in trend and usage. Gypsum is a grayish white soft compound that contains hydrated calcium sulphate, and is a widely used material in light weight construction in the western countries. Gypsum is environment friendly. Architects and interior designers prefer gypsum these days, as it is easy to work with and saves time. There are many advantages that gypsum offers over traditional sand cement plaster. In this article, we shall take you through these advantages, so that when you plan to get your house constructed, you will be able to make an informed decision for the plastering of your home walls. Here are 6 ways to make your home wall fantastic.

1. Gypsum plaster saves construction time

Sand cement plaster needs 21 days of curing, which is a waiting period that allows the plaster to harden and settle. In these 21 days, the plaster is sprayed generously with water and allowed to stand. Any work on or above the wall needs to wait for these 21 days. Gypsum plastering does not have this long waiting period. Gypsum plaster dries and settles in 3 days, and hence the construction pace is faster. The construction time is saved manifold if the building is multistory. In conventional sand cement plaster, one would have to wait for 21 days for each floor, whereas it will be just 3 days in case of gypsum plastering. Gypsum plaster does save a lot of construction time. Want to know more about construction methods? Here are 6 construction systems you should know.

2. Gypsum plaster has lower impact on environment

The sand required for the sand cement plaster comes from river beds, and that is not a very sustainable model from the environment perspective. Gypsum is a naturally occurring substance, that is deposited from lake and sea water, and is also found in thick and wide beds along with the sedimentary rocks. Since it is constantly deposited by the lake and sea water, Gypsum does have the chance of depletion, and since it is a naturally occurring substance, it is environment friendly. Gypsum can also be synthesized artificially and Gypsum finds use in many other industries like medical, fertilizers, agriculture etc. It is a safe substance that does not have any major health hazard.

3. Gypsum plaster incurs low water usage

The 21 days of curing that the sand cement plaster needs, it also needs to be treated with water by pouring a large amount water on the coated walls to drench them completely. This process reduces the risk of sudden drying and shrinking and causing cracks, and also allows the cement to set slowly ensuring better hardness. Gypsum however, does not require treating with water, and therefore saves a lot of water along with time. In a country like India, where water conservation techniques are still in the developing phase, it is extremely important to reduce the water consumption, let alone the wastage. Gypsum plastering uses less water, and hence is an ideal choice for arid regions, and otherwise too.

4. Elimination of shrinkage cracks

The sand cement plaster does end up with some shrinkage cracks that appear after the plaster has dried off completely. To bring the wall to a smooth finish, the sand cement plastered wall is covered with POP before being paint ready. The chance of cracks is eliminated with Gypsum, and it settles to a fine finish that is smooth enough to paint on. For more ideas on wall coverings have a look.

5. Gypsum plaster offers ease of application

Unlike the sand cement plastering, which requires the sand to be sieved to remove any large gravel, then a constant mixing and churning to prevent it from setting, Gypsum comes packed to be mixed with water to get the desired consistency and is ready to use. Gypsum is easy to clean from floor if it falls unlike sand cement mix, that is hard to remove. Gypsum is very workable, and can be altered in consistency to achieve designs and textures. Gypsum can be easily used in combination with Aluminium frames to create the desired shapes and designs.

6. Lighter construction with gypsum plaster

Gypsum is very light in weight in contrast to sand cement plaster, and thus offers more strength when used in false ceilings and other cantilever designs. Lesser weight on the frames makes them more robust and long lasting, and gives better protection even in case of natural hazards like earthquake. Gypsum is fire resistant, non combustible since it has a lot of water in it, and a safe material to coat the inside walls of your home.

7. Better heat insulation with Gypsum Plaster

Gypsum plaster offers good insulation from heat, which means saving of electricity in maintaining the temperature of the room. In a country like India, where almost 9 months in the year people need air conditioner, Gypsum plastering might help save some cost on the home electricity bill, as it offers better heat insulation than the conventional plastering methods.

8. Gypsum plaster offers better acoustics

Gypsum covering on walls offer better acoustics in your home, which means lesser echo in the room and lesser intervention of outside sounds. This is because the Sound Absorption index of Gypsum is high, and mostly the sound proof rooms use walls sandwiched with Gypsum boards, in order to reduce the outside sound and improve acoustics.

After reading all these advantages of Gypsum, we hope that you will be able to make an informed choice about what you want to coat your walls with.


Need help with your home project?
Get in touch!

Highlights from our magazine