The term putty is very popular for home decoration. It provides a very strong and durable foundation for paints and brings out the rich look.
It is specially formulated for filling dents, hair cracks, leveling surface imperfections due to plaster, prevent dampness, efflorescence etc. There are various types of putty available in market. Originally only Plaster of Paris was used. Now ready made putties are available and are manufactured by reputed manufacturer like Birla White Putty, JK Wall Putty, Minar Wall Putty and so on. They all have different properties and different purposes. Hence, here we give you a brief comparison of all these putties to help you make the right choice.
01. Description
White Cement Wall Putty
- It is white cement, mineral and polymer based putty formulated to give white coating, bright, smooth and superior finishes on wall surface essential for wall painting. Nowadays this type of putty is trend.
Acrylic Wall Putty
- It is an acrylic and water based ready to used putty specially formulated to prepare smooth wall surface for painting.
Plaster Of Paris (POP)
- It is a basically gypsum. It is white powder which sets when mixed with water and used as a base for wall painting.
02. Area of Application
White Cement Wall Putty
- It can be applied on exterior/ interior/ ceiling / exposed surface
Acrylic Wall Putty
- It can be applied on interior/ceiling surface. It can’t be applied on external surface.
Plaster Of Paris (POP)
- It can be applied on interior/ceiling surface. It can’t be applied on external surface as it gets dissolved in water.
03. Properties
(a) Binding Property
White Cement Wall Putty
- It is cement based putty, hence good binding property.
Acrylic Wall Putty
- Binding property is lower than cement based putty.
Plaster Of Paris (POP)
- Very low binding property.
(b) Water Resistant
White Cement Wall Putty
- Very good resistance to dampness.
Acrylic Wall Putty
- Good resistance to dampness.
Plaster Of Paris (POP)
- It is not water resistant. Peels off when comes in contact with water.
(c) Strength
]White Cement Wall Putty
- High strength due to cement. It has a good tensile adhesion strength, compression strength and flexural strength
Acrylic Wall Putty
- Low strength.
Plaster Of Paris (POP)
- Very low strength.
(d) Durability
White Cement Wall Putty
- It is more strong and durable due to good binding property.
Acrylic Wall Putty
- It is more durable than POP.
Plaster Of Paris (POP)
- It is less durable. Life is less and hence reduces life of paint.
(e) Recommended Dilution
White Cement Wall Putty
- First coat 45% (v/w) depending on surface conditions. Second coat 50% (v/w) depending on surface.
- (It also depends on different manufacturers. Follow manufacturer instructions.)
Acrylic Wall Putty
- Dilution not required. It is ready to use.
Plaster Of Paris (POP)
- Dilution is required.
(f) Drying Time
White Cement Wall Putty
- 6 to 8 hours
Acrylic Wall Putty
- 4 to 6 hours
Plaster Of Paris (POP)
- 15 to 20 minutes
(a) Number of Coat Required
White Cement Wall Putty
- 2 Coats
Acrylic Wall Putty
- 2 Coats
Plaster Of Paris (POP)
- 2 Coats
(h) Finish
White Cement Wall Putty
- Smooth and Matt
Acrylic Wall Putty
- Smooth and glossy
Plaster Of Paris (POP)
- Smooth
(i) VOC
White Cement Wall Putty
- No VOC content.
Acrylic Wall Putty
- 25 gm/liter approximately
Plaster Of Paris (POP)
- No VOC content.
(j) Density
White Cement Wall Putty
- 1.7± 0.5 gm/m3 approximately. (It depends on manufacturer.)
Acrylic Wall Putty
- 1.65 to 1.75 gm/m3 approximately. (It depends on manufacturer.)
Plaster Of Paris (POP)
- 1.2 gm/m3 approximately.
(k) Shelf life
White Cement Wall Putty
- Use the material within 6 months for best performance.
Acrylic Wall Putty
- 1 Year from the date of manufacturing.
