Ethan Bennett, Head of Sales for the Fred Marshall Painting firm, has been watching the growth of decorative and lime plasters in his area. One of Utah’s premier painting companies, Fred Marshall Painting has been well-established in the Park City area for over 45 years. They are known and trusted for their extreme professionalism, quality, and attention to detail.

Ethan realized it was a natural fit to add decorative plasters to the services Fred Marshall Painting offered. During his research of decorative plasters, he kept coming back to the Novacolor Italia products. He reached out to us, and we began our plans to custom-train part of his crew. After deciding on what type of training would be best for his employees, we decided to train on-site at his location. This allowed his team the ability to train firsthand and gain product knowledge.

It is crucial to know what you are using and what makes it a quality plaster product. Additionally, learning how to spread the plasters with a concise artistic flare is also key, including taking a finish from the sample board to the walls. Many existing plaster companies throw plaster on surfaces with no artistic value. The key is learning the difference, and why it’s worth adding extra time and effort into the finished results.

We chose to work specifically with two main products and shipped both the tools and products to Utah with the help of Drew Beninati, a Novacolor distributor and owner of The Plaster Center in Minneapolis, MN.

The first product was Florenzia, which is a beautiful pure slaked lime that grants smooth look, either with a modern matte or high-end glossy finish.

The second product was Marmorino KS, which is a lime-based plaster for smoothing and finishing. It achieves a cloudy aesthetic and can be silky or matte, depending on your preferred finish. 

Both of these main staples are sustainable and easy to use for professionals. They will also be able to create and customize multiple finishes with these products as well.

FIRST DAY

We started with one full day of studying the products, including the primers and sealers, and discussed wall conditions and what-ifs. We then began troweling motions and spread base coats on prepared sample boards. The base coat is an important layer, as it lays the foundation for the finish coat. 

It was very interesting watching the crew as they have seen this done and watched videos but never tried it! The team was very conscious of the details we laid out for them during the training. 

SECOND DAY

On the second day, we began on the prepared walls. They are extremely detailed, so they had a hard time accepting that this was their first wall application and, by Noon, felt defeated. All those videos made it appear so easy, but it is practice, knowledge, and experience that gives the ease of application. 

We spoke during lunch about the process of continuing to work with the plaster and letting the motion flow without overthinking. In the next 4 hours, they started to enjoy themselves and gained the confidence needed. With each layer, they figured out how to work as a team and carry out the execution with artistic flare. 

Their eye for detail and talent showed through, and we can only imagine the incredible wall surfaces they will create in future projects. We see much success in their growing expertise!

Would you like to train your professional painting crew in the art of decorative plasters? We can create a custom training program personalized for your painting team! Contact us today to discuss your goals with us.