The plaster is manufactured as a dry powder and is mixed with water to form a stiff but workable paste immediately before it is applied to the surface. The most common types of plaster mainly contain either gypsum, lime, or cement, but all work in a similar way.
The term stucco refers to plasterwork that is worked in some way to produce relief decoration, rather than flat surfaces. In English, 'plaster' usually means a material used for the interiors of buildings, while 'render' commonly refers to external applications. Plaster is a building material used for the protective or decorative coating of walls and ceilings and for moulding and casting decorative elements. A plaster low-relief decorative frieze is above it. Stucco plaster reliefs, such as this work at the Chateau de Fontainebleau, were hugely influential in Northern Mannerism. For other uses, see Plaster (disambiguation). This article is about the type of building material and 'Plaster of Paris'.
