The history of human shelters dates back to the very beginning of human history and even before that. Our ancestors, still great apes, were making very rudimentary shelters for protection, as soon as they evolved to come down out of trees, and that practice has simply always continued. Our trajectory as human beings has been one of persistently advancing our own comforts. How easy it is to get water, how plentiful our food supply is, and how strong our shelters are. This is why shelters have long used a sort of plaster that we all know as stucco. This plaster coating for homes dates back thousands of years. It has a long and illustrious history, and every single advancement along the way has helped to produce the quality plaster we use on our homes today.
That’s not to say that plaster is perfect or even permanent. Even the best stuff is going to wear down over time and become damaged, or at least need freshened up with some paint. When you need stucco painting to really spruce that plaster back up, that’s a great time to contact professionals like goldentrowelstucco.com. In the meantime, let’s have some fun and learn about the history of this product.
The Beginnings of Plaster
The origins of this plaster actually date back to Greece, if only because that’s when humans learned how to crush up and mix aggregate materials to create plaster. It was used on a lot of buildings and statues there. Though when Rome came along, that’s when our ancestors started to use this material as plaster coatings for their shelters. They expanded on Greece’s basic plaster by adding things like alumina and silica to the mix, and sometimes even volcanic Earth materials, which created the precursors for modern cement.
Romans absolutely loved this plaster coating. Not only did they use it for their houses and buildings, but you can still find a lot of it in Rome today, where they had used it on their public fountains, baths and more. That’s a testament to how strong this stiff is! Well over 2,000 years later, and the plaster that they put on their baths and fountains still holds up. Of course, it might need a good layer of stucco painting, but the point is that the Romans knew it was good stuff to use.
Its Evolution
Over the many years since Rome figured out the initial recipe, this plaster has changed numerous times. The first big change was to add in Portland cement. This gray powder reacted well with the water to create a far more solid finished product. It worked so well that it’s never had to be taken out of the recipe. All modern versions of the product will use the Portland cement as part of the aggregate materials to create the plaster. This change to the recipe came about in 1824, out of France, and it quickly swept the world due to how effective it was.
Eventually, we really honed in on the process of creating this plaster, and many western homes were modernized with a coat of this stuff protecting the exterior. It’s relatively easy to apply, it looks great with all the unique textures, and it holds onto paint really well so it can look however you want it to look. Even with all the types of composite materials we have, and vinyl siding, and much more, this good, old-fashioned plaster is still the go-to for many people. It’s still preferred so often because it works well. It’s durable and resistant against bad weather, and it even helps greatly to reduce noise. It’s a material still enjoyed by millions.
Finding the Right Company for the Job
Now that you know the history of this plaster, and how well it holds up over the years, you might be thinking about getting some on a new home being built, or perhaps having your existing plaster repaired or painted. The main thing to focus on here is to find a company that does quality, professional work.
When you need some painting, repairs or installation, you can find a trusted business that’s very close to you to handle this work for you.
