Wall plastering in Batumi to guide beads: gypsum and cement
We do wall plastering in Batumi only to guide beads: we set them with a laser, check the plane before any mortar goes on and send you photos. In dry rooms we use a gypsum mix, and in the bathroom, by the sink and on the balcony a cement one. Labour costs from 39 ₾ per m², with the mix extra. We move on to skim coating and tiling when the moisture meter shows the layer is dry, even if the schedule says it is time.
from 39 ₾/m²plaster to guide beads with a gypsum mix, labour only, mix extra. The final price is confirmed once agreed.
- Timeline: 1–2 weeks of work for the walls of a 1+1 apartment of about 45 m²; before skim coating, a gypsum layer then dries for another 1–2 weeks and a cement one for 3–4 weeks
- Warranty: 2 years on the work, 5 years on concealed pipes and wiring
Who it’s for
A black frame apartment where the block and concrete walls have to be brought flat for the finishes
After a layout change there are new partitions, chases and joints with the old walls
In a resale apartment the old plaster has come away in sheets, and the walls have been taken back to brick or block
The bathroom and loggia need a cement base for waterproofing and tiles
You are abroad and want to see the plane of the guide beads in photos before the mortar goes on
What’s included
- dust removal and primer suited to the type of base
- guide beads and perforated corner beads set by laser level, check photos before the mortar
- gypsum plaster in dry rooms, by hand or by machine
- sand and cement plaster in the bathroom, by the sink and on the loggia
- mesh at joints between different materials and over chases
- window and balcony door reveals
- a smooth surface for skim coating or a rough one for tiles
- removing the guide beads and filling the grooves
- a moisture measurement before the next stage
What to do before plastering
Before plastering, everything that will end up in the walls has to be in place: cables and back boxes, pipes after the pressure test, air conditioning lines, supports for the installation frame and concealed mixers. The order of electrical installation before plastering is covered separately. We set the back boxes to the plane of the future plaster layer, otherwise the socket faceplate won't sit tight against the wall later.
Windows, balcony door units and the frames of concealed doors are fitted first: we plaster the reveals to the finished frames, and the leaf of a concealed door then sits flush with the wall. We pour the floor screed after plastering, so that mortar and debris from the walls don't fall onto the fresh floor. If the walls lean by several centimetres, we first decide whether to plaster them at all: the deviation thresholds and the other methods are set out on the page about wall levelling.
How plastering to guide beads is done
- We remove the dust, prime the wall with a primer suited to its base and wait for the primer to dry.
- We set the guide beads, profiles 6 or 10 mm thick, on dabs of fast-setting gypsum. The spacing is shorter than the length of the straightedge, so that it rests on neighbouring beads at both ends; the outermost beads go next to the corners, and a laser level sets the plane. Perforated corner beads go on external corners and reveals to hold the arris.
- The site foreman checks the beads with a straightedge across the diagonals and sends photos. This is the last moment when a mistake in the plane can be corrected almost for free.
- We apply the mix by hand or by machine and rule it off along the beads from the bottom up. Over the joints between concrete and blockwork and over the chases, we embed alkali-resistant mesh into the fresh layer, lapping onto both sides.
- Once the gypsum coat has set, we trim it with a feather edge, dampen it and trowel it smooth for the skim coat. For tiles we leave the surface rough: adhesive holds better on it.
- We take out the guide beads and fill the grooves with the same mix.
Gypsum or cement plaster
One apartment usually gets both. Gypsum plaster is quicker, lighter and gives a smooth surface, but it doesn't tolerate constant moisture. Cement plaster is heavier and takes longer to dry, but in a bathroom, under waterproofing and tiles, it won't go soft even if water reaches the wall one day.
| What we compare | Gypsum | Sand and cement |
|---|---|---|
| Where we use it | Living rooms, the hallway, the kitchen away from the sink | The bathroom, the sink area, the balcony and loggia |
| Layer in one pass | Usually from 5 mm to 5 cm, if the mix's data sheet allows it | About 2 cm, thicker in several passes |
| Surface | Smooth; a finishing skim coat is enough for paint | Rough, good for tiles; for paint it needs several skim coats |
| Drying before skim coating | About a week per centimetre of thickness in dry weather | Usually 3–4 weeks, with the layer kept damp for the first few days |
| Labour | from 39 ₾ per m² | from 51 ₾ per m² |
We apply cement plaster in three stages: a runny splash coat for adhesion, the main coat to the guide beads and a thin finishing coat. Each coat goes over the previous one once it has set, so a bathroom takes longer to plaster than a room of the same size.
