The choice of spatula for puttying walls. Spatula sizes: how to choose tools for finishing wall putty Construction spatula which is better gai

With the help of a mixture, this is one of the most important processes that are needed in order to give the room the proper look. As with any job, it requires special tools. In this case, a spatula for putty. If we translate the name of the instrument, then this word is taken from German language, from where it came into our lexicon, it will mean "blade". Indeed, he is very reminiscent of her: a plate, different size, and a pen. That is, nothing complicated, but at the same time so necessary.

This tool is used in completely different construction activities, it has a very diverse shape, size, purpose. The plate, which serves to apply the solution, can be made of many materials. There are spatulas that are used exclusively in narrowly focused finishing work. Speaking of wall putty, most often they mean a product that has a metal blade (plate) equipped with a handle (made of wood or polymers).

Tool for facade work

Spatulas can be used not only for work inside buildings. They are successfully applied outside the house. The blade of such tools is very wide. It is made exclusively from durable steel, which does not allow it to bend freely. Such a product is used for applying a solution to large areas of the surface. In its form, it is a trapezoid with a size of thirty to sixty centimeters.

Such a tool is very convenient to use if you combine it with a smaller fellow. For greater convenience, work with such a product should be carried out according to the following principle: with a paint spatula for putty (its size is much smaller), the mixture is collected and applied along the entire length of the blade of a larger spatula, and then applied to the wall. It's during preparatory phase. Finishing done a little differently. The previous sequence is kept, but now the instruments are swapped.

Paint spatulas

• after applying putty, it evens out any irregularities;
• covers the seams that form between sheets of drywall;
• it is convenient for them to close up any cracks and crevices;
• used for puttying structures that have a complex structure.

In its form, it is very similar to a facade spatula, but has some differences:

1. The size. Unlike a tool for working on large surfaces, it is designed for miniature operations. Therefore, its size is no more than ten to fifteen centimeters. Although spatulas are most often used, having a width of 2 to 8 cm.
2. Plate thickness. The plate used is much thinner than others.
3. It has more elasticity and flexibility.
4. The blade of such a device is made of of stainless steel.

It is customary to distinguish two groups of such tools:

1. For professional use.
2. For the purpose of work in everyday life (there are "disposable" varieties).

The tool for professionals has a very thin plate (approximately one millimeter). Its canvas is well bent, but at the same time very elastic. A product that belongs to the category of "disposable" is very easy to distinguish - its handle is plastic, the metal used is second-rate. When pressed, even very lightly, the canvas bends strongly. It is very difficult to work with them, it is almost impossible to get a perfect surface. It is well suited for filling small cracks.

Everyone who is professionally engaged in construction has his own opinion on the selection of the size of facade and painting spatulas for puttying. They are guided by experience that has been developed over the years. The most commonly used tools are:

• a product for basic work, their width ranges from twenty to twenty-five centimeters;
• for auxiliary work, the width is much smaller, up to ten centimeters.

Angle spatulas

It is very difficult to align the corners. This is what contributed to the development of special putty spatulas, which are convenient to do internal corners. They consist of two surfaces located at right angles to each other. The demand for such products is low. The fact is that it is very difficult to use them, professional skills are needed. Therefore, even masters do not always use it in their work, preferring a tool with a flat blade.

It is used for the purpose of subsequent grouting. It is not used in work with putty, due to the fact that it is completely made of rubberized material. Accordingly, it has increased flexibility and cannot apply putty as required when finishing walls. It is convenient when working with fragile surfaces (tiles, laminate).

The size and shape of such products may be different. They may look like simple spatulas.

Spatula acting as a scraper

This tool was created specifically to remove excess putty. Its blade does not bend at all, it is made of highly durable metal. He has a small working surface, it does not exceed eight centimeters.

There are other types of tools, but they are not designed for application. These are notched trowels - they should apply glue to the tile, and with a pointed blade (on one side) - to remove paint.

Choosing a tool by size

On the different stages wall decorations are absolutely necessary miscellaneous products, differing in shape and size:

Now you can find many stores that sell accessories for construction works. Here is just such big choice gives rise to another problem: how to choose the best quality spatula. After all, there are so many of them on the shelves, they differ in size, shape, materials, and manufacturer. How to choose suitable product?

