Marmorino Carrara

Marmorino Carrara is a slaked-lime mineral plaster that delivers the authentic look of Italian travertine marble — and like every true Venetian plaster, the technique is what separates a good wall from a great one. The process is straightforward in principle, but the timing between coats is what creates the depth, satin sheen, or polished gloss you're after.

Before you start

Conditions. Apply between +10°C and +35°C with humidity below 75% (absolute minimum +5°C for drying). Lime plaster dries and carbonates with temperature and humidity, so stable conditions matter. Avoid direct sun on the wet wall and steer clear of damp or stuffy rooms.

Tools. Use a stainless-steel Venetian spatula with rounded corners and a pointed base — this isn't optional. The shape of the blade is what gives Marmorino its marble-veined texture and lets you polish the surface to a gloss. Standard rectangular trowels will not produce the classic Carrara finish.

Material. Marmorino Carrara is ready to use — no dilution, no thinning, no water added. Stir the pack briefly before starting, and add the colorant of your choice if you're tinting from the lime base. Use packs from the same production batch across a single wall to keep the tone consistent.

Substrate suitability

Marmorino Carrara works on:

• New or old plasters with hydraulic binders, fully matured for at least 28 days
• Old mineral paints and wall coatings — provided they are dry, compact, absorbent, and cohesive
• Absorbent mineral conglomerates

Surface preparation

1. Confirm the plaster substrate has matured for at least 28 days
2. The surface must be smooth — resurface or consolidate any uneven areas with a suitable product
3. If mould is present, treat with a professional anti-mould product before doing anything else
4. Brush or wash off any efflorescence, peeling paint, or raised layers of lime-based or tempera paint
5. Open up any cracks or fissures (interior or exterior) so they can be filled with putty
6. Brush off dust, smog deposits, and other surface contamination

Primer system:

• Apply 1–2 coats of deep-penetration PRIMER concentrate diluted 1:8 with water. Allow 2 hours between coats; 4–6 hours for complete drying.
• Then apply 1 coat of BaseQ, our specialised primer for lime mineral plasters. Wait 6–8 hours for it to dry completely before applying Marmorino Carrara.

Application — two-stage technique

Stage 1 — base coat. Apply the first layer of Marmorino Carrara at a thickness slightly greater than the granule size of the material, using the Venetian stainless spatula. Cover the entire surface, and as you go, deliberately form small "swells" or joint boundaries — these will read as marble veining in the finished wall. Allow this layer to dry for 8–12 hours before the second stage.

Note: uneven walls with defects will increase Marmorino Carrara consumption — another reason the prep step matters.

Stage 2 — finish coat (classic Carrara marble effect). Apply the second layer at minimum thickness using the classical technique, working tightly across the surface. As soon as the layer begins to dry — 5 to 15 minutes after application — start compacting it with the Venetian spatula, pressing firmly and smoothing with directed pressure. This produces a smooth, even surface with a light satin sheen.

For a polished glossy marble finish: repeat the compaction technique a second time, 5–10 minutes after the first compaction pass. The surface — already smoothed — begins to polish into a gloss, and the texture and colour deepen noticeably.

Coverage and drying

• Coverage: 1–1.5 m² per 1 kg per coat, depending on substrate, absorbency, colour, and application method
• Touch dry: 2–3 hours (at 25°C / 65% RH)
• Recoatable: after 12 hours, depending on thickness applied
• Full cure: 21 days for complete chemical carbonation

Protective top coats

Marmorino Carrara is a robust mineral coating, but a top coat extends life in high-traffic and wet areas:

• SP Varnish — for a matt protective layer that preserves the natural satin look
• Pearl Topcoat — for a glossy pearl-effect protective coating
• Velatura — for the traditional Italian shaded finish
• Natural wax — for a museum-grade polish and added water resistance

For bathrooms, kitchens, and splashbacks, a protective top coat is strongly recommended.

Exterior application

Marmorino Carrara is suitable for exterior walls with appropriate substrate prep. Lime carbonation continues for weeks after application, so plan for:

• No heavy rain for at least 3 days
• No frost for 48 hours
• Avoid windy days and direct mid-day sun
• A roof overhang is strongly recommended to protect from driving rain
• In hot weather, shade the scaffolding so the surface dries slowly

Cleaning and storage

• Tool cleanup: soap and water — no solvents needed
• Storage: +5°C to +30°C, frost-free, tightly sealed container, kept out of direct sunlight
• Shelf life: 2 years from manufacture date in unopened packaging, stored frost-free

Safety profile

Marmorino Carrara is mineral-based, water-borne, and Indoor Air Quality A+ rated — the highest classification: non-toxic, no fumes, and free from VOCs.

A word on finish

Marmorino Carrara rewards practice and patient timing. The first square metre of your first wall rarely matches the last — that's normal, and almost everyone who masters this finish has a few "practice walls" behind them. If this is your first polished plaster project, work on a sample board first to find the right pressure, the right timing between compactions, and the right feel of the Venetian spatula in your hand before tackling the main wall.