When plaster can be covered
We don't count drying time by the calendar. Before skim coating or tiling, we measure the moisture in the layer with a meter at several points on each wall and compare it with what the data sheet of the next material requires. Dry gypsum plaster is light and even in tone, while dark patches in the corners and near the floor show that it is still wet there.
If a damp layer is covered, the moisture escapes through the finish. Paint blisters, the skim coat crazes, and mould appears behind wallpaper. Airing and a dehumidifier speed up drying, and while the walls dry, the crew moves on to work that moisture doesn't affect.
How much wall plastering costs in Batumi
Wall plastering to guide beads with a gypsum mix costs from 39 ₾ per m², with the usual range up to 60 ₾. Machine plastering costs the same; its advantage is speed. Sand and cement plaster in the bathroom and kitchen costs more, 51–66 ₾ per m²: the mix is heavier and there are more coats. These are all labour prices. The mix is extra, at 10–14 ₾ per m², and primer at 4–7 ₾.
The price goes up with walls that lean, where the layer is thicker, and with reveals, niches and high ceilings. Full reinforcement with fibreglass mesh, which old walls with cracks and walls with wide chases need, costs 26–30 ₾ per m². Large flat walls without openings are closer to the lower end. The final cost is set after the site measurement and once the estimate is agreed, and the plastering of each room has its own line in it.
Defects you can see at sign-off
| What you see | Where it comes from |
|---|---|
| A hollow sound when tapped | The layer went onto dust or unprimed concrete and has come away from the base |
| A network of fine cracks | Too thick a layer in one pass, or a mix that dried out too fast in the sun or a draught |
| A crack in a straight line | A joint between different materials, or a chase without mesh |
| A lean at the floor and ceiling | The guide beads didn't reach the edge, so the straightedge couldn't work there |
| A ripple between beads under a lamp | The beads are further apart than the length of the straightedge, so it sagged between them |
We check all this before skim coating, while only one area of plaster needs redoing and the room doesn't have to be repainted. We move on to skim coating after the stage certificate. Textured finishes, which are also called plaster, are a separate job: decorative plaster goes over a finished wall.
Stages and timelines
-
Protection and primer
1 day
We cover the windows, outlets and floor with plastic sheeting and caps, remove the dust and prime the walls to suit the base.
-
Guide beads and plane check
1–2 days
We set the guide beads and perforated corner beads by laser. The site foreman checks the plane with a straightedge and sends photos before plastering starts.
-
Main coat in the rooms
4–8 days
We apply the gypsum mix and rule it off along the beads, and once it has set, we trim it and trowel it smooth.
-
Wet areas
3–5 days
In the bathroom and on the loggia we apply cement plaster in three stages, each over the previous one once it has set.
-
Beads and reveals
1–2 days
We take out the guide beads, fill the grooves and finish the reveals and corners.
-
Drying and certificate
1–4 weeks
We air the rooms, and in damp weather we run a dehumidifier. The stage is closed after a moisture meter reading and a straightedge check.
Local specifics in Batumi
In summer, plaster can dry too fast. On a loggia or by a south-facing window the wall heats up in the sun during the day, a through draught draws the water out of the mortar before it gains strength, and the cement layer becomes covered in a network of cracks. We plaster such walls in the morning, screen the loggia openings from the sun with plastic sheeting and keep the layer damp for the first few days.
Gypsum plaster is harmed by draughts in the first few hours. While the layer is setting, we keep the windows closed, even if it is hot outside, and start airing the next day.
A loggia or glazed balcony is not heated in winter, and the humidity there is almost the same as outdoors. So we plaster loggia walls with a cement mix for external use, and the outer reveals of the balcony door too. Gypsum in such a place darkens and peels within a couple of seasons.
Materials and brands
For gypsum plasters in the rooms we use Knauf. We check the production date on the bag: a mix that has spent a long time in a damp warehouse sets faster than normal and holds less well on the wall, and in a seaside climate that is not unusual. For the bathroom, kitchen and loggia we use a cement mix labelled for damp rooms and for tiling. In the bathroom it is covered by waterproofing, for example Mapei, and tile adhesive, for example Weber, and we choose the mix so that their data sheets accept it as a base.