There are some tips:

1. The tool should be immediately taken in hand, if there is a feeling of awkwardness, then it does not fit. The blade itself should be perfectly even, the end (blade) should not have nicks. Any defect indicates that the product is of poor quality and cannot be used.
2. Often there are spatulas that have an uneven canvas. It can be short or long. It is better to give preference to the average size. So, it will be more convenient to work.
3. In its form you can find: trapezium, triangles, drop-shaped. The best ones are trapezoidal. They are more reliable and easy to use.
4. Facade and painting spatulas should not be very hard. It is better to choose a canvas that is elastic, but not bending from the slightest impact. If the blade does not bend, it will be very inconvenient to apply the mixture to the wall. It will bend strongly, then the solution will simply fall off it.
5. The tool (its canvas) for finishing activities is made exclusively of stainless steel. Other metal will rust, and this will lead to the formation of marks on the walls.
6. For starting work you can choose a product with a steel (iron) canvas. It should have a special coating that prevents rust. Good care is needed for such products: wipe and dry after work, store in a dry room.
7. The blade with sharpening is not used in the work on applying putty to the walls. It is used when applying adhesive to tiles.

There are many products for puttying walls. They differ in shape and size. For the purpose of finishing, facade and painting spatulas are mainly used. It is they who provide the necessary pace of work and lead to the desired result. Non-professionals should be aware that working with such a tool requires initial skills, but is not as difficult as it might seem. Choosing a device for applying the mixture is not difficult, but you need to be careful. By purchasing cheap products that are made from second-rate material, you cannot be sure that final result will meet expectations.

The spatula is one of the most widely used types of tools in finishing, painting and facing works both indoors and outdoors. With it, you can remove old coatings, apply plasters, fillers and decorative compounds, rub seams, press wallpaper, apply adhesive and much more.

In order to carry out quality work, you should choose best option high quality, how to do this, we will consider in this review.

Overview of the main types of tools

In order not to make a mistake when buying, you need to clearly understand what kind of work is done with a spatula, because you have to work with your own hands. Next, you should choose the most optimal option, both in terms of quality and price, in retail chains there are many options, the price of which is unjustified.

Paint spatulas

This group of products is characterized by the following properties:

• The main purpose of the products is to putty surfaces indoors.
• The blades on such products are elastic and thin enough.
• The price of such options is quite low.
• These attachments are not suitable for heavy mix and heavy duty operations.

How to choose a spatula for putty?

Pay attention to the following factors:

• The handle should fit comfortably in the hand, there should be no burrs or shells on the plastic surface - this is evidence Low quality injection molding equipment.
• The length of the handle should not be too long, a wide and not very long configuration is much more convenient.
• The shape of the product should be trapezoidal, triangular products are less reliable and it is not very convenient to work with them, especially if it narrow version used to apply the solution.
• Press on the blade - it should not bend much, if so, then the metal is too thin, and such a product will fail very soon. The closer to each other the ratio of the length and width of the blade, the more reliable the product.
• All must be made of stainless steel, this guarantees the resistance of the product to corrosion and ease of cleaning after work. In addition, all metal surfaces must be smooth.

Advice!
If you come across a spatula with a sharpened blade, then be aware that for the paint and varnish layer from surfaces during repairs.

Facade spatulas

The instrument of this group must meet the following requirements:

• High reliability, as you will have to work with heavy mixtures.
• Enough big size, since with the help of these devices, large areas are finished.
• Application quality materials during production, as many mixtures contain aggressive substances that can damage the metal.

When considering which spatula is best for puttying facades, you should pay attention to the following factors:

• If you are not a professional in this area, then you should not purchase options wider than 400 mm, they are quite difficult to work with, and the wider the canvas, the more it sags under pressure, and the more difficult it is to achieve perfect surface quality.
• It is much more convenient to work with spatulas, in which the handle is made at a slight inclination, this position is more ergonomic, in addition, the hand will be less tired during operation.

