Beacons for plaster: what to choose from

Getting an exact even surface when plastering walls can be difficult. This is where beacons are useful. By ensuring that your plaster layers are level and smooth, these helpful guidelines will ultimately save you time and effort.

However, it’s not always easy to select the best beacon for your project because there are so many different kinds available. Every type, including metal, plastic, and adjustable options, has benefits and applications of its own.

This post will examine the various plaster beacon types and assist you in selecting the most appropriate one for your wall décor requirements.

Type of Beacons	Advantages
Metal Beacons	Durable and reusable, provide precise alignment
Plastic Beacons	Lightweight, resistant to corrosion, easy to cut
Wooden Beacons	Eco-friendly, affordable, but may warp over time
Drywall Profiles	Versatile, commonly used in plastering, easily available
String Beacons	Cost-effective, good for small areas, but less accurate

It’s important to take your project’s particular requirements into account when selecting beacons for plastering, such as the kind of surface, the plaster’s thickness, and the desired finish. You can choose the best material to ensure a smooth and level finish on your walls by knowing the advantages of different materials, such as plastic or metal beacons.

Beacons for plastering walls and ceilings

These days, there are strict guidelines for the quality of finishing work; all surfaces have to be smooth before adding more decoration, like painting or gluing wallpaper. Because plaster is the most readily available material and can be used by anyone, from a novice to a professional, irregularities are typically covered by it. All tasks can be completed effectively and manually; all you need to know is what the desired outcome is.

It is best to entrust the finishing to a skilled craftsman if you are unsure that you can handle it yourself.

Beacons, of which there are several types, are used to make it easier to align the walls with plaster. The picture shows the SNIP plastering on beacons.

The first type is metal beacons

The most widely used and sought-after kind is the metal beacon. It is favored by builders for the following reasons:

Firstly, price and availability	With a fairly low cost of components, they are sold in any shopping center or small store of construction orientation, which, of course, is an advantage over some other alternative options discussed below. Gypsum plaster under the beacon or any other sets quite quickly and does not slow down the work.
Secondly, ease of use	By performing all actions according to the instructions, as well as observing the necessary recommendations for carrying out work, even an untrained person can and should count on a good result of their actions. A little lower will be considered the scheme of installation of beacons, so that
Thirdly, the size range	It looks like this – 3, 6, 10 mm. If the first type of beacons is not very common, then 6 and 10 mm are the most popular and widespread. The size of the products depends on the thickness of the mortar layer, as well as the curvature of the walls.
Fourthly, saving time when performing work	Such elements have the necessary configuration, the size of which is adjusted with metal scissors. Thanks to this, it is possible to create high-quality surfaces even with a small radius, since there is a real possibility of cutting beacons for plaster into pieces of the required size.

Metal beacons are not without their drawbacks, despite all their advantages:

• The most common defect is the curvature of the product geometry. Such a defect can occur both in violation of production standards and during transportation, as well as storage. It is necessary to check the appearance of each element in order to avoid unpleasant surprises in the form of defects and monitor their transportation from the store.
• Another disadvantage is that after repair work, rusty stripes may form on the walls. This happens due to the fact that zinc on the surface of the metal is destroyed and the oxidation process begins. To avoid this, it is recommended to remove the beacons after plastering the walls.
• It is necessary to take into account that metal beacons are very flexible in their structure. For this reason, when installing them, it is necessary to create conditions to ensure the rigidity of the guides – fill the surface with mortar under the beacons.

The second type is plastic beacons

While they share many similarities with steel ones, they also have a number of unique qualities and differences of their own.

• The material used to make such products is particularly strong plastic, not galvanized steel, as in the above option.
• They are easy to install for an untrained person, due to the strength and lighter weight of the product.
• Another feature is the preservation of the original geometry. After deformation, such beacons retain their original appearance and you do not have to worry about them being warped during installation or storage.
• Plastic does not oxidize and is not prone to rust, which allows you to leave them in plaster without worrying about rusty spots appearing on the walls or ceiling after a long time.

The following are this type’s drawbacks:

• Impossibility of use in exterior decoration – at low temperatures, plastic can break, which negatively affects the work.
• The material from which the beacons are made is not able to withstand strong impacts and can break.
• With improper fixing the guides, they can bend under pressing the rule, which will lead to deformation of the walls or ceiling.

The third type is reusable steel beacons

Professional builders are the ones who use these products the most because they can be used again and again, making up for their expensive cost.

The primary characteristics that set them apart are:

• High strength and rigidity of the guides – they do not need to be carefully secured and monitored for deformation, it is enough to fix them in certain places and they are ready for use.
• Reusable – this positive feature applies to professional workers in the construction industry, t.k. suitable for those who constantly plaster surfaces.

These components are rare in their drawbacks, but they do exist:

• High price – buying such products for repairing one house or apartment is unprofitable.
• Products can be damaged or broken if you remove them after the solution has completely hardened.

Fourth type – homemade beacons

Even with the vast array of parts and products available in stores, beacons made at home are still in use. They are the easiest to make and have the lowest price. Plaster beneath the beacon video will present you with options for these kinds of goods.

• For them, a metal corner or pipe is often used. It is possible to use other improvised means of similar design, for example, wooden slats, but such options are poorly distributed and are practically not used by repairmen due to frequent deformation.
• The second option of homemade beacons is a metal profile for drywall, the cheapest option is UD.

Be aware that the primary drawback of this kind of product is the increased plastering required to level surfaces with these beacons.

