Lecture 3 ~ Building Finishes

Lecture Intended Learning Outcomes:

On completion of the Lecture, students are expected to be able to:

 Have a basic understanding on building finishes, including plastering, tiling and painting;
 Explain the concepts and the techniques for dry wall constructions.

Building Finishes

Building finishes are used to give protective covering lo various building components, and at the same time,
they provide decorative effects. Building finishes consists of the following items:

 Plastering is one of the finishing of the walls, which consists of providing a thin layer of plastic materials
such as cement mortar, lime mortar etc. on walls, columns and other surfaces.
 Pointing is the process of finishing of mortar joints in brick or stone masonry.
 Painting varnishing and polishing is normally done on doors, windows and other timber and steel
components.

Finishing works is a fine job in building construction process where it forms the beauty of a building. Several
types of finishes can be used based on the materials used, environmental conditions and costs. Finishing of a
building can be divided into several sections: Floor finishing, Wall finishing and Ceiling finishing.

Finishing works functions as:

 Protect / cover the basic work

 Produce a flat surface and neatly
 Protect the basic work of the climate action
 A cushion to the finishing paint work and laying of tiles
 Provide facilities for cleaning
 Increase durability to the work of the foundation
 Provide comfort and safety to the residents who live in it.

Plasterwork

Plasterwork refers to construction or ornamentation done with plaster, such as a layer of plaster on an interior or
exterior wall structure, or plaster decorative moldings on ceilings or walls. The process of creating plasterwork,
called plastering or rendering, has been used in building construction for centuries.

Tools and materials include trowels, hawk, floats, lime, sand, a variety of cements, and various ingredients to
form color washes.

The first coat or rendering is from 1/2 to 3/4 inches thick, and is mixed in the proportions of from one part of
cement to two of sand to one part to five of sand. The finishing or setting coat is about 3/16 inches thick, and is
worked with a hand float on the surface of the rendering, which must first be well wetted.

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 A plasterer covering a wall, using a hawk (in his left hand) and trowel (in his right hand)

Coats

Plasters are applied in successive coats or layers on walls. its name from the number of these coats.

 One coat work is the coarsest and cheapest class of plastering, and is limited to inferior buildings, such as
outhouses, where merely a rough coating is required to keep out the weather and draughts. This is described
as render on brickwork.
 Two-coat work is often used for factories or warehouses and the less important rooms of residences. The first
coat is of coarse stuff finished fair with the darby float and scoured. A thin coat of setting stuff is then laid on,
and trowelled and brushed smooth. Two-coat work is described as render and set on walls.
 Three-coat work is usually specified for all good work. It consists, as its name implies, of three layers of
material, and is described as render, float and set on walls. This makes a strong, straight, sanitary coating for
walls and ceilings.

Floor & Wall Tiling Work (Buildings)

Tiling refers to the operation of covering with tiles, including many types of tiling works:

 Bathroom Tiling
 Kitchen Tiling
 Wall Tiling
 Floor Tiling
 Ceiling Tiling
 Mosaic floor tiling

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 Quarry Tiling
 Granite / Marble / Porcelain
 Grouting
 Re-grouting
 Trimming and mitring

The purpose of a Work Method Statement for Floor and Wall Tiling Works is to outline and describe in detail the
procedure such as setting and lay-out plan on actual location, pre-laying of tiles, mixing of tile grout, final laying
of tiles and all other related activity. The typical steps of tiling works are explained below:

Preliminary Preparation:

 Cleaning of completed floor slab and masonry wall prior to start survey markings and lay-out.
 Lay-out and put markings on the concrete floor slab the correct tile layout and make sure it is aligned with the
markings on masonry wall for wall tiles.
 Provide temporary but rigid lumber for guide / references to check plumbed and alignment.

Materials Handling and Preparation:

 When materials are delivered. Check delivery receipt and certificates against the specification; examine marks
and labels and the condition of materials and components.
 Materials and components are clean, undamaged, dry and enough for the work in hand.
 Tile sizes, thickness and colours are as specified.
 Adhesives and grouts are as specified and are suitable for the conditions to which the tiling will be used.
 Ensure that the ready-mixed adhesive is not subjected to temperature outside the range given in the
Manufacturer’s site work instruction.

Preparation of Work:

 Do not begin tiling work until all concealed conduits, pipes, electrical cables, electrical boxes, and so on that
penetrate the tiling have been fixed securely in position and making good is completed.
 Before fixing check that any colour and shade variations are acceptable.
 Discard any tiles that are chipped or cracked.
 Cut tiles neatly and accurately.

Installation and Fixing of Floor Tiles:

 Establish a datum level for the finished floor.

 Tiles must be correctly positioned at the time they are placed and laid with joints.
 Control the overall level of the finished floor by means of a spot check levels.
 Check whether the width of joints is specified before setting out or used tile spacer for uniform width spacing.
 Provide 1% slope going to floor drain.
 Set out the tiling width joints of consistent width, ensuring they are horizontal and parallel.

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 Grouting of the joints shall be carried out within a period of 4 hours of the completion of the laying of the
tiles so that the grout will attach itself firmly to the bedding. Care should be taken to avoid disturbing the tiles
during grouting application.
 Ensure that where adjoining tile surfaces are in different planes the joints are continuous from one surface to
the next.

Installation and Fixing of Wall Tiles:

 Provide a rough wall finish of plastering prior to receive wall tiles.