• Pay attention to the place where the handle is attached to the blade - it must be reliable and durable - the elements should not hang out, otherwise the product will quickly fail.
• Most important factor by which the tool is selected - the correct geometry and strength of the metal on the blade, it must be absolutely even, otherwise make smooth walls you can hardly. As practice shows, the blades on eight out of ten cheap products are curved, in expensive versions this problem is less relevant. The thicker the metal, the longer the tool will last.

Advice!
Most professionals use facade spatulas for interior decoration– they are much more reliable and tougher, which ensures a higher quality of application of mixtures and a longer service life.

notched trowels

This type is used in finishing when applying adhesive composition under facing materials - ceramic tiles, natural and fake diamond and other similar products.

When choosing these spatulas, consider the following factors:

• The handle should be comfortable, the place of attachment to the blade should be strong and rigid. Since such products are not subjected to high loads, manufacturers sometimes save on the handle, and it turns out to be not very reliable.
• The size of the teeth affects the adhesive application layer - the larger they are, the thicker the layer. As a rule, the most popular are medium options with a tooth height of 6-8 mm.
• The blade must be made of stainless steel, this guarantees its durability.

The key to the quality of any interior finish, be it painting, wallpapering or tiling, is perfectly smooth walls.

Puttying refers to the leveling of minor defects, such as small depressions, cracks, joints between drywall sheets or potholes. For such work, special devices are needed, one of these devices is a spatula for puttying walls.

Tool characteristic

spatula appearance is a blade made from different materials equipped with a handle. It is widely used for repair and construction work. With it, you can:

The blade must be rigid and elastic, comply with the requirements of the current state standard 10778-83. The tool has several important and standard sizes. In the first place is the width of the fixture, which, like other parameters, is selected according to the type of finishing work.

Manufacturers produce professional and non-professional models. Professional tools are distinguished by a thick web, they have a good resource, they do not deform under load. Non-professional fixtures have more thin blade complete with plastic handle.

For narrowly focused finishing works, special devices are made.

Tool material

First of all, all construction spatulas differ in the types of materials from which they are made. They can be:

• rubber;
• metal;
• plastic.

For the manufacture of rubber devices, oil and petrol resistant, high-density rubber is taken. On its surface there should be no shells, sagging, dents and bubbles. Also bummer is not allowed.

Steel is used in the manufacture of metal spatulas. It must comply with the requirements of GOST. The most high-quality and versatile tool is considered to be with a stainless steel blade. By sputtering, you can determine the quality of the metal. If the surface has become dull, it is ordinary iron, which is subject to deformation.

For plastic tools you need to use polyethylene high density, polypropylene or polyamide. It cannot be cracked, warped, pitted, chipped, or silvery.

The trowel handle is made from sawn hardwood, plastic or flexible thermal rubber.

The tool is distinguished by the width of the blade:

The selection of tools for finishing work will depend on their type and skills of the performer.

Choice depending on the type of work

Choose fixtures by type of work, since at each stage you need a spatula of different types:

In decorative plaster, a number of non-standard spatulas are used. These include the Venetian embossed spatula - trowel. It has four working edges, which are convenient for making patterns and applying decorative plaster. Another type of device is a stainless steel spatula with a blade polished on both sides. Its purpose is similar to painting spatulas.

Criteria for a quality spatula

Today at construction stores a large assortment of spatulas, which creates certain difficulties for the buyer. Therefore, when choosing a tool, you need to pay attention to some features:

A good tool is a professional tool. It is better to opt for it, since non-professional models will often have to be changed.

To putty the walls you need to choose a combination of spatulas. It consists of a main tool with a blade width of 200–250 mm and an auxiliary tool with a web width of 80 mm to 100 mm.

Verified manufacturers

The German company "Bieber" is known to Russian consumers as a seller of repair products such as rollers, brushes, glue guns, containers for paint and spatula. All of this tool professional builders proved to be unpretentious and reliable. Bieber spatulas are available for different types works and are made from different material- stainless steel, plastic and PVC, with wooden and plastic handles.

