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American Clay “Lomalina” swirl of yellows and reds

The cost of veneer plaster fluctuates radically depending on your location in the country, local building economics, the experience and overhead of the contractor, the size of the project, the type of materials used and finishes created. 

American Clay is a wonderful alternative because they willingly advertise the cost of material and expected cost of installation.  Preservation Works uses these guidelines to take the mystery out of decorative plaster.  Materials range in cost from $0.80 a sq ft to $1.50 a sq ft depending on the type of finish and the cost of tints and application method.  We apply clay plaster using the dos manos professional method of application.  This is a process whereby mud glue (a casein protean) is added to the plaster.  Mud glue is a natural, 100% breathable binder that adds strength and hardness to the plaster but takes some experience to apply reliably.

The labor cost will vary depending on the desired final finish but again American Clay recommends an expected labor cost between $3.00 and $5.50 a sq ft. and we adhere to this recommendation for clay plaster. The final cost of plaster being somewhere in the range of $4.00 to $7.00 a sq. ft depending on these and many other factors.  While this is not an inconsequential sum, it is far less than the cost of conventional venetian plaster application and you get all the benefits of clay.

Additionally, we hand make all of our own lime plasters mixing lime, pigments and aggregates to create a veneer lime plaster. Cost can vary somewhat but we aim to to keep the cost of veneer lime plaster in the range of $5.00 to $7.00 a sq ft.  See examples of our lime plaster samples on the web but really when it comes to plaster you need to schedule an appointment to see and touch the samples.

Base coat American clay plaster drying in large home near in the Berkshires.  Part of a project working with Real Finishes www.realfinsihes.com summer 2009