# Venetian plaster tips.



## TNpainter

I really want to get into doing this i was going to do a few samples. I am planning on am accent wall in my living room, just looking for some tips from those experienced in this craft. I have many years of painting experience and some faux work but never tried this finish. Any tip would b greatly appreciated thanks from TN.


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## TNpainter

Also does the original color of the wall affect the finish product? I dont think it does,but like i say never have done this before but had always loved the look.


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## Oden

Finny because I just did some Venetian plaster Fri. At a department store and I"d never did it before and it was, I'd say, very easy if not almost idiot proof. I used a sherwin Williams product, trowel on. I did two coats over previously painted white drywall to match exhisting work nearby and when done they were indistinguishable between what I did and the work that was there. The point of all that is just that it is easy for a painter with basic skills to do is all.


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## TNpainter

Did you use a single color? I've been leaning towards the two color look. But still undecided.


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## Oden

One color.


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## TNpainter

Were you able to get any pics ?


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## Oden

Nah. It was the furthest thing from my mind at the time. It was easy. Nothing worth memoralizing I promise. It's a self gauging skim coat system is all it is. I did a random pattern to match the exhisting. Had I nothing to match I'd have done more of a cross hatch like the directions suggest but either way the finish is very forgiving. Very easy to do, 
I promise.


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## TNpainter

Thank. Very encouraging. I also want to try and get into graining and other types of faux finishes but that's for a different day.lol. This is to give our living room a little something different. Just an accent wall though. Guess just grip and rip. Lol


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## ColorQuest

Tnpainter,
I thought I would chime in as I have done miles of Venetian. Make no mistake, not all Venetian is created equal. Imo the best vp is burnished to a smooth glossy surface that looks incredible in bright hallways where the light would make even the best paint job look awful. If the vp is not textured enough before the backfill I think its a waste,of a lot of hard work. From a money standpoint I do way better offering customers my signature painted finishes and show off once in a while with the polished Venetian. I will try to get a good pic of my hallway that I did.
Jay


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## BarcelonaGuy

*There are better options*

VP, has become passe. The trend is pretty much over. Besides , it really isn't a very user friendly technique as it damages easily and is very difficult to touch up especially if it is waxed and a good VP is (or should be) expensive.
I steer clients away from VP. My protfolio is filled with textured techniques that are easier to do and repairable. I show several on my web site gallery and HOW TO page. http://www.EuropeanPaintandTextures.com


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## TNpainter

Im not wanting to be my main service offered. Just wanting to do accent wall in my home on a wall that never sees any traffic. So touch up would be rare. Plus i like to as diverse as possible.


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## ColorQuest

BarcelonaGuy said:


> VP, has become passe. The trend is pretty much over. Besides , it really isn't a very user friendly technique as it damages easily and is very difficult to touch up especially if it is waxed and a good VP is (or should be) expensive.
> I steer clients away from VP. My protfolio is filled with textured techniques that are easier to do and repairable. I show several on my web site gallery and HOW TO page. http://www.EuropeanPaintandTextures.com


Right on buddy!
Jay


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## TNpainter

Well i appreciate all the helpful tips.(not) thanks anyways ill just grip and rip and let yall know how it turns out


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## Oden

TNpainter said:


> Well i appreciate all the helpful tips.(not) thanks anyways ill just grip and rip and let yall know how it turns out


 









Rip and grip or just do it. right.


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## Roadog

First is that VP from SW is not VP. Its an acrylic paste that does a VP look. Real VP is slaked lime and marble dust. Little different in application and burnishing.

Tips: Make wall as smooth as possible.
Tape off other walls and baseboard.
If right handed, start on the left and trowel into where you just were.
If you start troweling doing "X"s dont change midstream. "C"s look

better IMO.
Do from floor to cieling and move across.
The acrylic stuff can probably get by with 2 coats but 3 is better
When last coat is just about dry, burnish with trowel lightly until glossy/glassy. All these products burnish different so you may need to experiment.
Pavan trowels are my favorite. The stainless trapazoid?

Used to get $25 a sq. ft but now seems like 8-12 is the rate depending on what part of the country you are.


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## TNpainter

Thank u that's the response i was hoping for


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## Roadog

http://www.oleaspecialtyproducts.com/p-venetian_plaster_tool_824i_5.html

I have 4 of these, 2 small, 2 large. If you want one, $20 plus shipping. USED


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## mudbone

TNpainter said:


> I really want to get into doing this i was going to do a few samples. I am planning on am accent wall in my living room, just looking for some tips from those experienced in this craft. I have many years of painting experience and some faux work but never tried this finish. Any tip would b greatly appreciated thanks from TN.


 Easier just to get plastered!


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## TNpainter

Plastered while plastering sound like my kinda job.


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## vermontpainter

Get Modern Masters and do multi colors. Its a great, and hard, finish.


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## TNpainter

Thats what i was leaning towards.


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## Wutari

Some VP we did about 2 years ago.

We had 1 person roll on the first coat of VP nice and thick. Then another person would come behind them with a trowel to give it texture. Then one more coat of VP applied with a trowel very thin and then its polished.


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## Craftworks

VP is work and once you get over the newness of doing the work you will never give it away for low cost. Fortunately there are so many ways to do VP .Legitimate company products are best and strongest . But I have done many a nice job using paint tint mixed with compound . When complete I then take a acrylic clear and burnish it in . Over all it looks nice but walls are not as rock hard. But when doing VP paint wall a close color to save on some material . I like all VP products some have a bit more shine some less and that works out fine as there are different taste in customers
Creating a polished wall base of tinted joint compound works well before the real product also.


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## Craftworks

BarcelonaGuy said:


> VP, has become passe. The trend is pretty much over. Besides , it really isn't a very user friendly technique as it damages easily and is very difficult to touch up especially if it is waxed and a good VP is (or should be) expensive.
> I steer clients away from VP. My protfolio is filled with textured techniques that are easier to do and repairable. I show several on my web site gallery and HOW TO page. http://www.EuropeanPaintandTextures.com


VP is not worth doing unless $25 per sq ft - that said passe or not when a customer is willing to pay for the real time needed to make glass smooth with a true marble dust VP product there is no substitute for the true effect of blading a wall smooth hour after hour . All Faux finishes have the original time consuming method used to invent or create the look , Then comes the recreation of a faster method of similar look But if some one is willing to pay for the time needed for any Faux that always is the best.


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## woodcoyote

I guess it depends on how you apply it. Some trowel it and some do the roll/trowel. 

I think the best way to go is the VP acrylic paint product. It's not the "real" deal, but costs a lot less and the home owner usually wants that particular thing, because chances are they've never seen the "real" product. Probably saw some stuff on TV or in another person's house that was the acrylic product and wanted it.

Venetian from Lowe's - Valspar. Is easy and dumb to work with. I did 2 fireplaces in a day. Roll/trowel. It is a lot of work, but it's not killing anyone if you've worked with it before. 1 day depending on the size of things and you should be able to finish most projects and collect a decent paycheck.

P.S. Sherwin doesn't sell a top-coat for it as far as I know which is kinda weird, seeing as its water soluble, it will actually remelt if you put water and rub it with a rag vigorously. I know Valspar tells you to buy their top coat product (trowel on), don't. Waste of time and money. 

I top coat my 'fake' venetian with polycrylic, sprayed on with HVLP. Don't be bashful to load it up, the more the better you get that smooth feel. Follow the direction and your done plus you have some pretty good protection on it. 

have fun.


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