Plaster over mesh

[Loder]

Hello

I've got a plasterer coming next week to cover a wooden lintel in my bay. I need as much space as possible for a vertical blind track to go up so the thinner the material over the lintel the better. I've been told that you can plaster over a special mesh, has anyone had any experience with this kind of thing. If the mesh theory is a myth is it possible to plaster over a thin sheet of marine ply???

Thanks

Andy

 

[breezer]

its possible to plaster over anything, the question is will the plaster stay there?

mesh is used as some plaster can go through it giving it something to "hang on to", it is quite common on the external corner of a wall but i do not know what it is called

 

[Haggy]

All the ceilings in our house are plaster over a metal mesh. And they have been there since 1921.

Incidentally does anyone know why they used this method as opposed to traditional lath and plaster? My father who has worked on many, many houses and buildings as a heating engineer says he has never seen it before.

 

[masona]

I've got a plasterer coming next week to cover a wooden lintel in my bay.

Check the wooden lintel for woodworms and rots or better still treat it with wood treatment,but must be dry before plaster.

Traditional lath and plaster is not use now as the plasterboard taken over for time and costs saving.The problem with lath strip timber the plaster which gripped in the grooves,lock over the top of the lath & that what hold the plaster up tend break away over the years due to heat expansion,timber movement and the plaster tend to dry out away from the wooden strip lath therefore hairline cracks and fall down.The wire mesh overcome this.Must 've been a terrible job for the carpenter's in the old days fixing the laths strip upside down.

 

[DAZB]

I have found a version of the mesh you need called Catnic mesh and it is available in various widths up to about 450mm wide. You can get it in either a galvanised or stainless steel finish and is used for the purpose you need and also quite often under external rendering.I have seen some at our local Builder Centre but the big trade Builders merchants such as Jewsons should definately have it in stock. Good luck.