Materials

We use a wide variety of materials, including plasters and other trowel applied products from Novacolor in Italy. Data Sheets and brochures are available upon request.


Substrates

Substrates required are: multifinish gypsum plaster or equivalent or plasterboard that is taped and jointed.
(See conditions section for preparation requirements)

Other substrates can be used, much as MDF and marine plywood, but these may have special requirements, such as sealing and stain blocking. We would advise against using these as substrates where the jointing of boards is required, however we have worked on projects where this has been achieved. Please contact Calfe Crimmings if this is a potential substrate. All substrates must be dry and dust free prior and during application.


Finishing Coats

All finishes are hand trowel applied
No expansion joints are required for the finishes unless needed for the substrate
Most finishes are suitable for interior and exterior use.

For exteriors the substrate should be a waterproof cement render
Waxes or sealers can be used, including polyurethane coatings to protect the plaster and provide sheen and patina.

Drying time between application of plaster coats is normally 24 hours
We can offer a crack suppressant plaster coat that contains a flat fibre glass mesh. This significantly reduces the possibility of drying cracks, but cannot absolutely guarantee against cracking or structural issues.

Quality Assurance and Conditions

All finishes are only supplied and installed by Calfe Crimmings

Samples are provided for approval during specification. As all our materials are natural products and colouring is made using earth pigments, slight variation might occur in comparison to the sample. However, we do pride ourselves on matching well.

The use of natural materials and hand crafted application requires specific on-site conditions to reproduce the sample finishes used in the specification process. Details of these conditions are set below:
 
  • Substrates must be completely prepared prior to site attendance
  • Any plasterboard, dry lining system, MDF sheeting and the like intended to form a substrate for our finishes must be fixed and prepared in accordance with the manufacturers recommendations
  • All substrates to be finished by us should be flat true to line and plane and it is the responsibility of the Main Contractor/Client to prepare all such surfaces including the removal of all nibs, fins and mould release agents. Surfaces should be free from dust/grit. Our prices do not include for the feathering or dubbing out of the background imperfections. Our finishes are 100 microns to 2mm thick and will not tolerate substrate imperfections
  • We do not require vacant possession of areas to be completed, however we do require reasonable access to execute our works without interruptions from other trades
  • It is advisable that our materials are installed as late in Main Contractor’s programme as possible, and certainly within the decorative finishes programme