How to calculate cement sand for plastering Wall Plastering? construction materials

How do you calculate cement and sand for plastering?

Understanding the Basics

Before diving into calculations, let's clarify some essential terms:

• Plastering: Applying a wet mixture of cement and sand to walls or ceilings to create a smooth, protective finish.

• Cement-sand ratio: The proportion of cement to sand in the plastering mixture. Common ratios are 1:4, 1:5, or 1:6.

• Thickness of plaster: The desired thickness of the plaster layer. construction materials

Steps to Calculate Cement and Sand

• Determine the area to be plastered:

• Measure the length and height of the walls or ceiling.

• Calculate the total area by multiplying length by height.   

What is the ratio of sand to cement for plastering?

Decide the plaster thickness:

• The standard thickness for the first coat (base coat) is 12mm (0.012m).   

• The second coat (finishing coat) is typically 6mm (0.006m).
  

Calculate the total volume of plaster:

• Multiply the total area by the combined thickness of both coats (12mm + 6mm = 18mm or 0.018m).

• This gives you the volume of wet plaster.

Account for shrinkage:

• Plastering mix shrinks when it dries. To compensate, multiply the wet volume by a factor of 1.35. This gives you the dry volume.     

How much sand is in 1 square meter of plaster?

Determine the cement and sand quantities based on the ratio:

• For example, if the ratio is 1:4, there is 1 part cement for every 4 parts sand.

• Calculate the total parts: 1 (cement) + 4 (sand) = 5 parts.

• Divide the dry volume by 5 to find the volume for one part.

• Multiply the volume of one part by 1 to get the cement volume.

• Multiply the volume of one part by 4 to get the sand volume.

Convert volumes to weight:

• Cement is typically sold in bags. Convert the cement volume to weight based on the weight of one cement bag (usually 50kg).   

• Sand is usually measured in cubic meters. Convert the sand volume to cubic meters.   
  

For a time saver estimate you can use this online estimating tool calculator.

To give context regarding to the Mixture Class see reference table below:

Source: Construction Estimating Simplified 2000 Edition by Max B. Fajardo Jr.

Use this Universal Length converter if necessary.

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Disclaimer: Our online calculator is a helpful tool to give you a general idea. We do our best to make sure the numbers are right, but we can’t guarantee they’re perfect for every situation. You should always double-check the calculator’s results and maybe talk to an expert for advice on your specific project. By using the calculator, you agree that we’re not responsible if something goes wrong based on the numbers it gives you."