Fairways, the Isle of Wight superhome showcased in September’s Grand Designs programme, features large areas of impeccable plastering made possible by spray-applied MP75 Readymix Plaster from by Knauf – one of the UK’s leading manufacturer of lightweight building materials and systems.
The effect, says designer Lincoln Miles, has been a resounding success. “It’s a joy to see immaculate large surfaces of a contemporary house against the jaw dropping backdrop of the woodland and foreshore to the beautiful Solent,” he comments.
The house itself was built on behalf of Bram and Lisa Vis for a budget of just under £2 million with concrete walls and blockwork but also includes a lot of technology in the design – ground source heat pumps, central heating operated from smart phone, a computer operated swimming pool on a first floor terrace and wi-fi with its own satellite dish to receive signals from Portsmouth, to name just a few features.
The choice of spray-applied plaster was both an aesthetic and pragmatic choice, as the project involved plastering 7,500ft2 of concrete, blockwork and plasterboard to a tight schedule.
“Using a traditional method, with a topcoat and a basecoat, would simply have taken too long for the six to eight weeks in which we had available,” explains Nick Brady of Brady Building & Ground Work, the main contractor. “And I don’t think there is a team of plasterers on the island big enough to do the work.”
For his part, Lincoln agreed with Nick that spray plasters were the correct solution. “It sets a new tone in providing a high end plastered finish suitable for this kind of project,” he says. “As a practice, Lincoln Miles Architecture is continuously striving to employ modern methods of construction that improve the look and fine detailing together with reducing waste and time on site.”
The principal product applied at Fairways was Knauf MP75 Projection Plaster, a one-coat plaster that provides a tough and durable smooth white surface ready to receive decoration. Delivered to site pre-mixed ready to use and specifically designed for machine application, Knauf MP75 offers excellent productivity and is up to three times faster than traditional plastering methods.
It can be applied up to 20mm thick in one application and is suitable for use directly onto blockwork, uneven in-situ concrete or thin joint blockwork. The plasters dry rapidly and are easy to finish – just spray, level, sand and paint.
Faster application leads to better quality because the job requires fewer operatives, supervision – and the maintenance of a high quality, consistent finish – is therefore far easier.
Knauf's Airless Readymix Plasters were then used to finish all drylined partitions and the ceilings. Every finishing need is met by the four products in the Airless Readymix range – Knauf Airless Backing, Knauf Airless DuraDeco, Knauf Airless Finish and the hard-wearing primer Knauf Airless Primer Surfacer - which provide all that is required to deliver a matchless surface in a fraction of the time required by traditional means.