FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
about Stucco Marmorino, Venetian Polished Plaster

1. I want a Marmorino completely matt. How can I do it?

A surface is very glossy when it is not porous. Our lime based materials are mixed with water; when the water evaporates it leaves micro porosities. The more and larger these porosities, the more matt is the finishing.

To get a very matt surface we start applying a generous second coat and a third, also more generous than usual while the second is still wet. Between the coats the surface is worked with the metallic trowel. However it is not recommended to polish excessively the third coat to avoid the typical damages to the surface such as the “peeling off”.

The matt effect can be enhanced on a Marmorino coat already applied with the help of acid substances diluted in water. This job should be done very carefully and using several coats of very diluted acid as to avoid obtaining darker and glossier zones. For these works we strongly suggest to use the Marmorino Carrara as the Classic is very difficult to be used in both the above-mentioned techniques.

2. How can I protect the surface from dirt?

In interiors:

A) After a minimum of 24 hours you can apply MARSEILLE SOAP protective coating with a steel trowel. Use ca. 30–50 gr. / sqm. After 5 or 6 hours, go over the surface with a soft cloth to remove the coat of surface powder produced by unabsorbed soap.

B) After a minimum of 24 hours a coat of WAX can be applied with a sponge.

In exteriors:

After at least 72 hours at at a temperature of 20°C, 68°F, proceed with colourless, penetrating IDROCALCE, developed to protect exterior plaster coverings. Use a brush to apply two coats of ca. 150–180 gr. / sqm.

3. How can I clean Marmorino?

First at all we recommend not using plain water; if the water get mixed with the dirt, this can then be absorbed by the surface, which will get stained hopelessly.

If the cause is smog (on the top of radiators) or smoke (on the top or around the fireplaces) we suggest using our specific paste detergent ready to use. This paste that should be evenly spread on the Marmorino, has the distinctive feature of wrapping the particles of dirt and preventing the wall from absorbing them. The paste is thereafter removed from the wall using a sponge and clean water.

Marks from shoes or similar can be removed with a rubber.

If the Marmorino has been previously treated with wax or soap, the cleaning job will be rather easier.

4. How can I make a perfect external corner?

In order to get a good external corner at 90° we recommend using the special corner trowel in all the coats.

When applying Marmorino, if the trowel is moved from the bottom to the top, it creates two strips as large as the two metallic wings. If these wings are left as they are they will be seen at the end of the work.

The trowel applies some material on the two adjoining walls; one is where we are working and the other where we will work. On the wall where we are working we simply work to make the strip seamless to the other material we are applying.

On the adjoined wall instead, we wider the strip of the material using either a trowel or a spatula, working to leave more thickness in the area near the corner and less as we progressively move away from the corner’s line.

When thereafter we will work on this second wall, we will not use the corner trowel as the corner has already been created. We should work very carefully, avoiding at damaging it.

In order to simplify the job, we suggest to apply the Marmorino at the same time on both the walls; at least to work on the second wall when the first is still fresh.

5. How long does the marmorino last for?

Venezia has still several Marmorino finishes more than three hundred years old. Marmorino is a very strong finish and being very smooth, is also hardly attacked by dirt. The worst enemy is the dirty air, conveyed by the heating systems especially in polluted areas (large cities), while the second danger are the splashes of dirty water, wine, coffee, oil or the dump coming from the internal parts of the walls.

6. Is marmorino suitable to external use?

Yes, Marmorino is suitable to the exterior, even in cold countries. However, in countries where temperatures go well below zero, we suggest the application on walls not directly exposed to the rain.

7. If the Marmorino has been waxed, will I be able to apply a paint or marmorino on top?

Yes, our natural wax, once it is crystallized, which happens few days after the application, can be covered with other coatings. If the Marmorino is covered with an excessive coat of wax or other kind of wax, it is strongly recommended to remove it washing with tinners and sanding the surface. Thereafter it is also recommended to apply a strong primer (we suggest Quartz Primer).

Before applying the new coat always test it on a small area.

8. How to properly maintain a marmorino wall?

We simply suggest to remove the dust ; if the wall has been waxed re-apply the wax treatment after two/three years

9. How to store the material?

The material can be preserved for 7 or more years if airtight in its original package or if covered by a layer of water. Always store it in cool environments and never near/below zero.

10. Can Marmorino be applied in the bathrooms?

Yes, and we advise to apply a soap treatment, a wax treatment or preferably both for best protection. The soap not only protects but also makes Marmorino hydro repellent. What is really required in the bathroom is a protection against splashes of body lotions, creams and bath foams.

Our Marmorino can be applied even inside the shower cabins. In this case it is strongly recommended to apply a waterproof treatment to avoid that, because of the scarce air circulation, the lower parts and the corners remain wet. A common feature of all the lime-based plasters is that they become stained if they are not properly dried after they become wet.

11. Which one is the best to use? The Carrara or the Classic?

While almost always this is a simple question of aesthetic nature, in the exterior and in the public areas we suggest the application of Carrara.

We also suggest Carrara, at least as first coat, when the substrate is cracked as the Carrara makes a thicker coat than the Classic.

12. If the wall is already painted, is the primer necessary?

When the wall has been homogeneously painted using acrylic paint the primer is not necessary, but in all the other cases it is. Be careful when a wall, already painted with acrylic, shows repairing with plaster. These zones will absorb rather more and then, if not properly treated waterproof as the remaining of the wall, they will be visible at the end, showing dark stains.

13. Can damages be repaired?

A perfect and invisible reparation is impossible. Always leave to your client or archive in your storage room a sample of the original material kept under water in an airtight container. Theoretically the material should last “for ever”, giving you the possibility of easy repairing.

14. What colors are possible?

Basically all the known colors; however many are attacked by the UVRs of the sun and therefore they cannot be used in the exterior.

15. Can you apply Venetian Plaster and lime-based plaster on an exterior cement-based plaster which is coating a rigid foam insulation panel covered a fiber glass mesh?

No, it is not advisable because over time the junctures between the rigid foam panels could become visible.

Is it possible painting over Venetian Polished Plaster?

Yes, Venetian plaster is a very suitable surface to be painted.