The FIT-Instrument company is the official dealer of the Canadian company, produces electric and hand tools for domestic and professional use. It has a large network of branches in Russia. One of the niches in hand tool for every day are painting and plastering and finishing models. The advantage of the spatulas produced by FIT is in their affordable price, quality, ergonomics and variety of models and types.

Today the market is dynamically developing Russian company Santool. It specializes in the production and sale of hand construction tool. The company constantly increases the output of finished products and assortment, regularly modernizes production. In the manufacture of spatulas, high-quality raw materials are used. The combination of price and quality makes them affordable for consumers and makes them in demand for professionals.

A well-known Russian manufacturer, Zubr OVK, is a participant in the global market for quality goods. The company regularly expands the range and improves finished products. It has its own testing laboratory where, before entering the shelves to consumers, products undergo multiple tests. The spatulas of this company are presented in two-component and plastic variations. The quality service created specifically for this purpose is responsible for their quality.

This is not the whole list of manufacturers of quality spatulas in the middle and budget price categories.

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W Patel is the most commonly used tool for organizing repairs. The spatula for puttying walls is used at all stages of finishing work. It is important to choose the right tools for all jobs. A wide variety of shapes and sizes are designed to perform specific operations. Usually this metal plastic with comfortable handle. Be sure to have a sharp enough blade. It is used for finishing and painting works.

The working process

The main property is sufficient blade rigidity. If this criterion is not met, then the work will be of poor quality. Professional devices are equipped with a comfortable rubberized handle. To organize any work, they acquire three types - narrow, wide and medium. Specialized models are designed for processing corners and applying certain conditions to surfaces.

How to hold a spatula when puttying walls

Reliable tools are made of durable steel. High-quality devices are not deformed and are easy to clean. Choose products with perfectly smooth surfaces and blade sharpening. professional tool must not bend under the pressure of the putty mixture.

Don't buy aluminum tools. They wear out quickly. Aluminum surfaces must be thoroughly washed and dried to prevent corrosion on the blade.

The technique is as follows - applying putty and leveling it. Hold the tool at a 45 degree angle. Movements can be different best result achieved with uniform equally directed strokes. A small putty device is used to dispense the mixture into a large one. The use of the first is advisable if it is necessary to process small areas.

The width of the blade of the metal part must necessarily be greater than the width of the crack in order to be able to remove the defect qualitatively.

Application

Narrow tools are used to seal the smallest flaws in the walls and level smooth surfaces. Not suitable for rough leveling of walls.

The average spatula for wall putty removes pits, they smooth putty surfaces.

Large-sized tools with thick blades are used for rough primary processing and removal of large cracks.

It is always necessary to take into account the type of putty and the base material to select the best option.

The right spatula bends only with great effort, and the area in the blade area bends. The central part remains motionless. The mixture is placed in the center. And then spread on the surface with dashed movements. To save, the plastic mixture is mixed with the main mixture until a homogeneous consistency is formed. Thick material can no longer be used.

The corners of the spatula must be held with your free hand so that the mixture does not fall to the floor. To cut the bumps, you need to press evenly on the entire plane of the blade. Sealing of large pits is carried out strictly at a right angle.

In order not to form bumps and sagging, it is necessary to reduce the angle of inclination of the tool to the base, for example, from 60 to 25 degrees and to a flat application.

Process Features

The final result depends on the quality of work. The technique depends on what material the post-processing will be done - wallpaper, paint, etc. while there are standard procedures in all processes.

The whole process is logically divided into several stages.

The first is the preparation of walls, tools and mixtures. All cracks and irregularities must be removed, surfaces sanded and degreased for better bonding of materials.

To proceed to the next step, you need to clearly know how to hold the spatula when puttying the walls. After the base has dried, a starting putty is applied. To do this, it is necessary to dilute the dry mixture with water to the desired consistency. It is recommended to mix large volumes with a construction mixer to obtain an absolutely homogeneous mixture. With a small spatula, the material is applied to a wide one. At an angle of 45 degrees, application to the surface begins. Clean off drying excess on a large tool in time to prevent scratches on the walls.

After drying, a primer is applied again to improve the quality of the last finishing layer. Decorating is carried out with both standard and figured spatulas to obtain the expected effect.

