To achieve a clean and durable plastered or rendered finish you often need to consider the components beneath the surface as those can define the quality of the final result. Plastic plaster beads help define edges and form straight corners while also accommodating movement and managing water run-off.
What Are Plastic Plaster Beads?
Plastic plaster beads are thin profiles made of unplasticized polyvinyl chloride (PVCu) and typically attached to wall corners and edges before plastering or rendering as they can act as a straight guide and protect from impact damage and environmental factors. Unlike traditional metal trims, plastic profiles won’t corrode or rust which makes them perfect for both indoor and outdoor use as they can withstand damp environments.
What Types of Plastic Plastering Beads Are Available?
There are various types of plastic beading, each used to form or protect a different part of rendered or plastered surface and choosing the correct one for your intended application will help create a neat and consistent finish. Here are the main types available and where they’re typically used:
- Corner Beads: Also known as angle beads and typically fitted to external corners before applying plaster/render. These act as a straight guide to create a clean and consistent corner while also helping protect the area from impact, knocks, general wear, etc.
- Stop Beads: These help create a clean edge where plaster or render needs to end and can also be used around openings, junctions or where a neat termination point needs to be created. The profile helps maintain a clear edge and even application depth.
- Drip Beads: This type is perfect for outdoor use as it features a projecting edge which encourages water to drip away from the structure rather than running back across the underside/finished surface.
- Movement Beads: When there’s a degree of expected movement e.g. natural expansion, contraction, etc movement beads help create a controlled joint so this movement can happen without cracking the surface. Commonly used at even intervals across long walls to control stress.
How to Choose the Right Beading for Plastering
To choose the right plaster bead you’ll first need to identify the function it will need to perform e.g. do you need it to protect a corner, give the final result a more finished, even look, accommodate movement or perhaps direct rain away from the outside of a building? It can also be helpful to have a look at any relevant guidance about internal plastering or external rendering.
Here are the main things you’ll need to think about:
- Where will the bead be used? Are you looking to install it internally or externally?
- What’s the required function? Choose an angle bead to protect corners, a stop bead where you want to create a clean edge, a drip bead to direct water away from the surface and a movement bead where movement needs to be accommodated within the finish.
- What’s the plaster or render depth? Plaster beads are available in various depths so this will affect the product you’ll need to choose.
- What installation requirements are there? Consider the lengths needed, ease of cutting and handling, fixing method and the quantity required as this can also affect the product you end up choosing.
Which type of beading for plastering is right for your project will depend on the specific application you have in mind, but if you’re not sure which product is right for you then feel free to give us a call and our team will be happy to help.
WAND Plastic Profiles Now Manufactured by Nenplas
Following the acquisition of R&D Plastics by Nenplas in 2024, production of the WAND Plastic profiles bead range has now been relocated to the Nenplas production facility based at Ashbourne, Derbyshire.
The Wand range is now held in stock and includes corner, stop, drip and movement beads. To learn more about the range or discuss your requirements feel free to contact us on 01335 340340 or email enquiries@nenplas.co.uk.
