Advantages and Disadvantages of Plaster of Paris

Plaster is a building material used for coating walls and ceilings. Plaster starts as a dry powder similar to mortar or cement and like those materials it is mixed with water to form a paste which liberates heat and then hardens. Unlike mortar and cement, plaster remains quite soft after setting, and can be easily manipulated with metal tools or even sandpaper. These characteristics make plaster suitable for a finishing, rather than a load-bearing material.

The term plaster can refer to gypsum plaster (also known as plaster of Paris), lime plaster, or cement plaster.

Advantages of Plaster of Paris Ceiling

• Plaster of Paris gives a smooth, matte finish to the ceiling.
• POP can be given any shape and thus can be used to create ornamented designs for ceiling.
• POP can be painted; and it can be also given a textured look.
• The interiors can obtain a classic look by POP medallions.
• The POP ceiling is a common element of contemporary interiors.
• POP designs can be successfully used to highlight ceiling light fixtures.
• Plaster of Paris can be used to create varied shapes of false ceiling.
• POP false ceiling can be easily adorned with recessed lighting.
• POP false ceiling can be made interesting by providing different levels in the ceiling.
• POP ceiling with cove lighting is a popular element of contemporary interiors.
• POP false ceiling is commonly used to conceal air conditioning ducts.
• POP false ceiling is also used to cover ugly beams running across the ceiling.
• Plaster of Paris can gel with other materials like glass and wood to provide you a composite ceiling.

Disadvantages of Plaster of Paris

• POP can not be used in moist situations.
• The labor cost of applying plaster of paris is high.
• Plaster of paris can not be mixed with cement.
• Plaster of paris can not be used in exterior finish.
• POP is more expensive from normal cement plaster.