Structo-Lite base-coat with a lime plaster finish

Structo-Lite base coat with a lime plaster finish.
How to apply a base coat with a lime plaster finish over a ceiling.
Interior plastering old school.

Hello, ladies and gentlemen. In this video, we are plastering with a Structo-lite interior base coat and a veneer Limestone plaster finish coat.
Keep in mind that it sets between 3 to 5 hours, so not everyone is thrilled to use it.

Back when I was an apprentice over 35 years ago, the bags of Structo-Lite base coats weighed
80 pounds per bag. Today, they’re sold in 50-pound bags.
We used to spread this structo-lite base coat in hospitals and schools as this Basecoat Plaster had many benefits, such as fire and sound resistance, fire resistance, plus strength and noise reductions.
Note; This base cost plaster feels gluey when applied.
This is a key reason why it cannot be steel-troweled smoothly.
If I want this base coat smooth, I have found that keeping my trowel wet is necessary; thus, it won’t pull or drag the gluey surface.
When the base coat was set, we applied a thin coat of Diamond lime plaster.

If you prefer drywall/sheetrock compounds instead of structo-lite plaster, below are some tips.
Drywall/sheetrock compounds are sold at most Home Depot, Lowe’s, and at all plastering material yards and small hardware stores.
They are the easiest way for homeowners to correct scratches or holes in the rooms of their homes. You do not need to be an expert to use any drywall compounds!

Thank you all for watching, and wishing all a great day!

[norlander]

Your entire channel videos warm my heart.
My house, ~1875'ish, has some water damaged ceiling holes and am learning much here.
Live long and plaster...man after my own heart.

[wendellbradley]

Much Respect to you Kirk! Family is so important. You’ve used this Plastering Building Trade to enhance yours. May True Values, continue to be with, your younger generations~Sola Architectural Coating

[wallacehl]

I been Plastering for 47 years. I always cover the wood lath with metal lath. I like you started in the union.

[SnickasBah]

So glad there are people that appreciate this over drywall.

[imchris]

hey thanks for making these videos really helped me out learning a somewhat lost art. I have a 4 floor 100+ year old building and dragging drywall up the stairs to go over the plaster was way more work than carrying bags of plaster up. that old horse hair plaster has amazing hold for being on the walls for 100 years. I used to knock all the plaster off and strip everything to the studs but now this saves so much work in just hauling stuff up and down stairs

[clintprice]

Kirk and Jay another excellent video as usual. I have another use for structolite, it was given to me by an old time master plumber. I put new bathrooms in my house and used fiberglass tubs, to make it feel more solid and not sound hollow, I mixed and put strutcolite on the sub floor and set the tub into it. The tub is as solid feeling as a cast iron tub and when using as a shower doesn't have that hollow sound.
So besides being a good sound absorber as you used it, it has another non plaster use.
And yes, I will see you on the next one.

[Tunagates]

And your videos are rad man... you should have a show on nat geo or history channel. I watch this like American Pickers now. Learning a ton.

[manjubhatti]

Felt tired just watching you work. Don't know what you must have felt after all that hard work. God bless

[constantout]

Kirk, this information is priceless.
Got me some essential oil turpentine in the mail.

[ronwatkins]

Very very professional like always thank you for your time

[franklempka]

Hey Kirk, nice work old man, put structo lite on a 1740 chimney about 22 years ago and still good!

[titoburrito]

You should do a video plastering indoors with structo-lite! Love the videos Kirk!!

[muvspap]

Just a pointer on using a milky white bonding agent that dried clear on me, thus making it hard to know if I'd hit everything. I used some acrylic ink (yellow) as admix to give it a dried color haze. Watering down acrylic paint of any type would probably work as well and not compromise the adhesion of the bond agent.

[gfc]

Kirk,
Thanks for this video. I was hoping to see more tips on mixing Structolight. Do you just mix it be feel? Can you give some tips for novice mixers? I found myself having to add water or plaster on nearly every batch. It would be good to hear the problems caused by a too-stiff or too-wet mix.

I've watched many of your other videos and they gave me the confidence to finally repair plaster instead of replacing it with drywall. I should have learned this years ago.

I just finished a 1945 house with water-damaged rock lath on several exterior walls. I replaced the damaged lath with wire lath and used Structolight for the base coat. Even counting the time and materials I wasted learning, the repair was cheaper and looked better than those I did in the past trying to patch in drywall to match the plaster.

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and skill.

[yousefaltaleb]

hi kirk i love your job and the way you do it, i have an idea in this job but i learnt more by watching this .yousef

[frednowicki]

Thank you Kirk ! Love all your informative lessons !

[hutstudios]

How long can the Structolite sit before you would have to use a bonding agent before putting on the Diamond? How long should you wait after applying the Structolite base before applying the Diamond finish?

[timc]

How come your structolite looks white and fluffy and mine was grey and more like the consistency of thinset?

[mojo]

Hey man, i watched a few of your videos, and liked them i am an auto tech by trade and thanks for the basics.

[mikekhalil]

Kirk....great video. Ive emailed you a few times in the past about how we use structolite in the movie business to stand in for anything thats supposed to be concrete. I've even sent you some pictures of our work. My team and I usually, depending on how much time we have, throw a quart cup of portland cement into our mixes so it hardens faster. Have you ever done that while using this product? If not, and you're pressed for time on a job you should consider it. Half a bag of structo in the bucket, quart of portland, and water and you'll have about 45 minutes before it starts to harden. Its a good method....