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How to white set internal render

Plaster being applied to an indoor wall by a Bunnings team member with a trowel

Overview

White setting a rendered wall gives it a smooth, glossy finish that's ready for painting. We'll show you how to prepare the whitest plaster, apply it to the wall, and get a smooth finish. 

Steps

1Mix up the white set

Pour the putty into the drum and add 1 1/2 bags of hard wall plaster. Use the drill with a mixer attachment to mix it together until its nice and creamy. Scrape off any excess on the side and mix it through.  
Wall plaster being added to a bucket before being mixed with putty

2Wet down the wall

Use a sponge or hose to wet down the render wall before you apply the white set. Use the hawk and a clean trowel, working from left to right in an arched motion, pushing away and then coming back.  You can do one or two coats. If doing two the first should be just a fine scratch coat. The second coat is thicker and makes it purely white.
An indoor wall being hosed down before plaster is applied

3Apply the render

Apply the render using a flat trowel, then smooth it off on a slight angle.  Go over the wall with the trowel to make it nice and smooth. Be careful of the angle you hold the trowel. If you tilt the trowel too much you can take too much “fat” off the wall. 
Plaster being applied to an indoor wall by a Bunnings team member with a trowel

4Smooth the wall

Leave the wall to dry a little while you clean up your tools. Use a paint brush to flick water on the wall and go over it again with a trowel to smooth and polish the wall.  Leave it a few days to dry before you seal or paint over it.
Water being flicked onto a wall with a paintbrush to smooth over before it completely dries

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Health & Safety

Please make sure you use all equipment appropriately and safely when following the advice in these D.I.Y. videos. You need to be familiar with how to use equipment safely and follow the instructions that came with the equipment. If you are unsure, you may feel it is safest to consult an expert, such as the manufacturer or an expert Bunnings Team Member.

Grave health hazards are linked to asbestos, which may be in homes built up to 1990. Health hazards may result from exposure to lead-based paints in older materials and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer. You can also use a simple test kit from Bunnings to indicate the presence of lead-based paint.