We don't mix brands on one wall: they shrink differently, and a crack will later run along the boundary. Guide beads and perforated corner beads are galvanised, and the mesh for joints and chases is alkali-resistant: ordinary fibreglass mesh loses strength in cement mortar over time.
What makes up the cost
Timeline: 1–2 weeks of work for the walls of a 1+1 apartment of about 45 m²; before skim coating, a gypsum layer then dries for another 1–2 weeks and a cement one for 3–4 weeks
- ceiling height and carrying the bags up to the floor
What raises the cost
- a thick layer on walls that lean
- cement mix in the bathroom and on the loggia instead of gypsum
- window and door reveals, niches, external corners
- mesh over the whole wall to cover cracks and wide chases
What lowers the cost
- large flat walls that are worth plastering by machine
- sound old plaster that only needs a thin coat over it
We prepare the exact estimate from measurements and photos. It’s free and comes with no obligation.
Get an estimateGuarantees
2-year warranty on cracking or detached plaster due to our work.
If it is our fault, we redo the area at our own expense, materials included. Cables and pipes under the plaster that we laid come with a 5-year warranty. When the cause is unclear, we inspect first, and the stage photos show how the layer was done.
Questions and answers
How much does wall plastering in Batumi cost per m²?
Gypsum plaster to guide beads costs 39–60 ₾ per m² of wall, and sand and cement plaster for the bathroom and kitchen 51–66 ₾ per m². That is the labour price. The mix is priced separately at 10–14 ₾ per m², primer at 4–7 ₾, and full reinforcement with fibreglass mesh, if it is needed, at 26–30 ₾ per m².
We send a preliminary estimate from photos and a plan within 24 hours on business days. The final cost is set after the site measurement and once the estimate is agreed: the mix consumption and the labour price depend on the layer thickness, and that can only be seen at the measurement.
What is the maximum thickness of plaster in one coat?
It depends on the mix, and we take the limit from its data sheet. Gypsum plasters usually allow up to 5 cm in one pass, slightly more in small areas. Sand and cement plaster goes on in layers of about 2 cm, each over the previous one once it has set. If the total thickness comes to more than 3 cm, our rule is to fix metal mesh to the wall with anchors: that way a thick layer doesn't pull away from the base under its own weight.
If the measurement shows a layer of more than 5 cm over a large area, the plaster becomes heavy and expensive and takes weeks to dry. Then we suggest lining the wall with plasterboard on a frame and show both options in the estimate.
Can plaster drying be sped up with a blower heater?
A blower must not be pointed at the wall. The surface of the layer dries within a day while moisture stays inside, and plaster like that cracks and holds less well. A gypsum mix also loses strength if it is overdried before it has gained it.
What works is something else: airing when it is drier outside than in the apartment, a dehumidifier with the windows closed in damp weather, and moderate heating of the whole room in winter, with no stream of hot air on the wall. We still confirm readiness with a moisture meter.
Machine or hand plastering: which is better?
The result is the same if the work is done to guide beads and the plane is checked. A machine mixes the dry mix with water in a fixed ratio and pumps it through a hose, so the mix is the same across the whole wall, and the crew covers more area in a day. We use it when we plaster a whole apartment or house. Our labour price is the same, 39–60 ₾ per m²; the difference is in time.
For a bathroom, reveals, patch repairs and small jobs, we don't bring the machine: setting it up and washing it out would take longer than the work itself. The machine needs water, electricity and space for the bags next to it, and we bring up the mix for the whole job in advance, in a service lift slot agreed with the building.
At what temperature can walls be plastered?
Gypsum and cement mixes need at least +5 °C in the air and on the wall surface, not only while the work is going on but also while the layer sets and dries. The exact range is given in the mix's data sheet. In an empty Batumi apartment in winter it is usually warmer than this limit even without heating, but in a cold week we measure the wall temperature near the floor and in the corners, and warm the room up without pointing the heater at the wall.
Damp is more of a problem here than cold: in winter a layer takes noticeably longer to dry than in summer. So we put in a dehumidifier from the first day of plastering and build extra drying time into the schedule.
Further reading
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