 Established datum line should be parallel and align with the floor layout.
 Ceramic wall tiles shall be fixed by bedding an approved tile grout on cement plaster.
 Tile adhesive shall be applied to the surface with notched trowel to a thickness of approximately 3-4 mm.
 Tiles shall be pressed into the adhesive, tapped firmly into position and cleaned as soon as the bedding is
complete.
 Grouting of the joints shall be carried out within a period of 4 hours of the completion of the laying of the
tiles so that the grout will attach itself firmly to the bedding. Care should be taken to avoid disturbing the tiles
during grouting application.
 Maintain general joint width along cut edges.
 Cut and fit tiling neatly around pipes, electrical boxes, and so on.

Protection:

 Do not permit any traffic at all on the flooring after completion.

 Provide adequate protection if heavy loads are to be moved across the flooring.
 Cleaning:
 Brush off loose materials, wash with clean water and remove surplus water with cloth.
 Treat with an appropriate acid cleaner in accordance with the Manufacturer’s instructions.
 Before applying the cleaning agent, wet the floor and remove any surplus water; after cleaning rinse it
thoroughly with clean water

Painting Works

After completion of preparatory works, such as the installation of block, plaster preparation, plaster works, the
painting works will then carried out in compliance with the drawings, project specifications, and materials of a
building. The work procedure of typical painting works is explained below:

Preparation

 Hardware materials which are already fixed and not to be painted shall be removed. Removal if not possible,
it shall be covered / protected appropriately before surface preparation and painting will commence.
 Clean painting surface and room: The surface is thoroughly cleaned off mortar droppings, dust, grease and
other foreign matters. Old work, all loose material and scales are removed by sand papering. The room is
thoroughly clean / broom and the whole building is cleaned at least one day before painting.
 Fill surface voids, pores and cracks: all masonry or plaster surface voids, pores and cracks, nail holes are filled
with filler before starting paint work.

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Paint Application

 The paint system would be emulsion paint for internal. The surface to be painted when prepared one coat of
paint to be applied as primer. Curing would be made by drying until 4 hours is attained prior to the succeeding
coat to be applied.
 Two coats of Stucco would be applied after the primer has reached its curing period. But each coat shall have
an interval time of 4 hours for curing. Before the application of second coat stucco sanding would be done for
cleaning and removing of splattered, blemishes and stains on the painted surface.
 Then two coats of final paint would be applied.

Dry Construction

Many countries have put considerable efforts into the optimization of the construction industry. These efforts
range from reduction of energy consumption to the lesser use of materials and labors, all of which aim at reducing
the costs as well as time of construction. However, developing countries lack the fundamentals of industrialization,
in technology and logistics alike. These deficiencies include a lack of appropriate factories for the production of
prefabricated products, a low number of trained labor, lack of business and organizational structures, and the
knowledge to efficiently implement industrialization. Therefore, these countries would have no other choice but
to import pre-fabricated products, which in turn would impose on them great costs that are usually hard for
them to afford.

Dry construction refers to the construction techniques and skills without the use of plaster or mortar. The use of
dry materials speeds the construction process and allows earlier occupancy. Drywall (also known as plasterboard,
wallboard, gypsum panel, sheet rock, or gypsum board) is a panel made of calcium sulfate di-hydrate (gypsum)
with or without additives and normally pressed between a facer and a backer. It is used to make interior walls and
ceilings. Drywall construction became pre-valent in North America as a speedier alternative to traditional method.

Drywall is delivered to a building site on a flatbed truck and unloaded with a forked material handler crane. The
bulk drywall sheets are unloaded directly to upper floors via a window or exterior doorway.

Construction Techniques

As an alternative to a week-long plaster application, an entire house can be dry-walled in one or two days by two
experienced dry-wallers, and drywall is easy enough to use that it can be installed by many amateur home
carpenters. In large-scale commercial construction, the work of installing and finishing drywall is often split
between the drywall mechanics, or hangers, who install the wallboard, and the tapers and mudmen, or float crew,
who finish the joints and cover the fastener heads with drywall compound.

Dry wall can be finished anywhere from a level 0 to a level 5, where 0 is not finished in any fashion and 5 is the
most "pristine". Depending on how significant the finish is to the customer the extra steps in the finish may or
may not be necessary, though priming and painting of drywall is recommended in any location where it may be
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exposed to any wear. Drywall is cut to size, using a large T-square, by scoring the paper on the finished side
(usually white) with a utility knife, breaking the sheet along the cut, and cutting the paper backing. Small features
such as holes for outlets and light switches are usually cut using a keyhole saw or a small high-speed bit in a
rotary tool.

Drywall is then fixed to the wall structure with nails or drywall screws and often glue. Drywall fasteners, also
referred to as drywall clips or stops, are gaining popularity in both residential and commercial construction.
Drywall fasteners are used for supporting interior drywall corners and replacing the non-structural wood or metal
blocking that traditionally was used to install drywall. Their function serves to save on material and labour
expenses, to minimize call-backs due to truss uplift, to increase energy efficiency, and to make plumbing and
electrical installation simpler.

Drywall screws heads have a curved taper, which allows them to self-pilot and install rapidly without having to
be punched through the paper cover. When finished driving, these screws are recessed slightly into the drywall.
Screws for light-gauge steel framing have an acute point and finely spaced threads. If the steel framing is heavier
than 20-gauge, self-tapping screws with finely spaced threads must be used. In some applications, the drywall
may be attached to the wall with adhesives.

Applying joint compound to dry-wall

After the sheets are secured to the wall studs or ceiling joists, the installer conceals the seams between drywall
sheets with joint tape and several layers of joint compound (sometimes called mud). This compound is also applied
to any screw holes or defects. The compound is allowed to air dry then typically sanded smooth before painting.
Alternatively, for a better finish, the entire wall may be given a skim coat, a thin layer (about 1 mm or 1/16 inch)
of finishing compound, to minimize the visual differences between the paper and mudded areas after painting.

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