“I Could Probably Do That” Isn’t the Same as “This is our specialty”. Why experience matters…

Why choosing the right artisan matters for Venetian plaster, Limewash, Microcement, Tadelakt and other specialty finishes

Venetian plaster, microcement, Tadelakt and limewash have exploded in popularity. That’s great for our industry—but it has also created a problem.

Homeowners know the look they want, but they don’t always know who should install it.

So the painter, drywall contractor, tile setter or GC already on the project gets asked, “Can you do this while you’re at it?”

And sometimes the answer is:

“Sure. We could probably do that.”

Unfortunately, we’re getting more calls from homeowners asking us to repair what happens next.

What “You Get What You Pay For” Really Means

We understand that hiring a specialty finish contractor can be expensive. But with these finishes, the cost of hiring the wrong person can be dramatically higher.

Case in point: A homeowner recently hired us to redo the walk-in shower in their brand-new, beautiful custom lake home in Northern Michigan.

They wanted a seamless shower. The GC and painters said, “We can do that.”

The preparation was probably good. The problem was what came next: they used an off-the-shelf heavy-duty trim paint as the finish inside a shower—with a steam head.

Of course, the paint failed.

With the failure and other moisture concerns, the GC ultimately had to tear everything out, install proper backer board/membrane, hire us to install a complete microcement system, and then bring the plumber back to reinstall the fixtures.

A ten-minute Google search at the beginning could have saved tens of thousands of dollars.

And this isn't an isolated example.

In Bloomfield Hills, a tile setter recently told us he has torn out multiple failed microcement installations. The problems included improper surface preparation, incorrectly installed membranes and poor-quality product selections.

The homeowners got the seamless look they wanted—until they didn't.

That's what “you get what you pay for” really means with specialty finishes.

You're not simply paying for what the wall or shower looks like on installation day. You're paying for what's underneath it, how it's installed and whether it stays that way. Experience is also included in the quality.

Specialty Finishes Are a Trade of Their Own

A beautiful finished wall can make these materials look deceptively simple.

They aren't.

There is substrate evaluation, reinforcement, primers and bonding agents, base coats, membrane systems, drying times, material compatibility, application thickness, trowel technique, compression, sealing, transitions, corners and penetrations.

In a shower or other wet areas, getting one part of that system wrong can mean much more than an unattractive finish.

A finish can look beautiful on the day it's completed and still be improperly installed.

That's why we don't approach Venetian plaster, Tadelakt or microcement as decorative coatings. We approach them as complete finish systems with years of successful experience and regular continued education behind it all.

Experience Is More Than Knowing How to Hold a Trowel

Our experience has been built through years of installations, specialized workshops and training, studying different manufacturers and systems, testing materials and solving unusual jobsite conditions.

That experience affects decisions long before the final coat goes on.

Sometimes it means additional substrate preparation. Sometimes it means reinforcement. Sometimes it means selecting a different product entirely.

And sometimes experience means telling a homeowner, builder or designer no instead of experimenting with their project. Your home shouldn't be someone's practice piece.

You're Paying for More Than a Fancy Finish

Yes, specialty plaster work can be expensive.

But you're not simply paying someone to put expensive material on a wall unless that’s all you want.

When hiring Elevated Interior Finishes, You're paying for proper preparation and compatible materials. You're paying for years of accumulated knowledge and continued training. You're paying for careful masking, clean transitions and thoughtful details.

You're also paying for something that shouldn't be considered unusual in the construction industry, but sometimes is:

Showing up when we say we will. Communicating. Respecting your home. Obsessing over the details. And standing behind our work.

Those things are part of the price—not extras.

Even if we are unavailable to work together with you, we know other craftspeople and installers who will equally do a great job.

How Do You Choose the Right Installer?

If you're considering Venetian plaster, Tadelakt, microcement, limewash or another specialty finish, ask more than “Can you do this?”

Ask how often they install that particular material. Ask to see their work. Ask what products and systems they use and where it comes from. Ask how they prepare the substrate.

For a wet area, ask them to explain the complete system underneath the finish.

And pay attention to the questions they ask you.

An experienced installer should want to know what's underneath the existing surface, how the space will be used, what conditions the material will encounter and what you expect the finished surface to look like.

If the technical discussion amounts to “I've painted/tiled/drywalled for years; I'm sure I can figure it out,” that's worth thinking about before they learn on your project. Sometimes we are tempted to venture outside of our lane so to speak when a client or designer wants us to do something extra or “while you’re at it, could you do….”. It takes restraint at times, but we know where are strengths are, but also more importantly, our weaknesses.

This Is What We Do

At Elevated Interior Finishes, we probably spend more time worrying about the details than our clients will ever know.

That's intentional.

We want the substrate right. We want the materials right. We want the transitions right. We want the color, movement and texture right. And we want the completed system to perform the way it's supposed to.

We'd rather agonize over those details during the installation than have our client agonize over them afterward.

The goal isn't simply to create a beautiful finish. It's to create a beautiful finish that was done correctly.

There will always be someone willing to say:

“Sure, I could do that.”

When you're investing in a specialty finish for your home or business, look for someone who can say:

“This is what we do.”