There are so many types of Venetian plasters on the market. What are the differences and what do you recommend?
Mike Heit,
New Hampton, Iowa

There are a tremendous amount of new products hitting the market right now, and it doesn’t look like there will ever be an end to what will be introduced.

Recently I tested a great variety of products with That Drywall Guy, Myron Ferguson. We both found a huge difference between how each is applied. Some were one-coat applications, while others required three coats and a finish “seal” coat.

Some materials were more like faux paint, with acrylic and other additives, while others were completely natural, with all materials coming from the earth. Some required sanding between coats, while others were a one shot deal - one coat applied and toweled down and you were done. Most required a level five finish to get a quality finish, while one only required a level three finish, which of course is a great advantage since this type of material can fill and be used to help hide any imperfections in the finishing job.

As far as what we recommend, the verdict is still out. Myron and I are going to be writing an article soon that will discuss in detail the types of Venetian plasters out there and what we were impressed with. Stay tuned! Thanks again Mike for the great question!