Is Venetian plaster waterproof? Is Venetian plaster suitable for the bathroom? Can you put Venetian plaster in a shower?

It’s no question that Venetian plaster provides quite possibly one of the most eye-catching and elegant finishes that one can ask for. If you are looking to improve your home and wish to give it an air of opulence and refinement, then few finishes will be able to pull it off quite like Venetian plaster. 

However, the important questions are: is Venetian plaster waterproof? Is Venetian plaster suitable for use in the bathroom? And can you put Venetian plaster in a shower? 

In this article, we’ll share everything you need to know! 

Is Venetian Plaster Waterproof? 

Is Venetian plaster waterproof? It’s important to note that no form of plaster is waterproof without the proper treatment. Because plaster finishes are porous in nature, without properly sealing they can actually absorb much of the water and become soaked through and damaged. 

That said, treating Venetian plaster is easy enough. In addition to that, on its own, Venetian plaster is very good at resisting condensation and mildew. This is due to the lime being a natural material that enables the walls to “breathe”. This makes it a natural anti-bacterial and ideal at preventing build-ups of mould. 

You could say that Venetian plaster is “water-resistant”, but that definitely does not mean waterproof. If you were to continually spray an unsealed Venetian plaster with water, then it would invariably end up spoiling and damaging the finish altogether. 

Is Venetian Plaster Suitable for Bathrooms?

Is Venetian plaster suitable for a bathroom environment? The answer is yes. Certainly, not all variants of specialist plaster finishes are ideal for wet rooms, but a polished Venetian plaster (emphasis on the polished) certainly is. 

Ideally, you should discuss your overall vision for your bathroom with a Venetian plastering expert. They can advise you accordingly as to which areas of the bathroom will be suitable, and what can be done to the finish to make it more durable and water-resistant. 

Venetian plaster works well in a bathroom. This is not only due to its charming and refined aesthetic appeal, but it also provides a number of other benefits as well: 

• Venetian plaster is grout-free which makes it ideal if you aren’t one for daily maintenance 
• In addition, the lime-based nature of Venetian polished plaster helps it to repel both grime and dust 
• Furthermore, as plaster is made using a high pH limestone, it provides a natural antibacterial and fungicidal resistance. 
• And again, being breathable, Venetian plaster is ideal for regulating both humidity, and the growth of fungus/mould inside a wall finish – in other words, any water that may get absorbed into the Venetian plaster will evaporate very quickly 

Can You put Venetian Plaster in a Shower? 

Can you put Venetian plaster in a shower? It’s complicated and you will find conflicting information on the internet. You can apply medium or coarse Venetian plaster to shower walls, however, plaster isn’t the best material for inside shower walls due to the fact that they are not completely waterproof. 

Whilst Venetian plaster is suitable for walls in wet areas, in any areas that are exposed to large amounts of water, it isn’t ideal (e.g., bathtubs, showers, splash-backs, etc.). 

If you treat Venetian plaster with a water-proof finish, you could technically get away with having it in the shower, but this would require high and regular maintenance and any minor scratches can undo all of your hard work. Cleaning your bathroom regularly is important, but you want to try and keep the amount of maintenance required down to a minimum if you wish to keep on top of it. 

Where tiles would be much more appropriate, it’s better to skip Venetian plaster in a shower as it will simply create more work than it is worth for yourself. 

It may also provide you with a great opportunity to create a feature wall – Venetian plaster throughout the bathroom, with a tiled shower wall to break it up, perhaps. 

Ultimately, speak with an experienced decorative finishing company that specialises in Venetian plaster, such as Platinum3Painting will be your best bet. The specialists will always advise you accordingly and provide the best possible solution based on your tastes and requirements. 

Conclusion 

And there we have it! Venetian plaster, whilst not being waterproof, is suitable for a bathroom environment. Yes, you can apply it to shower walls, but the level of maintenance required to keep it relatively water-proofed would be more trouble than it is worth. In any case, we hope that this article has been helpful to you and wish you the best with your bathroom renovation project!