blending plaster into stone where window boards removed

[phillippilkington300]

Hi Everyone.

My baby girl is due in less tan 2 weeks and we were decorating her bedroom. When I got to the window, all the timber (it used to be a sash window so had ply from wall to window if you know what I mean) was all damp and knackered. I have removed all that and solved the cause of the damp (I hope!!).

I want to leave the stone exposed and just tidy the plaster work up but I have never done any plastering before at all. The walls are boarded so there is a slight gap on one side, stuffed with paper on the other and is a bigger gap at the ceiling.

Am I correct in my thinking that I fill the bigger gaps up with foam, then just bung a load of multi finish at it and smooth it off?

Thanks everyone, I have searched everywhere but the info doesn't seem applicable to this one.

Phill

Untitled

• phillippilkington300
• 9 Jun 2014
• 1

Untitled

• phillippilkington300
• 9 Jun 2014
• 1

Untitled

• phillippilkington300
• 9 Jun 2014
• 1

Untitled

• phillippilkington300
• 9 Jun 2014
• 1

 

[phillippilkington300]

no one any advice

 

[roy c]

You could dot and dab poly backed plaster board up the sides and head. Get a normal cill fitted first, I would put a strip of dpc up the side of the windows and along the head first then dot and dab the boards on (let the boards run past the wall about 2 inches so you can trim and dress them up when it has all gone off, and also trim back the excess dpc. Use the thinest poly back board as you will still have a bit of a margin on your window frame then. When you "dress" the boards you could knock off some of the plaster all around the window then fit some plastic beads over the join (put some scrim tape on first) and then feather it all in to the original plaster..Easy eh...

 

[DamoB]

Hi Phill,

I'm not sure multi-finish would be the most ideal as it's only really meant for a skim coat 2-3 mm thick...maybe one coat plaster would be more suitable as you can use use it in much thicker applications.

You've also got the issue of no corner beads to strenghthen the external corners, but one option could be to cut the existing plaster back a bit more, build up a chamfered fillet with one-coat and do away with a square corner altogether.

 

[phillippilkington300]

Thanks for the reply, all that is way above my skill level. I want to keep the stone though so boarding the sides isnt the way I was hoping to go, though I doneed to put in a cill your right.

You could dot and dab poly backed plaster board up the sides and head. Get a normal cill fitted first, I would put a strip of dpc up the side of the windows and along the head first then dot and dab the boards on (let the boards run past the wall about 2 inches so you can trim and dress them up when it has all gone off, and also trim back the excess dpc. Use the thinest poly back board as you will still have a bit of a margin on your window frame then. When you "dress" the boards you could knock off some of the plaster all around the window then fit some plastic beads over the join (put some scrim tape on first) and then feather it all in to the original plaster..Easy eh...

 

[phillippilkington300]

Thanks for replying. Yes cutting back sounds a better idea for me. So one coat, okie dokie! I was wondering if even filler might be better but its a lot more expensive than plaster. Is expanding foam on the top the way to go? im worried that could be a mistake.

Hi Phill,

I'm not sure multi-finish would be the most ideal as it's only really meant for a skim coat 2-3 mm thick...maybe one coat plaster would be more suitable as you can use use it in much thicker applications.

You've also got the issue of no corner beads to strenghthen the external corners, but one option could be to cut the existing plaster back a bit more, build up a chamfered fillet with one-coat and do away with a square corner altogether.

 

[DamoB]

If you've already got a can of foam on the go then it'd be ok to use it...you'll just have to make sure you cut it back enough once it's gone off to get some one-coat in there...but if you don't have a can in use then stuffing newspaper in there tightly and leaving an inch or so to build out should be ok. Although not ideal if that is where the damp was/is

Roy is right about fitting the cill first before you sort the side reveals out. Give anything you're putting plaster onto a couple of coats of diluted pva beforehand, as it'll give you more working time. And don't mix your plaster too thin either.

 

[phillippilkington300]

Oh paper would be ok would it? it isnt damp there. I dont know how tight i could get it as theres noting there but the floor boards above but I ill give it a go. I think I have a bit of timber in my shop that wil make a good cill. Im going to go with the cutting back a little plan and not touch the sides though.

