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The truth about Venetian Plaster.

By Iriana Shiyan

Services for Real Estate Pros with Artazum, LLC

June 28, 2008 07:28 PM

I had to write about it, because it made my Saturday absolutely miserable.

I love Venetian Plaster. I have done my bedroom and master bath in gorgeous marble like Venetian Plaster I have bought in Home Depot.

I had an absolutely terrible experience with Signature Venetian Plaster from Lowes today. I am an experienced painter and I used different types of plaster before. I just recently finished plastering my bedroom with Venetian Plaster from Home Depot and it was so much easer. I had no idea that Lowe's plaster is different. First of all, it is too liquid, almost like a thick paint, so it is an impossible to handle it with anything but brush. Well, there no brush involved in plastering. Second, it dries as quickly as nail polish, so if you go back where you were 1 minute ago, you destroy everything. Third, if you walls not completely smooth, you will need at list 3 layers. I managed to do two, but than had to add some more in some places.

But the most important, which makes me really unhappy - it takes twice as much time as Home Depot's plaster and you need twice as much material!!!!!

I did read INSTRUCTIONS on the can. It says "one gallon will cover 150-190 sq.ft per coat". So, I did some math. And approximately for two coats average coverage is 87sq.ft. I used the whole gallon and I covered (with two coats) only 62 sq.ft. That is mean that for the promised cost of 37 cents per sq.ft ( $32.57/87), I realistically got $52 cents per sq.ft.

It is 11:30 p.m. and I am very disappointed to be left with unfinished project. To cover $62 sq.ft I spent 8 hours. Also, I will have to go to the store and buy the second gallon and spend my Sunday finishing up this small bathroom project!

Please, test your product before putting it on the shelves!!!!! It is really needs to be more thick! Also, the color of "Pelle" was moredark and green than sample shows.

The funny part - after I went to Lowe's website and left my comment about this, I can not open their site on my computer anymore. It says that they perform maintenance. I hope it is not only because of me...

By the way, the result is stunning, so at the end of the day, I will love it.

venetian plaster from lowe's bathroom

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Ray Henderson

Weichert Realtors' Northeast Group - Saratoga Springs, NY

This is good to know. I like what you have done. I have thought about doing our master bath in plaster, I saw it on a design show. I always compare Lowes and Home Depot. Their products and prices are different.

Jun 28, 2008 09:32 PM

Michael Cole

CPG Tours - Corona, CA

As frustrating as it may be for you, if the end result is “stunning” and you “love it” that’s what’s most important.

Jun 28, 2008 11:26 PM

Ryan Martin

Pacific Continental Realty, LLC - Bellingham, WA

Bellingham Commercial RE Broker

Irina ~ I really like Venetion Plaster walls. It is something that we don't see too often in the Pacific Northwest.

Jun 29, 2008 03:17 AM

Anonymous

Eli Lucero @ Ivenetian.com

Your walls look pretty good considering your level of experience. I am one of the countrys leading Venetian Plaster artist. One of my students sent me your link and another to a blog post. If you would like to see the way I apply the exact same products you mention you can see my work on my photo blog. We generally only do homes 3 million and up. Enjoy www.ivenetian.com

Jan 10, 2009 08:17 AM

Sorry got the link wrong here is the correct one www.ivenetian.com

Jan 10, 2009 08:19 AM

Mark

I too have used the Home Depot/Behr product on four other projects in the past. Yesterday I decided to try the Lowes/Signature product, not because I was unhappy with Behr, but because Lowes is closer to my home, and I wanted to save time. I'm not at all happy with the way the product works. It's working properties are inferior to Behr. I can't create the detailed texture and depth with ease. It won't hold an edge, and has a shorter working time. It tends to "Sag" and "Drip" rather than stand. and then dries quickly. Trying to rework an area can cause a mess, rather than enhance texture. I've used an entire gallon of the signiture product in an area where I'd have leftover material if I'd used the Behr product, and I need to go back today and purchase more to finish my project. Overall, it looks like I "may" be happy with the finished project, but it will take me twice as much material, and a heck of a lot more work to achieve the desired effect.

Dec 27, 2010 04:44 AM

Joshua

Crazy. I found the Home Depot product terrible. It was like a clay, set too fast, and didn't go on smooth. Also it was un-burnishable (leaves black marks from the trowel, scars with sand paper & doesn't take steel wool at all). The Lowe's product (from the purple can) is a dream. Glides on smoothly, takes the second coat beautifully (no matter the colour). And using #0000 steel wool after a trowel burnish, makes the surface look 3 feet deep. Give it time to breathe in-between steps, and it won't let you down. End result feels & looks like a mirror. Also, reference to the above pictures, I see alot of short strokes used in the first applying stage, looks better if their longer, like real marble veins. And the undercoating makes a huge difference. Pick an eggshell sheen with a slightly darker colour. ***Use the proper tools. Drywall knifes & those blue spaulatua blades don't work!!!

Sep 12, 2020 03:16 PM

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