Fifth type – string beacons

The process of creating this kind of beacon, which is the most affordable, goes like this:

1. It is necessary to prepare self-tapping screws, wire, and a hammer drill.
2. Using a hammer drill, holes are drilled into which dowels are inserted.
3. Self-tapping screws are screwed into the prepared holes at the same level and the wire is pulled.
4. A plaster solution is applied under the wire so that the upper part is slightly higher.
5. After the plaster has dried, the top layer is cut off and a guideline is obtained along which the surface will be leveled.

This approach has the benefit of being inexpensive; self-tapping screws are widely available, and anyone who has ever performed repairs will know how little the wire costs.

• Possibility of inaccurate position of screws, which can cause curvature of surfaces.
• Also, the curvature can be a consequence of unclear actions when removing the top layer of plaster at the wire level.

The sixth type – beacons by brand

An additional affordable choice for a one-time fix.

In order to do the work, it is required that:

1. Draw vertical lines and make holes every 40-50 cm.
2. Screw in the screws on one plane.
3. Apply a little more mortar than necessary, then press the rule to the screw heads and remove the excess.
4. After the plaster has completely dried, the surface is finally leveled with a spatula.

The following are this process’s drawbacks:

• If the screws are unevenly positioned, the surface becomes deformed, since.. a single plane is not formed.
• Excessive accuracy is required – if it is absent, there is a high risk of doing the job poorly.

Installing beacons under plaster with your own hands

Although each beacon has a unique installation feature, they can be put on any kind of surface. The work’s features will be demonstrated in the video lesson that is plastered on beacons.

Installing metal or wooden beacons

Prior to installing wooden or metal beacons, you must carefully choose the appropriate tools.

To install, you will require:

• Beacons;
• Punch;
• Trowel;
• Staple;
• Short and long rule;
• Level;
• Trowel;
• Corner leveler;
• Roulette;
• Construction cord;
• Float.

Mark the rooms and choose the locations for the guides’ installation before you begin plastering the walls with beacons. Depending on the length of the rule, beacons for plastering walls are typically placed 120 to 170 centimeters apart. The outer guides are situated 15 to 20 centimeters away from the wall’s edge.

Be aware that after installing the first two beacons on either side of the wall, the other components are placed equally apart from one another.

Just as crucial an installation step as creating an absolutely level surface is minimizing the quantity of materials used. To accomplish this, the thickness of the layer and the beacons’ distance from the wall must be precisely calculated, as well as the quantity of material needed.

The action plan appears as follows:

1. It is necessary to mark 20 cm from the vertical corner and 10 cm from the ceiling and hammer in a dowel, it should be 10 cm above the surface.
2. An identical product is installed on the opposite side.
3. A construction cord is pulled between these screws.
4. A ring with a plumb line is put on this cord (the plumb line should be above the floor surface at a distance of 2-5 cm).
5. The cord (horizontal) is moved away from the wall to a minimum distance. A stretched twine is moved along the wall plane. The plumb line should not contact the surface.
6. The plumb line should move to the places where the beacons are installed and certain marks are set there.
7. The slats between the beacons are installed in the same way.

However, there exist several other options that necessitate either a substantial modification to the work’s structure or a partial departure from the method described. For instance, there shouldn’t be any windows or doors on this surface if the solution is thicker than 70 mm.

• Sometimes there are small protrusions on the surface that are easier to remove than to level – cheaper and faster.
• Metal or wooden beacons are installed using special holders (fasteners) or using plaster.
• At this stage, the most important thing is to maintain the principle of matching the beacon line to the control marks.

Installing beacons from mortar

The instruments needed for this task are the same as those in the previously mentioned scenario; the only things missing are the plaster mix and the slat removal.

• Marking and calculating the thickness of the mortar layer also correspond to those described in the situation with metal beacons.
• When installing the first beacon (15-20 cm from the edge of the surface), a long rule is applied.
• Using a trowel, the solution is applied to the gap between the wall and the rule.
• After 2-5 minutes, it is necessary to remove excess mortar using a horizontal rule, passing through the control points.

The installation of mortar-made beacons and metal beacons is no longer different. Everything is done through analogy.

Installation of beacons from strings

Required instruments and supplies:

• Plumb line,
• Pliers,
• Screwdriver,
• Puncher,
• Hammer,
• Two strings (a cable or wire will also do) without tangles and seals,
• Four dowels with screws,
• Solution.

• Having retreated from 15 to 20 cm from the corners, four holes should be made at the corners of the improvised "square". It is worth noting that the length of the rule should be greater than the distance between the upper and lower points.
• Dowels are inserted into the holes and screws are screwed in, leaving 1 cm "as a reserve". 2 strings are installed horizontally between the screws.
• A solution is applied under the strings to prevent the string from sagging. The action is applied in layers and each new layer is applied only when the previous one has dried.

Selecting the appropriate beacons for plaster is essential to attaining a uniform and flawless surface. The options available differ in terms of material, size, and application technique, so it’s critical to take your project’s particular requirements into account.

Plastic beacons are lightweight and simple to install, but metal beacons are strong and perfect for large spaces. Although they offer more flexibility, setting up adjustable beacons may take some more expertise. Although each type has advantages and disadvantages, the best option will rely on your experience level and the state of your walls.

Whichever beacons you select, making the effort to install them correctly will save you time and guarantee a superior finish. Your plastering project can turn out professionally if you take the proper precautions and pay close attention to detail.

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