Skip to main content
Bunnings

Sign in or sign up

No Bunnings account? Sign up
or
PowerPass customer?
Visit the dedicated trade website

Project list

Sign in to your account

Our Price Guarantee

How to white set internal render

Plaster being applied to an indoor wall by a Bunnings team member with a trowel

Overview

White setting a rendered wall gives it a smooth, glossy finish that's ready for painting. We'll show you how to prepare the whitest plaster, apply it to the wall, and get a smooth finish. 

Steps

1Mix up the white set

Pour the putty into the drum and add 1 1/2 bags of hard wall plaster. Use the drill with a mixer attachment to mix it together until its nice and creamy. Scrape off any excess on the side and mix it through.  
Wall plaster being added to a bucket before being mixed with putty

2Wet down the wall

Use a sponge or hose to wet down the render wall before you apply the white set. Use the hawk and a clean trowel, working from left to right in an arched motion, pushing away and then coming back.  You can do one or two coats. If doing two the first should be just a fine scratch coat. The second coat is thicker and makes it purely white.
An indoor wall being hosed down before plaster is applied

3Apply the render

Apply the render using a flat trowel, then smooth it off on a slight angle.  Go over the wall with the trowel to make it nice and smooth. Be careful of the angle you hold the trowel. If you tilt the trowel too much you can take too much “fat” off the wall. 
Plaster being applied to an indoor wall by a Bunnings team member with a trowel

4Smooth the wall

Leave the wall to dry a little while you clean up your tools. Use a paint brush to flick water on the wall and go over it again with a trowel to smooth and polish the wall.  Leave it a few days to dry before you seal or paint over it.
Water being flicked onto a wall with a paintbrush to smooth over before it completely dries
Health & Safety

Asbestos, lead-based paints and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber are health hazards you need to look out for when renovating older homes. These substances can easily be disturbed when renovating and exposure to them can cause a range of life-threatening diseases and conditions including cancer. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer or visit our Health & Safety page.

When following our advice in our D.I.Y. videos, make sure you use all equipment, including PPE, safely by following the manufacturer’s instructions. Check that the equipment is suitable for the task and that PPE fits properly. If you are unsure, hire an expert to do the job or talk to a Bunnings Team Member.