Blocked up window-how to finish interior?

[Jaffakake]

Hi,

We recently had an extension build, which meant the window to our understairs cupboard was blocked up. I want to sort the space out so we can use it as a coat cupboard. There is the exposed block work, from blocking up the window and some other exposed brickwork where the plaster fell off. The rest is plastered and painted - 1940's looking plaster (with horsehair in it ?) and some shiny paint. The block work is about 30sq cm and the brickwork an irregular 20 cm by 30 cm.

I'd like to cover these two spaces to minimise the dust. What are my best options?

I've got a tub of ready mixed plaster and a tub of mortar which I can mix up. Am I in the right zone? I'd really prefer not to get into plasterboard.

Any advice, gratefully received.

 

[Doggit]

A picture tells a thousand words, but you'd be better off with plasterboard that's dot and dabbed to the wall. You'd need to rub down the paint first to provide a good key, and you'd need to PVA everything first, but you'd end up with a level surface that you could apply the read mixed plaster to.

 

[Notch7]

If its in a cupboard and you just want to stop dust and make it tidy, why not paint it with emulsion?

 

[Jaffakake]

Cheers. I've got some filler which I've used to fill ups the dodgy, cracked bits and I'll just give it a paint. Thanks.

 

[Doggit]

You could try PVAing the area, and then using Thistle one coat plaster over the dodgy bits.

 

[roy c]

I used Thistle one coat plaster in the 80's and you could bring it out coat after coat till you got the depth you wanted, it used to turn pinkish when it was firming up and then you could put the next coat on and so on till you got your depth you wanted. On the last coat we sponge floated it up to the finish we wanted then (nice and plumb and level) then steel troweled it up to a nice finish ready for decorating. Is this the same one coat that is used today? I was working in Guernsey at the time and a guy came over from the company that made it and showed us it's uses and how to apply it. This was the time when everyone had "Dry Rot"!!! and companies were falling over their selves trying to sell you all these carcegenic chemicals to pump into the walls to eradicate dry and wet rot!!! We would always pump the fluids into drilled holes in the walls that always took ages for the fluid to go into the walls, I came home lots of times feeling ill as not a lot of us were given proper masks to protect us from the chemicals that were used I think the main one for dry rot was called "Murosol" and it came in plastic cartons and we had to dilute it down with water.(I think it was 25-1 ratio). And by coincidence everyone had woodworm that needed treating and that was another carcegenic chemical treatment that was sprayed in loft areas with no real instructions of what to wear to protect us!!! So where is all this dry rot now and all the woodworm infested roof spaces!!!! We must of eradicated it all in the 80's !!!!!! Because now you can buy all these chemicals over the counters at your local suppliers and don't need any instructions to tell you about the health hazards that come with them!!

 

[Doggit]

The current one coat plaster is white, and can go on as a combined bonding and plaster coat, but it doesn't come up as smooth as finishing plaster.

As the treatment chemicals, it's dead easy to get them, but I always hold my breath for small jobs, and wear a mask for the bigger ones, but I don't think I've ever bothered to read past the initial section. No dilution required nowadays.

 

[foxhole]

Plsterboard, quick and easy.

 

[roy c]

What I missed out on my earlier post was, the walls in Guernsey on the old house's and cottages are all Granite and usually about 20 inches thick so we always scratch coated it with sand and cement as a base and for the "One coat".