The process is easy enough. But if the work is planned to be performed for the first time, then it is better to resort to the help of specialists.

• Preliminarily securely seal joints and cracks. This will help to avoid the destruction of the walls in the future.
• Choose only quality blends.
• Carry out all the steps according to the instructions.
• Buy dry putty. Their quality is much higher than usual.
• Before work, clean and sand the surfaces of the walls.
• For large volumes of work, always use large-sized tools so that the mixtures do not dry out during work.
• All work is carried out in a respirator.
• Use two spatulas. This will speed up the finishing process.
• Wash tools clean after use. Otherwise, the cement may dry out.

For high-quality repair and construction work, a spatula is often needed. With the help of this tool, putty is applied, old wallpaper is removed, gaps in walls and openings are eliminated, and many works related to decorating rooms are performed, giving curly shapes to surfaces. To choose the right working tool, you need to understand its varieties, application features.

Criteria for choosing a repair tool

The right choice can significantly save the time allotted for repairs. With a simple device, it is enough to simply clean any surface from old plaster, a layer of paint, dried glue. It is much easier to handle potholes on the walls, cracks, especially in small areas, with a comfortable and high-quality design with a handle.

Before you buy a working tool for puttying walls, you should adhere to the basic rules - criteria quality choice. It should be noted the following:

These features will help determine the choice of spatula for puttying walls.

Varieties of spatulas

The choice of finishing tool will depend mainly on the specifics of the work performed.. The range is very large. Types of spatulas:

Some designs are intended primarily for leveling surfaces, repairing cracks, eliminating flaws, while others are used to create a relief texture, imitate figures. Let's take a closer look at the features of use.

Paint spatulas and their application

Very common finishing structures with a narrow blade and a comfortable handle. Apply a spatula painting in two cases:

1. As an aid in working with wide finishing tools. Often they are called a “shovel”, with its help they apply and distribute the composition of the necessary mixtures over wide and large blades.
2. For leveling surfaces, grouting, work in hard-to-reach areas. Just with narrow scrapers, they carefully correct the work in difficult places, evenly distribute the putty over small areas.

The most reliable paint spatulas have a trapezoidal shape. Triangular devices are not so strong, they can bend a lot during operation. The most durable is considered a rectangular shape. The thickness of the metal on the blades in amateur tools is approximately 0.5 or 0.6 mm, in professional spatulas a sheet of 1 mm or more is used.

Handles can be made from either plastic or rubber. The latter option is used in professional models, where the handles are both ergonomic in shape and anti-slip. Such designs, of course, are more expensive in cost. To make the handles comfortable to use, they must be short and wide.

Facade models and their features

What finishing tools do professionals prefer? facade view- ideal spatula for wall puttying. Using this model, the solution can not only be quickly, but also qualitatively distributed over flat surfaces. In the process of work, finishing structures are subjected to heavy loads, and therefore the requirements for them are very high.

Blades should be from 200 to 800 mm. Many professionals more often advise choosing a working part size range from 300 to 450 mm for quality work. With a device equipped with a blade of 600 mm or more, not even all experienced specialists can handle it.

Professional facade models have a thicker blade and a rubberized handle, amateur ones are a little simpler. The cost of products depends on the design and quality of materials. The main criteria for choosing a facade model include:

• blade quality;
• type of working handle;
• attachment of the handle to the blade.

To work with finishing putty, a spatula is chosen not with a flexible, but with a rigid blade. In this case, the composition will be distributed evenly and not repeat surface flaws. It is important to check the plane working area the edge must be even. It is desirable to choose a handle rubberized. For ease of use, it should be tilted.

Originality and indispensability of angle spatulas

Not only for inexperienced builders, but even for professionals, it is the procedure for processing corners that causes particular difficulties in the process of finishing work. With the use of special designs, it will be much faster, easier, and better to connect the surfaces evenly.

There are two types of corner spatulas:

1. For inside corners.
2. For outdoor.

Each type is very easy to identify by the location of the handle. For the first models, it is inside the structure, and for the second, it is outside. In addition to the handle, such structures have an angle-forming part. The width of the working sides must be at least 70 mm.

