For thousands of years, plaster has been the medium of choice for protective finishing mortars, ornamental sculpting mortars and artistic reliefs. From Egyptian tombs to Greek artisan plaster castings, Middle Eastern geodesic dome homes to the cathedrals of Rome—plaster is renowned for its durability, aesthetic appeal and design versatility. Over the last five centuries, the advancement in both methods and materials has continued to advance its popularity, with today’s high-performance technologies infusing exciting new opportunity into the plastering industry.
As the industry has evolved, so have the names used to associate plaster materials with various compositions, application styles, functions and branding strategies. The names, in and of themselves, do not consistently reflect function, intended use or performance. This lack of standardized nomenclature can lead to a vast difference in perception of what is being discussed or installed.