Is pva ok on stone? I thought I read not to aply to stone somewhere.

If you've already got a can of foam on the go then it'd be ok to use it...you'll just have to make sure you cut it back enough once it's gone off to get some one-coat in there...but if you don't have a can in use then stuffing newspaper in there tightly and leaving an inch or so to build out should be ok. Although not ideal if that is where the damp was/is

Roy is right about fitting the cill first before you sort the side reveals out. Give anything you're putting plaster onto a couple of coats of diluted pva beforehand, as it'll give you more working time. And don't mix your plaster too thin either.

 

[roy c]

How big are the stone block on the sides of the window? It may be worth cutting a bit of p/board back to see. You could then make a feature out of them by cutting around the p/board each side to expose them and finish the edges off by feathering them in like DamoB said. They look like granite to me and may have been a feature years ago. How old is the house and have you any history of it? The lintol over the window also looks like a piece of granite. Tho l may be wrong, what is the natural rock in your area. DamoB should know if its granite coming from Cornwall ps. I see you are in Yorkshire so it is probably York store

 

[phillippilkington300]

The blocks will be much like this below as this is the window above only it is smaller than the one I am talking about.
The stone is Yorkshire stone and the houe is an old co-op built about 400 yrs ago. This room was the warehouse, I know that because there are coffin dors to the ground floor.
Yes you are right, that is definetly the best solution, I dont want to cover it all back up again, I just want to tidy the edges up.
There is no lintel, the pics dont show it but there is a gap in the middle where the cavity is. I have a piece of wood and a piece of (indian unfortunetly) stone, not decided which is going to form the new cill yet.

How big are the stone block on the sides of the window? It may be worth cutting a bit of p/board back to see. You could then make a feature out of them by cutting around the p/board each side to expose them and finish the edges off by feathering them in like DamoB said. They look like granite to me and may have been a feature years ago. How old is the house and have you any history of it? The lintol over the window also looks like a piece of granite. Tho l may be wrong, what is the natural rock in your area. DamoB should know if its granite coming from Cornwall ps. I see you are in Yorkshire so it is probably York store

Untitled

• phillippilkington300
• 10 Jun 2014
• 1

 

[roy c]

Wow!!! That is nice stone work and a nice bit of history too, is it too much trouble to take all the plaster board off and have all the stone work repointed like the room in your picture? It would look loverly. That's the sort of job I have done a few times and it does look good....

 

[DamoB]

Hmm looks like Yorkshire stone to me Roy joking aside, it's not really dark enough for granite, and as I've never been further north than Staffordshire I'd struggle to identify York stone

Phill, it might be worth double checking if you've read that you shouldn't pva onto stone, but I've never heard that before and can't think why it should be a problem.

If that is one piece of stone across the top of the window, as it should be, then it is definitely a lintel; that'll be the inner one and there'll be an outer one too.

I like Roy's idea about exposing more stone around the window, and if the stonework in the room you're working on is anything like the stonework in that last photo then I'd be very tempted to expose that whole wall.

 

[DamoB]

Just seen your last post Roy, and agree completely!

 

[phillippilkington300]

you know I have been thinking about it. there's pros and cons to it.

yes.it would look really nice
it would possibly fix some damp issues elsewhere as normal plaster should not have been used on stone walls.

there could be some nasty surprises and have to pay someone to cover it up again
it could leave mg babays new room cold
the mrs would freak at the mess
Ionly have a week or 2 to get it decorated

damm you for putting that back in my head lol

Wow!!! That is nice stone work and a nice bit of history too, is it too much trouble to take all the plaster board off and have all the stone work repointed like the room in your picture? It would look loverly. That's the sort of job I have done a few times and it does look good....

 

[phillippilkington300]

I read.that pva stops the stone.from breathing put then so does anything but lime plaster. I have loads of damp problems and im wondering if thats why, so iI am tempted to rip it down.

Emma is freaking out though as I promised her iI would have it finished by the time lucy is born and I am sailing very close to the wind. im terrified of what I might find if I expose it as I fix.computers, im not a builder and I have no spare cash for employing anyone right now.

Just seen your last post Roy, and agree completely!