When choosing an angle spatula, it is necessary to take into account the nuances:

1. The working part must be made of stainless steel and be rigid in order to form ideal angles.
2. The handle must have a good fit.

Working with this type of spatula is very simple. The composition is applied with a narrow tool, and leveled with the help of an angular rigid fixture.

Unusual Japanese type of instruments

This type of design is very different from traditional options. Japanese spatula - plate rectangular shape, with a plastic holder attached to one side. The design is very simple but strong.

Tools are usually sold in sets. Each package contains 4 pieces of different sizes, designed to perform a specific type of work. The width of the main part is 60, 80, 100 and 120 mm.

blade in Japanese version structures must be both flexible and resilient. The model of such a finishing tool is used in the following works:

1. Finishing complex structures and arches with convex shapes or concave surfaces. The Japanese model is indispensable in the plastering of relief bases.
2. Repair in confined spaces.
3. Application of a very thin putty layer. With a compact scraper, the composition is dosed more precisely than with traditional models.

A set of such tools is not very expensive. When buying, you need to check the quality of the metal. It is important that the structure does not deform when bent.

The convenience of rubber spatulas

This type is indispensable in finishing work with complex planes, great for filling small cracks, eliminating minor damage. With a rubber base, you can easily distribute a thick mortar mixture in an even layer.

The sizes of rubber spatulas are different, varying from 2 to 20 cm. The tool is chosen individually, it all depends on the specifics of the work performed. The rubber from which the base is made can also be of different stiffness. For finishing, it is better to choose a less flexible design.

The handle can be standard, rubber models are produced without a holder like Japanese instruments. Such a spatula can also be made in the form of a simple spatula.

Using rubber tools, it is best to apply putty on concave structures, seal corner joints, and correct uneven surfaces.

Notched designs for uniform application of mixtures

When laying porcelain stoneware, drywall, linoleum, carpet, it is very convenient to use a specially designed type of finishing relief tool. The use of a notched trowel prevents overspending adhesive mixtures which is very economical. The width of the brackets must be equal to their height. The thickness of the applied solution directly depends on these parameters.

Devices with large teeth are used for facing plasterboard, porcelain stoneware surfaces. Using tools with medium staples, apply glue to ordinary tiles. But fine-toothed - used for carpet or linoleum flooring.

It is worth noting that for laying tiles choose a tool with a teeth width of 6 mm. Wherein optimal size the thickness of the adhesive or its composition should also be 6 mm, only in this way the tile will not fall off and will adhere well to the surface. Aligning the walls, it is worth choosing structures with different height teeth, which will allow you to easily change the thickness of the adhesive by about 2 times. The width of the serrated structure must be equal to the size of the tile to be laid.

Scrapers and plastic models

What tools will make it easier Finishing work related to wallpapering? Of course, these are plastic spatulas and scrapers. To remove paint and old wallpaper from the walls, you need a tool with a working base made of durable metal. To do this, use a special scraper. This design is universal, as it includes sharp blade, and a roller cleaning tool, and a powerful nail puller. The blade of the device should be even, the blade should be sharp, and the handle should be well attached.

Plastic models are used to smooth the wallpaper. The workflow is thus accelerated several times. Such spatulas are called “wall smoothers”. The design should have just an ideal working surface so that no burrs damage the canvas of pasted wallpaper. When choosing a plastic spatula, they pay attention to the absence of chips, a comfortable handle, and a clearly recommended tool width of 20 to 25 cm.

Features of storage and care

All necessary repair and finishing work will be carried out correctly only with the help of quality tool. It is important to take into account the recommendations for the use, operation, storage of spatulas. For example, after use, finishing fixtures must be washed and dried well.

The blade should not be subjected to heavy mechanical loads, so it is not recommended to apply too heavy mixtures. The working base of the tool should be in contact with abrasive surfaces to a minimum.

It is better to store spatulas vertically, carefully attaching them to a carnation. It is not recommended to keep in toolboxes so that the blades do not bend.

Choose an instrument from a wide range need practical, based on the specifics necessary work. Proper operation spatula will be a pledge quality finishes premises.