cracks in render

Been waiting for several plasterers to come and take a look at some work we had done, none turned up yet and we need some answers!

Our rendering job on the gable end of our house was started by a qualified plasterer last September. Due to weather etc it's just been finished. One side is fine, but the other has quite a lot of hairline cracks in it. They were completed on different days. The plasterer has blamed our blockwork and says it has nothing to do with him , but can this be true when one half of the same wall is fine?

Some of the scratch coat did fall off, which he then replaced before putting on the top coat. It seems to sound 'hollow' in some places...also a channel that was dug out and repaired on another wall is also very obvious even though we have painted it.

It's a smooth render slightly textured with a sponge.

Is this impossible to hide?

Appreciate any help on this...

[im a plasterer and the hollow sound is boast which needs to be taken off as the guy who done the job never primed the blockwork which should have been done if the building has been left for a while before being plastered,it goes boast also if the background is dry and before you plaster it should have been wet down and then scratched..************ if you have any more problems and i will keep you up to date on how to fix it

Our rendering job on the gable end of our house was started by a qualified plasterer last September.
Did you see his work, talk to his customers first or did he just tell you he was 'qualified'?


Due to weather etc it's just been finished. I know things get in the way, but it seems a while to have got it done - is this a symptom of him being unreliable in general?




One side is fine, how does it look after rain? when the wall is drying out can you see darker lines in it where cracks are ?


. The plasterer has blamed our blockwork and says it has nothing to do with him , but can this be true when one half of the same wall is fine?
Are the cracks in a straightish line, or more random like crazing?

If there were issues with the block work, he should have told you before starting, or at least while scratching. Straight cracks, or staggered along the joints might be the blockwork. What exactly did he say?




Some of the scratch coat did fall off, which he then replaced before putting on the top coat
It seems like he did not prepare, or could not apply properly.



It seems to sound 'hollow' in some places... It just has not stuck to the wall (or less likely to scratch coat), and will have to come off, I'd say



also a channel that was dug out and repaired on another wall is also very obvious even though we have painted it.

It's a smooth render slightly textured with a sponge.

Is this impossible to hide? Very hard to patch render . You could think about making a feature band to hide it, or going over the wall again with a slurry and sponge it up but you need to know what you are doing for that. You might be able to ease it with sponged up slurry, but doubtful
Is this wall sound? Why the channel?


Can you get the guy back? I presume he has been paid? Is he local ie how important is his reputation vs the hassle he will have repairing?

IMHO you can't spend money painting render which has not been put on prooerly. The loose , blown stuff has to come off and then see what needs doing. YOu might be able to see if there is enough cement in the scratch coat, or if there is dust on the back of it, or if it just sheets off.

What does the finish look like apart from cracking?


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napperboy1 said:

[im a plasterer and the hollow sound is boast which needs to be taken off as the guy who done the job never primed the blockwork which should have been done if the building has been left for a while before being plastered,it goes boast also if the background is dry and before you plaster it should have been wet down and then scratched..************ if you have any more problems and i will keep you up to date on how to fix it

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napper - I dare say you would scud all blockwork first where you are?

I've never heard of 'boast' , new addition to the phrasebook. We would say 'live' or 'blown' render??

Let's live in reality land. The guy that did it never hosed the blocks down and they've sucked out the moisture from the mix as it set and it isn't stuck to the wall in many places.

He won't be back.

You have two choices.

Either start again and hack the lot off and risk the same thing happening next time.

Or paint it with a latex type paint that should hold it together for a while.

I've known blown render to last for decades.

In my opinion just paint it and see how it goes. It may last 20 weeks - or it may last 20 years.

What have you got to lose?

Celt2 said:

Mon Jun 26, 2006

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Micilin said:

napperboy1 said:

[im a plasterer and the hollow sound is boast which needs to be taken off as the guy who done the job never primed the blockwork which should have been done if the building has been left for a while before being plastered,it goes boast also if the background is dry and before you plaster it should have been wet down and then scratched..************ if you have any more problems and i will keep you up to date on how to fix it

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napper - I dare say you would scud all blockwork first where you are?

I've never heard of 'boast'

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I think he meant "bossed" Micilin, that's a saying around here too,,,, meaning the same, "blown, live, hollow.

yes boast is when the plaster is not taken to the blockwork always scud before or prime or this boast certainly will appear

roughcaster said:

Micilin said:

napperboy1 said:

[im a plasterer and the hollow sound is boast which needs to be taken off as the guy who done the job never primed the blockwork which should have been done if the building has been left for a while before being plastered,it goes boast also if the background is dry and before you plaster it should have been wet down and then scratched..************ if you have any more problems and i will keep you up to date on how to fix it

Click to expand...

napper - I dare say you would scud all blockwork first where you are?

I've never heard of 'boast'

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I think he meant "bossed" Micilin, that's a saying around here too,,,, meaning the same, "blown, live, hollow.

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JohnD said:

Celt2 said:

Mon Jun 26, 2006

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Damn. I don't get caught very often.

Snap!!

joe-90 said:

JohnD said:

Celt2 said:

Mon Jun 26, 2006

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Damn. I don't get caught very often.

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I suppose by now we'd know if it fell off!!!!!!

Anyway, I've seen lads put render on that were used to skimming or hardwall and could not push it onto the wall, it was 'put there 'more than anything, and this has blown regardess of hosing etc


Boast, bossed - is that a term for anything else ? I'll have to add it to the Bumper Book Of Plastering Terms (under Scots Irish)