Plaster Of Paris (POP)
- Should be used immediately after adding of water other it will get clinker.
(l) Look
White Cement Wall Putty
- Better appearance due to very high whiteness of putty.
Acrylic Wall Putty
- It looks white.
Plaster Of Paris (POP)
- Yellowish surface is achieved. Hence will absorb more paint, if it white or other type of shades.
04. Coverage
White Cement Wall Putty
- 10 to 15 Sqft/Kg/ 2 Coats.
- i.e 1 to 1.5 Sqmt/Kg/2 Coats
Acrylic Wall Putty
- 24 to 35 Sqft/Kg/2 Coats
- i.e 2.4 to 3.5 Sqmt Kg/2 Coats
Plaster Of Paris (POP)
- 6 to 7 Sqft/Kg/ 2 Coats
- i.e 0.6 to 0.7 Sqmt Kg/2 Coats
05. Thickness
White Cement Wall Putty
- 1.5 mm
Acrylic Wall Putty
- 1.5 mm
Plaster Of Paris (POP)
- 1.2 to 2.0 mm
06. Primer Coat on Base Surface
White Cement Wall Putty
- No requirement of primer coat.
Acrylic Wall Putty
- Primer coat application is a must before and after applying putty.
Plaster Of Paris (POP)
- Primer is required before applying POP on wall.
07. Method of Application
White Cement Wall Putty
- Applied with putty Knife, trowel
Acrylic Wall Putty
- Applied with putty Knife, trowel.
Plaster Of Paris (POP)
- Applied with putty Knife, trowel.
08. Features
White Cement Wall Putty
- Excellent adhesion strength
- Good work ability
- Controlled over vapor permeability
- Excellent abrasion resistant
- Resists growth of algae and fungi on wall
- Reliable and long lasting
- Excellent finish and paint effects
- No water curing required
- Less paint is required because of its low absorption.
- Low maintenance
- Non-toxic
- Well suited for all types of paints
Acrylic Wall Putty
- It is ready to use.
- It has a better alkali resistance.
- It has an acrylic binder that retains strong grip.
- It gives reach and smooth finish.
- It is suitable for all kind of paint.
- It dries fast, thus ensuring faster completion of a job.
Plaster Of Paris (POP)
- It does not shrink while setting.
- It has good adhesion on fibrous materials.
- It mixes up easily with water and is easy to spread and level.
- It gives a firm surface on which the colors can settle.
- It can easily be moulded into any shape. It is also used for creating architectural design element on wall and ceiling.
- It has low thermal Conductivity.
- It is not likely to cause cracking of surfaces.
- It forms a thick surface to resist normal knocks after drying.
- It can be suitable for both acrylic and oil paint
09. Precautions
White Cement Wall Putty
- Keep it ventilated locations and away from the source of ignition and fire.
- Use safety equipment like rubber or polythene gloves/glasses and face mask.
- Always apply putty by using a putty knife.
- It should be preferably mixed with a mechanical stirrer in order to remove air and lumps to get the best result.
- Never add putty in water.
- Keep the product out of reach of children.
- Always keep the contents tightly tied and closed and keep in a dry place when not in use.
- Never used hardened putty by adding water.
- In case of contact with eyes, rinse immediately with plenty of water and seek medical advice.
- Do not pour leftover paint down the drains or in water courses.
Acrylic Wall Putty
- Avoid when the extreme temperature is less than 10 °C.
- Use safety equipment like rubber or polythene gloves/glasses and face mask.
- The container must be tightly closed when not in use.
Plaster Of Paris (POP)
- Never mix Plaster of Paris with your bare hands.
- Use safety equipment like rubber or polythene gloves/glasses and face mask.
10. Cost
White Cement Wall Putty
- Less than acrylic wall putty
Acrylic Wall Putty
- More than white cement wall putty
Plaster Of Paris (POP)
- Comparatively cheaper than both