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What is Umaku Nureru?
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The seven benefits of Umaku Nureru
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Major features
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Color variations
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Suggestions from the makers of Umaku Nureru
What is Umaku Nureru?
Umaku Nureru is a shikkui plaster for DIY use. Designed to allow any user to plaster any surface, it is the first plaster intended not only for professional plasterers but also first-time DIY users. It is a shikkui* of the highest quality, unmatched by competitors’ products. Manufactured at our state-of-the-art plant, Umaku Nureru is the fruit of the technological capacity and manufacturing power that Nippon Plaster Co., Ltd. has cultivated over the course of its 90 years of history as a shikkui manufacturer.
Umaku Nureru is a safe, reliable shikkui sold at home centers throughout Japan, and has become the first choice of a growing legion of customers since its launch in 2003. We are committed to offering the unique comfort of shikkui to customers who choose to finish their homes with this natural material. And we are equally serious about continuing to fulfill our other mission, which is to provide information on safe and enjoyable methods of applying shikkui to customers who want to use the material for themselves.
*Shikkui is the Japanese word for lime plaster, a material for which hydrated lime (calcium hydroxide, or Ca(OH)2) is generally used as the solidifying agent. Lime plaster is used to coat walls, and is applied using a trowel. The main ingredient of Umaku Nureru shikkui plaster for DIY is hydrated lime produced by calcining and slaking limestones mined in Sano City, Tochigi Prefecture, where Nippon Plaster Co., Ltd. is located.
The seven benefits of Umaku Nureru
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1
Brightening
The high optical reflectivity of shikkui means that rooms finished with Umaku Nureru look brighter.
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2
Adjusts humidity
When used to finish the walls of an 8-jo room (an eight-tatami-mat room / approx. 12.4m²), Umaku Nureru is able to absorb an amount of moisture equivalent to approximately five 500ml PET bottles of water when the humidity in the room is high, and release it again when the air is dry.
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Deodorizing
Umaku Nureru has the effect of reducing unpleasant odors, and is very effective in reducing pet odors, cigarette odors, and other everyday odors.
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Antibacterial
Umaku Nureru is strongly alkaline, and is effective in inhibiting the growth of bacteria and viruses.
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Offers peace of mind
Umaku Nureru absorbs CO2 in the atmosphere, contributing to both health and environmental protection. It also offers peace of mind, being able to absorb formaldehyde, one of the causes of sick building syndrome, without re-emitting it.
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Prevents mold
Shikkui inhibits the development of mold, which is known to be a trigger for allergies. Mold is generally most likely to develop under conditions of 70% or higher humidity. As a material that adjusts humidity, shikkui is therefore very effective in creating an environment that helps to prevent the development of mold.
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Fireproof
Shikkui is incombustible, and is even certified as a fireproof material. In addition, it will not emit harmful substances when exposed to fire.
<A piece of ancient wisdom> It is said that the castles and kura (storehouses) built in Japan’s ancient days were coated with shikkui, because of its fireproof qualities.
Major features
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1
Can be used straight out of the pack
Umaku Nureru comes as a ready-mixed paste in all 12 available colors. Because you don’t have to mix it with any other materials, there is no risk of powder spillage. You don’t need to worry about getting plaster powder in your eyes or throat, or messing up the surrounding area.
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Can be applied easily
Offering the perfect combination of thickness and softness, Umaku Nureru can be applied easily in any way that you prefer. Another appealing feature of Umaku Nureru is that you can adjust it to your preferred softness by mixing it with a trowel or kneading it by hand.
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Can be applied to various surfaces
Umaku Nureru can be applied directly to wallpaper (vinyl cloth), gypsum boards, Japanese-style walls (including fiber walls and sand walls), and plywood boards. Use it on any surface, whether you’re building or renovating.
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Allows you to enjoy DIY using a natural material
Umaku Nureru offers the soft, matte finish that is only provided by natural materials. And this DIY plaster also allows you to freely create a finished surface that is the only one of its kind – made by you.
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No need to worry about peeling or flaking
A wall coated with Umaku Nureru will not become flaky. Minor marks and dirt can be removed with an eraser or a wet cloth. And a shikkui wall is so hard that cats won’t be able to sharpen their claws on it.
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Can be stored for extended periods
You don’t have to throw out leftover Umaku Nureru. Just cover the surface of the plaster with the wrap that is included in the package, seal the container, and store it in a place where it will not freeze, and you can use it any time you like in the future.
Color variations
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Cream
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Yellow
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White
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Powder Gray
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Cherry Blossom Pink
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Orange
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Bright Green
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Yellow Ocher
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Aqua
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Pink
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Bengala
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Black
Because Umaku Nureru is a natural material, the color of the finished surface may differ slightly depending on factors including how it is applied and the work environment (temperature, humidity, and sunlight). These differences produce the distinctive flavor of a surface coated with a natural material.
*Actual colors will differ slightly from the above.
Suggestions from the makers of Umaku Nureru
Why not make your living environment more comfortable with shikkui?
Why not enjoy the experience of applying shikkui for yourself?
Umaku Nureru was developed especially for DIY lovers who want to enjoy working with shikkui for themselves. Safe, reliable and strong, it is the product of the technological capacity and R&D ability of a company with a long and rich experience of manufacturing and marketing shikkui. Our goal is for you to enjoy doing it yourself with shikkui, and to experience living in the comfortable space that you have created for yourself using this natural material.