Spray-Stone from E3 Coatings

Spray-Stone, from E3 Coatings Inc., is an acrylic-fortified lime-based plaster. Because it uses real aged slaked lime, and not only acrylic as a binder (as many synthetic Venetian plasters do), Spray-Stone maintains the smooth, natural look of limestone.

Bill Filer, owner of E3 and creator of Spray-Stone, says there is a large price difference between acrylic-synthetic plasters and genuine lime-Venetian plasters, most of which originate in Europe. He is trying to bridge the gap and offer a product that has the soft look of genuine limestone plaster while being cost-efficient to the contractor in terms of materials, time and training. "Painters are looking for two things. They want to make money and they want to be involved in what they like," Filer says. "We've got a lot of painters that are really excited about this.

The spray application can be applied at up to 1 gallon per minute, a much more efficient option than traditional hand-troweled plasters, Filer says. Since the spray greatly reduces application time, contractors can make great money at $3 to $10 per square foot for a finished, installed cost.

Additionally, the cost of training someone to apply Spray-Stone is less than training someone to apply traditional plasters, Filer says. E3 offers instructional DVDs, so any professional painter can learn to use the product without costly specialty training.

To apply, the interior/exterior plaster is sprayed on with a texture hopper or self-contained texture machine pump and then back-troweled. It can produce stone-like effects such as Euro-Trowel, Alpine Stipple, Tuscan Exterior or Classic Trowel.

Spray-Stone can be used on a many substrates, including primed drywall, existing painted drywall, block wall, stucco or concrete. Of course, the durability of the plaster will be only as sound as the substrate. New drywall surfaces with uneven porosity should be primed with a high-quality, high pH-resistant primer. For color enhancement and repellency, seal with Spray-Stone Sealer. Existing painted interior walls can be sealed with Spray-Stone Sealer and will take years of wear. The finish is breathable, water-resistant, washable and mold-resistant.

Available in 2½-gallon and 5-gallon buckets, the white plaster base can be applied as is or can be mixed with a variety of stock or custom colorants. Leftover material may be stored and used at a later date.

Filer says the product has been well received by painters and homeowners, adding that Spray-Stone is a way professional painters can separate themselves from the masses. "In large, custom homes, everyone is looking for the next thing beyond latex, and faux finish is hitting a wall," he says. "We have even had homeowners who are building custom homes see our product and switch over at the last minute."