Video comparison of the best and cheapest plasters – a subject we’ve had on our list for a long time. Is it worth buying cheap plaster, or is it better to spend a bit more for it? In practice, we find that many of our customers opt for the lower-quality plaster in order to save a little money on the purchase of the material. But what about the subsequent costs of application? Does it take longer to apply, smooth or sand a cheaper, lower quality plaster? What does the calculation look like if you take into account the different stages of work? Which is cheaper in the overall work process: cheaper or higher quality plaster?
Comparison between low-cost and top-of-the-range coatings
To compare the two qualities of coating, we used a wall surface in our Airless Discounter training centre. On the left-hand side of the wall surface, the low-cost plaster was applied over an area of 9 m². On the right-hand side of the wall surface, the high-end plaster was applied over 9 m². We then divided the comparison between the different work stages: spraying, smoothing, sanding, to see how much work time is needed for each stage. This makes it possible to calculate not only the cost of the materials, but also the time and therefore the labour costs for each stage of work.
Smoothing out cheap plaster
Spraying – Cheap plaster versus top-of-the-range plaster
We used a Graco Mark VII Procontractor with a 535 coating nozzle (RAC X HDA – brown) to spray the low-cost coating and the high-end coating. Both materials could be applied without any problems. Neither the low-cost plaster nor the high-end plaster caused any problems when applied mechanically with an airless device.
Spraying plaster with Graco Mark VII
Smoothing coatings
After spraying, the plaster was smoothed. To smooth the cheap plaster on our test surface (9m²) on the left-hand wall, our painter Henning needed 8:30 min in the video. To smooth the better quality plaster on our test surface of 9 m² on the right-hand wall, 5:30 min were needed. A time saving of around 35% when using the higher quality plaster compared to the cheaper plaster. For a surface to be coated of 9 m², this represents a time difference of just 3 minutes. For a surface area of several hundred square metres, using a quality coating will quickly save several hours’ work and several hundred euros in labour costs.
Top quality Plaster – Stripping & Smoothing
A stopwatch is displayed in the bottom right-hand corner of the image to document the time taken for smoothing and all the other steps. The work steps are shown in their entirety in the video, with the recordings simply played back at a higher speed to make the video entertaining and interesting.
As well as the working time, the result of the work obviously also plays a role. After the two coatings have been removed and dried, it’s clear that the high-quality coating has produced a more even finish on the surface. The surface worked with the more expensive coating is uniform and flat. On the test surface with the cheaper plaster, small irregularities appeared. In addition, after the material had dried, pores were clearly visible on the surface in some places.
Result after stripping – Left, cheap plaster / right, high quality one
Sanding – Cheap plaster versus top-of-the-range plaster
The sanding work was carried out using a small hand sander and an abrasive giraffe. Preliminary work was carried out on the edges and corners using the hand sander. The large surfaces were then treated with the sanding giraffe. For the 9 m² of surface with a simpler plaster quality on the left-hand side of the wall, a total of 13:00 minutes was needed to complete the sanding work. One sheet of abrasive paper for the hand sander and two sheets for the giraffe were used for this purpose.
Comparison between cheap plaster and top-of-the-range plaster – Sanding with Giraffe
On the right-hand side of the wall, it took 7:00 minutes to sand the better quality plaster over an area of 9 m². This represents a time saving of 6:00 minutes, or 46%, compared with the cheap plaster. What’s more, less sanding equipment was needed. One sheet of sanding paper for the hand sander and one for the giraffe.
Comparison between cheap plaster (left) and top-of-the-range plaster (right) – Result of the work
In the image or video, the quality of the wall is often not very visible in close-up. In this case, however, there were clear differences in quality. The cheap plaster still had pores, while the top-of-the-range plaster was simply smooth.
Results – Cheap plaster versus top-of-the-range plaster
The video compares low-cost plaster with top-of-the-range plaster. The time taken to spray the plaster and the time needed for smoothing and sanding were taken into account. The material was applied by airless spraying and took the same amount of time to apply between the low-cost and high-end coatings. Both materials applied very well with the airless sprayer, evenly and saving time.
Spraying plaster
The test surfaces were then smoothed and floated. Here, the time advantage was clearly with the top-of-the-range plaster, with a saving of around 35% in working time, with just 5:30 minutes for the 9 m² test surface. In total, 3:00 minutes less than on the test surface with the cheaper plaster. In this case, the smoothing work took 8:30 minutes.
Comparison between cheap plaster and top-of-the-range plaster – Stripping & Smissing
When it came to sanding, an even clearer picture emerged. The time saved with the more expensive plaster was 46%. It took around 7 minutes to sand the test surface with the higher quality filler. Whereas it took around 13 minutes to sand the 9 m² surface with the cheaper plaster. What’s more, the top-of-the-range coating required less sanding equipment and the resultant surface was of a much higher quality.
Comparison of low-cost coating and high-quality coating – Changing abrasive paper
Despite the higher material costs, the use of the higher quality plaster is already paying for itself on the 9 m² test area, as the reduced working time offsets the higher material costs and is already saving money. On this small 9 m² area, the material costs were €9.36 for the low-cost plaster compared with €11.52 for the top-of-the-range plaster. During application, labour costs come to €17.92 for the low-cost plaster, compared with €12.87 for the top-of-the-range plaster. This saving on working time and labour costs is already enough to cover the higher material costs of the top-of-the-range plaster, giving additional savings of €2.89, or more than 10%.
Comparison between cheap plaster and expensive plaster – Total cost calculation
On a surface area of 9 m², 10% savings obviously don’t represent considerable sums. If you calculate the savings made on larger projects, or on the annual surface area of plastering work carried out by a painting company, you can quickly add up to several thousand euros in potential savings.
| SAVINGS | |
|---|---|
| 1 m² | 0,321 € |
| 100 m² | 32,11 € |
| 1000 m² | 321,11 € |
| 10 000 m² | 3 211,11 € |
| 100 000 m² | 32 111,11 € |
In addition, the more expensive top-of-the-range coating is easier to apply for the user and employee, lighter and requires less effort. The need for sanding equipment and waste is reduced, which also cuts costs. Total working time is reduced, which also lowers labour costs per m².
| CHEAP PLASTER | TOP OF THE RANGE PLASTER |
|---|---|
| More effort and physical strain when sanding | Pleasant, easy sanding with little effort |
| Higher consumption of abrasives/disks | Less abrasives/disks consumption |
| More touch-ups required | Less rework |
| More working time = higher costs | Less working time = cost savings |
| Cheaper plaster at first sight | Less expensive when all costs are taken into account |
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Questions or queries?
For any further questions or if you would like to get your hands on one of these products seen in this article, you can contact us on +49 (0) 30 220 15436, fill out our contact form or email us. If you wish to purchase one of the products mentioned above, you can check them out in our online store. You can also visit us at our service base during office hours.
