Vienitian Plaster - Need HELP

[MissMel]

OK Ladies, my SIL wanted to do this for me (I've been wanting to do it for a long time just haven't found the time) as a 'Thank You' for helping her get her new house.

Well...I wasn't asked when would be a good time for her to do it...I was TOLD 'have the wallpaper border up and the glazed sections primed before I come up for Megan's Birthday'.

So even though work is crazy, the tax practice I have on the side is CRAZY busy and I'm trying to get together my DD's second birthday party - I manage to get it ready.

well, this is what she did.

First two pics on the page are where I was standing over her shoulding going "the instructions say to use two THIN layers".
She's a professional artist, has done many business murals/faux finishes etc...but has NEVER used the Home Depot Venitian plaster product. She's always mixed from scratch.

Anyway...I think that wall turned out good (please ignore the white around the door...going to pain that a solid color instead of plastering it.).

The second two pictures are of the wall she did while I was taking care of my sick DD (didn't want anyone but me today, and didn't want anything other than to lay on my shoulder).

I did make it in there once while she was doing it and noticed how THICK she was putting it on (keep in mind the last two pictures are of the wall that has ONE layer on it...the wall with the door has TWO). I mentioned to her I think it's awfully think, she said "I'm trying to save you all some time", so I said, "Isn't that going to create a different effect" - her "no, it will look /blend just fine"

Keep in mind the darker spots in the last two pictures are of areas that are still not dry and it's been 10 hours....

I'm pissed, and I'm trying to figure out how to fix it.

Do you think I could get away with sanding this wall down to a 'thin' layer and then do a light second layer over it? Or do you think the sand paper would do more of a burnishing instead of really knocking it down.

Or am I going to have to start all over?

Or do I just have to live with a mismatched kitchen because she was in too much of a hurry to get back to Oklahoma to go to a super bowl party with her new BF?

Did I mention I'm ticked?
www.geocities.com/mdirks2/kitchen.html

[Ornah]

honestly, it's very hard to tell from the pictures. but i would wait till it's compeltely dry before deciding it's not what you want. i think sanding would do more harm than good. so the other two options would be to either live with it, if it's that bad take it off... i have no idea how you would do that - and redo.

btw - i really like the look. so hopefully once it's completely dry it will look good.

[honeybunny]

Personally, from the pics I think it looks fine as is. But like Ornah said... wait until it's completely dry to make a final decision. And I also think that sanding could make it look worse.

I like the effect. Sorry she was in such a hurry to get it all done.

Angie

[MissMel]

Thanks for your opinions girls!

I just don't know what to do...it doesn't look much different today - the dark spots that were at the top and the corner are gone, but the rest of the wall looks the same.

I just LOVE the swirly effect on the first wall...and the other wall looks more like that whippy crap people put in the old houses instead of the marble/multi color effect. - which I'm sure is because there's ONE thick layer instead of two thin ones.

I don't think it looks BAD, just isn't consistant in the whole room...and knowing how good it could have looked...just gets my goat. I know once I get pictures hung and Ivy and stuff up it won't be very noticeable - I'll probably be the only one who notices...but having one wall the way I wanted, and then the rest different...annoys me...but I don't know what else to do.

Do you think I could do some sort of a technique over it to light it up/add swirls? Maybe some sort of lt brown glaze or soemthing?

I haven't put the clearcoat on it yet - do you think that will improve the look of it?

Even though the second wall is darker than the first (although first wall has two coats and second wall has one), DH still wants to do a second layer on it...I think that's only going to make it worse/darker.

I really wish he would have kept his mouth shut and just waited for me to get out of tax season so I could have done it myself.

[Ornah]

i wouldn't even know how to begin answering your questions. My suggestion would be to go to the place where you bought the venitian plaster and ask them. They would probably be able to answer some of your questions, make some recommendations, or at least recommend a place that would be able to help you with the answers.

[*Shorty*]

I don't know for sure, but what if on the wall you don't like you were to do a test spot with a second layer (perhaps a spot that would normally be covered by furniture) Then you could see whether the second layer would take care of the swirl effect or make things worse. I see what you mean about it not being how you want, even though it does still look pretty good. THis way you'll know whether to proceed with a 2nd layer on the whole wall.

[MissMel]

Thanks for your input ladies!

I'm going to try sanding a spot behind the bakers rack (when we get rid of that, there will be a buffet if not a whole china cabinet there) and see how that does...if a second coat after sanding would make it look more like the first wall.

I'm definitely afraid doing a second coat on that wall (without sanding) will just make it worse.

I'm also prepared to sand it all off, reprime/paint and then plaster myself.

Of course that's provided either of the Home Depots in town ever get the venetian plaster back in stock. Both of them are OUT today. Ugh!

[Deanna]

oh MissMel I'm sorry I didn't see this thread sooner! I used to sell Venetian plaster and have applied it myself many many times...... and no, you are right it shouldn't be thick.... it should be so smooth that it squeaks when you rub your finger over it. Regular plaster like you seen in Florida or California homes goes on thick and swirly like that. Venetian plaster is meant to be burnished and buffed so that it has a sheen.

I will admit that the first time I used the stuff I didn't know what I was doing. I did an area behind the sales counter in the store that I worked. The Venetian Plaster rep told me a quart would do the area, it took me a gallon! It was rough and thick. Sanding didn't help but what I ended up doing was using the spatulas that you apply it with to 'scrap' off the excess then used the same spatula to polish it afterwards.

The proper way to apply it is to use the spatula and stretch the product out really thin in a criss cross pattern. The first coat should be sparse, you will see bits of paint from the wall below. The second coat goes on the same way overlapping both the bare and areas with plaster on it already. Once those coats are dry you can polish the finish using the spatula, (your wrist will feel like you're getting carpal tunnel in it).... but a trick to getting the really nice shine and smooth finish is to use bee's wax, Home Depot should sell it in the same area. Spatula it on the same way as the plaster stretching it out really thin, polish slightly and it will gleam and be so elegant.

Again, I wish I had seen this post sooner! I hope it turned out ok for you