Difference between gypsum plaster and cement plaster
What Is Gypsum Plaster?
Gypsum plaster is made by heating gypsum at low temperatures to drive off the water. This makes the plaster of Paris, which is chalky and hardens quickly. It is often used to make moulds and casts to fix broken bones.
It can be mixed with time to make gauging plaster, a fast-drying interior finish plaster, says Bob Campbell, a Scottish plasterer with 17 years of experience.
He tells us that lime and gauging plaster are used less than they used to be. Gypsum turns into anhydrous calcium sulphate when it is heated at higher temperatures.
Most of the time, this substance is used to make plasterboard and plasterboard compounds. It is also used to cover walls inside.
What Is Cement Plaster?
The cement plaster is made up of one part cement to four parts clean, coarse, and angular river sand by volume. The dry ingredients are mixed well before water is added.
The materials are mixed, or a watertight platform and plaster from one cement bag are made at a time. This amount of plaster is used up within 30 minutes after adding water.
Sr/No. | Gypsum Plaster | Cement Plaster |
1 | Gypsum plaster can only be used inside rooms. It can’t be used in places that get wet, like the bathroom, kitchen, balcony, etc. | Cement plaster can be used to plaster the outside walls of a building as well as the inside walls and ceilings. |
2 | Gypsum plaster doesn’t shrink because it doesn’t change shape very often. So, gypsum plaster has fewer shrinkage cracks than traditional cement plaster. | Cement plaster tends to shrink, which leaves tiny cracks on the surface that has been plastered. |
3 | Mould and mildew have a hard time growing on gypsum plaster. | Mould and mildew are often able to grow on cement plaster. |
4 | Gypsum plaster doesn’t need to cure, which saves time and water when building. | The cement-plastered surface needs curing with water for at least 7 days. Do keep in mind that walls that aren’t dried properly get cracks. |
5 | Gypsum plaster doesn’t keep water out. | Cement plaster can’t be ruined by water. |
6 | Instead of cement, gypsum is used to hold gypsum plaster together. Plaster of Gypsum It doesn’t need sand and is ready to use. | Cement plaster is made by mixing Portland cement, sand, and water together in a uniform way. Different amounts of sand and cement are mixed at the job site. |
7 | Most gypsum plaster on walls is 11 mm thick, gypsum plaster on ceilings is 8 mm thick, and finish coat plaster is 2 mm thick. | The cement plaster shouldn’t be any thinner than 10 mm. For example, the thickness of plaster on brick walls is between 12 mm and 20 mm. The plaster is usually 10 to 12 mm thick on the inside of an RCC ceiling or roof. |
8 | Gypsum plaster has good thermal properties and low thermal conductivity, which means it saves energy and power. | It does not conduct heat as well as Gypsum plaster. |
9 | Gypsum plaster can stop shrinking because it is strong in both tension and bending. | Low tensile hand fractural and strength in cement plaster can cause it to shrink. |
10 | Gypsum is not flammable and has a lot of crystal water in it. In case of a fire, it will act as a barrier and keep you safe. | Cement plaster that has been heated to 200 to 300 C acts as a fire-resistant refractory material, but after that it becomes brittle, breaks, and falls off the wall. |
11 | Gypsum is used as a binding agent in the making of acoustic tiles and plasters, which helps to absorb sounds in the air. | The sound properties of cement plaster are pretty much the same. |
12 | Gypsum has great bonding properties because of how it is made and what it is made of. Because of this, it is used in a single coat on RCC ceilings, internal bare-brick walls, AAC blocks, and concrete columns. | The smooth surface can’t have cement plaster put on it. |
13 | The time it takes for gypsum plaster to set can be changed. The amount of time between coats is very short. | The time between coats of interior Portland cement plaster must be at least 24 hours. After a 48-hour period finish coat plaster may be applied to the interior cement base coat. |
14 | During application, the amount of waste is small. | During application, there is a larger amount of waste. |
15 | Putting up gypsum plaster takes less time, which lowers the project’s cost. When the thickness is the same, gypsum plaster costs more than cement plaster. | Putting on cement plaster takes a lot of time, which raises the project’s cost. But because gypsum is more expensive, cement plaster costs less per square foot than gypsum plaster. |
16 | After sand-cement plaster, POP punning is needed to make the surface smoother and more even. The dark grey colour makes the space look small and not very nice. | Gypsum plaster gives the ceiling and walls a smooth finish, making an excellent background for good paint and wallpaper finishes. Since gypsum plaster is pure white, the room looks big and beautiful. |
17 | We don’t have to keep the gypsum plaster up, so we can paint straight on. | We don’t have to keep the gypsum plaster up, so we can paint straight on. |
18 | Gypsum plaster, on the other hand, is a green building material. | Whereas is gypsum plaster is a green building product. |
19 | The project cost goes down because using gypsum plaster takes less time. | Cement plaster takes time to make, which makes the project cost more. |
20 | Gypsum plaster is lighter than cement plaster because it is less dense. | Since cement plaster is denser than gypsum plaster, it puts more weight on the building. |
21 | Gypsum plaster is the best way to stop rust and keeps electric metal from rusting—pipes etc. | Rust can’t be stopped by cement plaster. |
Gypsum Plaster Vs. Cement Plaster
Cement plaster can be used on both the inside and outside of a building. Gypsum plaster can only be used on the ceiling and the walls inside the house. It can’t be used in wet places, like the bathroom, kitchen, balcony, etc. On the other hand, gypsum plaster has a very smooth finish that works well with paint.
Gypsum Plaster Vs. Cement Plaster Cost
The project cost goes down because putting up gypsum plaster takes less time. River sand is hard to get these days and gets more expensive. Because of this, cement plaster is more costly than gypsum plaster. The price of gypsum plaster is less than that of cement plaster.
Gypsum Wall Plaster
In gypsum plaster, the POP powder that is already made is mixed with water and put right on the wall. Gypsum Plaster can be placed on bricks, AAC blocks, plaster boards, and solid or hollow blocks. Gypsum plaster is a good insulator; it doesn’t catch fire or break when hit.
What Advantages Does Plastering Provide?
Plastering has numerous advantages for walls and ceilings. External and internal plastering are required to provide strength and support. Plaster protects stones and bricks while extending ceilings and walls’ durability.
Plastering also helps make sure the walls are level, and different finishes can be put on them to make them look better and add to their appeal. Your home could also be less polluted because plastered walls tend to attract and make less dust.
Plastering can be done with many different things, but cement and gypsum are the most common. Analyzing the pros and cons of each material will help you decide which is best for your home.
Which one’s better?
Both have their pros and cons, but when it comes to plastering the outside of a building, cement plaster is the best. Gypsum plaster is often used for interior plastering because it dries faster and is easy to mix and level.
Gypsum plaster is also a good choice for other reasons. It saves time and money because, unlike cement plaster, it doesn’t need to cure in water. Depending on where the building is going, water may not be available at all, or it may cost a lot.
Gypsum plaster also dries more quickly, so you don’t have to wait as long before you can paint or do other work. Since gypsum-plastered walls already have a good finish, you can save time and money, making them smoother.
Also, developers often choose gypsum for interior plastering because it saves money.
Cement plaster must be made with the right amount of sand and cement. You need to use more than one ingredient to get the right texture for the plaster. All you have to do to use gypsum plaster is mix it with enough water.
Gypsum plaster is also environmentally friendly because it can be reused and recycled.
After a few months, walls plastered with cement may get cracks or shrink, but gypsum plaster stays in good shape for longer. It doesn’t mean that it is harder and lasts longer than cement.