Advice on botched lime plastering

[Leber]

Hi, I've just had an internal wall taken back to the brick and then plastered in lime instead of gypsum. We went with lime to help deal with a very slight historic damp problem at the very base of the wall as this was recommended to me by a couple of surveyors (it's an old building). The plasterer was also recommended to me and seemed to do a good job with the scratch coat. But yesterday he did the so-called finishing coat and it's a real mess (pictures attached). He told me it was all done but when I complained, he agreed to come back in a week and do another finishing coat. I didn't pay him the final amount (the rest was paid on his 2 previous visits), which is why he's agreed to come back. Trouble is, I now have lost all faith in his abilities. I know lime is trickier than cement, but surely there's no excuse for the mess he's made? He certainly gave the impression he knew what he was doing until now! Should I give him a chance to come back and have another go or am I within my rights to withhold the final 30% payment and find someone else who can do it properly? Any advice gratefully received! Many thanks.

 

[London Mike 49]

My advice would be to post your experience on The Plasterers Forum .Com ;http://www.plasterersforum.com/
They will put you in touch with a specialist plasterer that does lime plastering .

Mike

 

[Leber]

Thanks, I've just done that.

 

[vinn]

The finish is nonsense and it suggests that the base backing coat was rubbish as well.
The plastering order is: scratch coat (a very tight, thin coat) - float coat (rubbed up & scratched) - and skim finish.

Is this a lime putty finish?

What was the cause of the damp (one side of the wall only?), and what has been done about it besides re-plastering?

 

[Leber]

Thanks for your response. Yeah, it's appalling. I think he used hydraulic lime... As I say, I foolishly trusted him because he was recommended to me by someone who had done good work. I won't be using either of them again!

The party wall has slight damp at the very base on both sides. The roof and the capping to the wall between the buildings is sound. Someone installed concrete floors downstairs where it should be suspended, probably in the 60's... This is a terrace and all the party walls have the same issue right at the very base. Because the hallway is shared with the downstairs neighbour and my flat is on the top 2 floors, I can't easily take up the concrete floors downstairs - hence the surveyor recommended lime, as the damp is minimal and very hard to trace.