Concrete effect plaster in Surrey

Concrete effect plaster in Surrey suits the newest and most open rooms in the county, such as rear extensions with big glazing, rebuilt houses on larger plots and apartments near the stations. It is a smooth, cloudy grey mineral plaster, trowelled on by hand rather than rolled from a tin. Zavoré supplies Beton Stucco tinted to your colour and installs it. We are based in Birmingham and our own applicators travel to Surrey. Start with a sample board in your colour.

It is a thin decorative skin, not cement render and not structural, so the wall underneath decides how good it looks.

Extensions, rebuilds and new apartments

Much of Surrey's recent building is exactly the kind of space this finish was made for. Families extend their houses at the back with glazed open plan kitchens and dining rooms. Older houses are rebuilt on bigger plots, and blocks of flats have gone up in and around the larger town centres. Barn style conversions and self builds also use clean, square walls with plenty of glass.

Those rooms are modern, flat and often short of character, and concrete effect gives them a quiet, architectural wall. It is much less happy in the county's older rooms. A Georgian or Victorian room full of cornice, picture rail and panelled doors fights a concrete wall, and there Venetian plaster or limewash sits better.

The wall underneath, and the light on it

A concrete finish is thin, so hollows, roller stipple, plasterboard joints and soft or dusty patches show through the coats. We want the wall skimmed and flat, and primed so the coat dries evenly. Corners matter more than faces, because a wavy arris is obvious in low light.

Grey is also not one colour. North light pulls it towards blue, and a mid grey can feel like slate by late afternoon. South light warms it and flattens the cloud. A large glazed extension can have both in one day, so judge the sample on the real wall at different times, and tell us which way the room faces.

Where concrete effect works in Surrey

Our concrete effect plaster finishes suit these places.

• Open plan kitchen and dining walls.
• Feature walls behind a hob or a bath, with the right protection.
• Hallways and stairwells in newer houses.
• Galleries, studios, shopfronts and offices.
• Fireplaces and chimney breasts.
• Loft conversions with flat, square walls.

Unsealed, the finish is porous and will mark with oil or wine, so we seal kitchens and cloakrooms, and add waterproofer behind a hob or sink. Bathroom walls are fine away from the cubicle, but not inside a shower, where tadelakt belongs. We would also avoid it on walls that move, on damp walls, and if you want one dead flat colour.

How a concrete effect job in Surrey runs

We survey first, looking at the walls, flatness, cracks, damp, access and how the room is used. We say plainly if skimming is needed. The sample board is next, bare or sealed, because sealing deepens the colour a little. Colour is tinted before it leaves Birmingham, in our 48 house colours or any NCS reference.

A long wall is worked in one go to keep a wet edge, changing the direction of the blade so no pattern repeats, and that often takes more than one pair of hands. Because we travel, a Surrey job is planned in blocks of days. See the concrete effect installation page for more.

Buying Beton Stucco, or laying it yourself

The shop sells Beton Stucco, primer and sealer with tracked delivery. A small alcove or chimney breast is a fair first job. A long open plan wall is not, because the cloud has to carry across it without a join. Builders and developers can ask about a trade account, and designers can start on our specification page.

More finishes in Surrey

Walls in this style pair naturally with microcement in Surrey on the floor. For something softer see clay plaster in Surrey, limewash in Surrey or marmorino in Surrey. A reflective wall is polished plaster in Surrey, and a wet area calls for tadelakt in Surrey. For one bright accent look at liquid metal in Surrey. All the crafts are collected in decorative specialists in Surrey, and the classic Venetian finish is described under Venetian plastering in Surrey.

Questions about concrete effect plaster in Surrey

Is concrete effect plaster right for a Surrey open plan kitchen extension?

Often, yes. It gives a calm mineral wall beside glazing. We seal it for a kitchen so it can be wiped, and add waterproofer behind a hob or sink. Sealing deepens the colour, so check that on a sample board.

Is concrete effect paint the same as your plaster?

No. Concrete effect paint is an acrylic with texture in it, rolled and stippled. What we supply is mineral plaster, trowelled in thin coats, with the tone inside the material and the cloud made by the blade.

Can concrete effect go over the plasterboard of a new Surrey build?

Yes, if the board is sound and skimmed flat with joints reinforced, then primed. Tape lines and hollows come through a thin finish, so the preparation matters more than the plaster.

Will concrete effect suit my Victorian house in Surrey?

Usually not in the main rooms. Cornice, picture rail and panelled doors fight a concrete wall. A modern rear extension is a better home for it, and period rooms suit Venetian plaster or limewash.

Tell us which way the room faces and what the wall is made of. Call 07592 929191 (Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm) or email sales@zavore.co.uk with photos, rough measurements and your postcode. You can also order a sample board and start from there.