Plastermax has been on the market long enough that there should be some real world feedback. But when I do a search here - not much feedback. So is there anyone with a few years of history of use willing to give some feedback here? Most posts on this are from 2008 & 2009. Are they out of business or did the product just not catch on?

The company is doing just fine. http://gigacrete.com/products/plastermax-3/

I know they were recently spec'ed on some government ICF projects and have been used in the Kentucky net-zero schools. Could be DIY-ers are afraid of plaster and just like sheet rock cause it's cheap and requires no real skill to apply. Plaster will give you a much classier and tougher finish, though.

Thanks
I am hoping some of the builders that post here will contribute an opinion. Surely some of them have seen this product in use and have an opinion. Gotta be someone who has seen it after a couple years use.

Hope some of the builders will testify on the wonderful benefits of PlasterMax. I have seen it used, know how great it is but as a factory direct distributor , do not have the application experience. If anyone in Fla wants to be installer, we are looking for people and the company will fly out to give demonstration so please contact me.

Posted By ICFcoatings on 29 Jun 2011 05:04 PM
Hope some of the builders will testify on the wonderful benefits of PlasterMax. I have seen it used, know how great it is but as a factory direct distributor , do not have the application experience. If anyone in Fla wants to be installer, we are looking for people and the company will fly out to give demonstration so please contact me.

Want a showcase house in Missouri? We'll do it up entirely in Plastermax and Gigacrete; factory must send trained personnel to apply and furnish product for free, though. If I like it I will tell the world, put it on my website, and praise it to all. Will also show it for free to interested parties for a year, by appointment. Will also attempt to bring multiple contractor's crew in to be trained at the same time as factory's trained people apply the product.

Everyone wants something for nothing, eh Lightfire?

It was said tongue-in-cheek... but wouldn't turn it down. Besides, if factory actually evaluated my potential time spent showing off their product, and realized my website gets hundreds of hits a day from all over the world, and looked at future sales generated from the contractors trained, my proposal would actually be a bargain to them. So not really somethin for nothin.

lightfire, I too have said the same thing to them! LOL AND I am a factory direct distributor for them! I get first dibs on it.

Well, IMO it is a poor showing for the promotion of the product, which I am assuming is a grand one, that none of the builders who regularly post here have said a word, bearing in mind that said builders may be building instead of posting. So I will be patient and hope for some replies.

I think they should do this for you and. Gotta spend money to make money.

As long as the product has been out it seems there would be more chatter about it here and on other builder forums. I do a search here and just one page of results come up, most are by the products's developer. And a search for plastermax on the web does not generate much chatter.

Are you permitted to say how many builders and homeowners in your area have utilized the product from you?

You freeloaders sound like typical cheap southerners. Here in the north, we pride ourselves on opening our wallets and paying our own way. Southerners are always trying to get someone else to foot the bill.

Hope you were joshing. If not, hope the mods tell you to remove that remark.

Your right,Light. That was a little over the top.

Still looking for user/builder experience with this product.

StuccoMax is waterproof. for more info please see www.TheGreenBuildingPRoductsStore.com If you send me email will send you sample and more info Callie Barrett

Can you share how many have actually used these products from you and what the longevity use by these person are? IN other words, two years down the road, said users/builders say ____. I can't believe there is almost no internet chatter about these products, as in testimonial from builders and users.

I owner-built my own ICF house last year and in the years leading up to the actual build-out I researched magnesium-based building products extensively. I have to say that I'm pretty disappointed in their development across the board. Over the years Gigacrete's product development has morphed from structural products to coatings (hopefully good coatings). With the possible, slight exception of imported MgO board, there seems to have been very little market penetration by any of these non-Portland, non-gypsum based products. And yeah, personally I'd like to know why. Is it an insurmountable cost issue? A certification issue? A product issue? What??

If anyone ever builds a house in the US again I'd like to get in the lower-end of the business, as I'm convinced that newer construction technologies like Ceramicrete/Grancrete/Gigacrete could bring a superior value proposition to entry level markets. To do that though requires the products actually materialize. I'm trying to remain hopeful.

We've been recommending PlasterMax for over a year now on commercial jobs. While I have not yet seen it used on any Polycrete projects, some are getting close. Remember, these commercial and government projects commonly have two year gestation periods. You might want to try contacting the Warren County, Kentucky schools, as I am nearly certain that it was used on their last two school builds. PlasterMax is scheduled to be used on some upcoming Polycrete projects, but they will not be coming out of the ground for a few months yet. I believe that the slowness in acceptance on residential market is directly related to the economy, lack of qualified installers, and the perception that gypsum board is good enough. Hope that helps.

Bruce you are correct, more and more commercial jobs using PlasterMax as it is non toxic, won't mold. It was recently used in a church renovation and I have pictures on my website of the KY school that has it.
It is much "greener" than drywall but most are hesitant to try something new.

The problem with plaster of any kind is labor. When I was getting ready to build my house I talked to one of very few plasterers in the area who I could find. As I recall the labor component itself is several times the cost of material for drywall. Total cost would have been 2, 3, or 4, times the cost of installed drywall.