General Information
The plaster cast - everyone knows it, but no one wants to have one. It has been used for generations to immobilize and stabilize, for example, a bone fracture. Since plaster is pleasant to work with, allows for different degrees of hardness and strengths, and has high breathability, it has also been a proven building material for thousands of years.
What types of plaster are there?
You have probably noticed that there are several types of plaster. However, in this article, we focus on the plaster used for the products in our Roman Living range: the so-called modeling or building plaster.
As, for example, historical stucco ceilings prove, building plaster has been used as an easily moldable building material for an extremely long time. The rather antiquated job title of "Gipser," who is now called a "Stuckateur" (stucco worker), also speaks to the glorious past of stucco plaster.
Is stucco plaster water and weather resistant?
Normally, building plaster is only used for interior finishing due to its high water solubility. Our products (e.g., stucco moldings or columns) are handcrafted with a stucco plaster that is naturally more resistant. This is even suitable for damp interiors, such as bathrooms, or for outdoor use. For this, we offer a protective treatment that specifically extends the durability of our stucco products.
Health harmlessness of stucco plaster
Plaster and gypsum-lime plasters, stucco plaster, as well as fillers, setting binders, and adhesives made of plaster, do not cause any of these negative impairments to indoor air quality.
Plaster has been used as a building material for hundreds of years and has proven its harmlessness to our health during this time. To scientifically substantiate these empirical values, we would like to refer to the study by the German Gypsum Industry Research Association e.V. on the topic: "Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)."
Beyond the mandatory information, this contains data on indoor emissions and the natural radioactivity of building plasters. Within the framework of the EPD, all substances were examined and evaluated. Particular attention was paid to substances suspected of causing allergic and carcinogenic effects with prolonged exposure, as is typical for indoor residential areas.
Conclusion on the health harmlessness of plaster:
The indoor emission values determined in the EPD meet all safety requirements according to the recognized test scheme for the health assessment of building products (AgBB test scheme for indoor emissions, as of 03.2008). All our products are therefore absolutely harmless to health, even with years of use.
Myth: Plaster "molds"
Plaster itself cannot mold. This is because it is a purely mineral building material, which means that microorganisms in general, but especially mold, are not provided with a food source. Only mold patches on the surface of stucco plaster products are possible in permanently damp and contaminated wall areas. Organic substances, such as those from wallpaper, wallpaper paste, dust, or paints, serve as a food source.
Our stucco partners therefore recommend painting our stucco plaster products with silicate paint, as this paint, due to its high, alkaline pH value, does not allow mold to grow. Even if the walls are slightly damp. Roman Living's stucco plaster remains mold-free even after many years of use.
How plaster products provide better fire protection
In addition to fire protection provided by systems such as smoke detectors, smoke extraction systems, or sprinklers, structural fire protection is also an important topic for us. This primarily concerns the protection of people and property in buildings from fire.
Fire protection begins already in the planning and construction phase:
The structure of a building alone should prevent fires, limit their spread, and make the rescue of people and animals as easy as possible in the event of a fire.
Plaster is a proven fire protection building material for each of the protective goals mentioned. For this reason, plaster is used precisely for components that must have high fire resistance.
Preventing fire ignition
Plaster is a mineral, non-combustible building material of building material class A1 according to DIN 4102. In the event of a fire, the flames find no new fuel in plaster building materials, or in other words: the fire load in a building is not increased by plaster components.
Plaster in case of fire
The performance of plaster goes even further. Plaster also makes an active contribution to preventing the spread of fire. Due to the special chemical composition of plaster (calcium sulfate dihydrate), so-called crystal water is expelled in the event of a fire, which extracts heat energy from the flames and thereby hinders their spread.
Keeping escape and rescue routes clear
Plaster components with their high fire resistance keep escape routes such as corridors or stairwells free from direct flame and heat exposure for a relatively long time. In addition, plaster does not emit smoke-forming, outgassing, or falling or dripping components in the event of a fire, which further supports the self-rescue and rescue of people by others, as well as the firefighting efforts of the fire department. With the help of Roman Living's products, you actively contribute to fire protection and can even help to make escape routes safer.
Sustainability of our plaster products
As a building material, plaster should not only be technically reliably usable but also have appropriate production emissions and durability. Our stucco plaster fulfills these conditions and corresponds to the quality also known as sustainable building.
Read more about plaster and the manufacturing of our products here.
