Dodgy batch of Multi-Finish?

[FredFlintstone]

Evenin' all,

Had a weird one today.

Following on from my disaster job post yesterday, I duly returned this morning to finish the job.

Big ceiling and two walls left.

Ceiling went up fine. Mixed up what I had left in an open bag and did the first hit on one of the walls. No problems. Opened a new bag, mixed it up and second coated the wall. Well bu99er me, it was gritty as hell as I layed the second coat on, ripping little lines out of the first coat all over the place. I'm sure you've all had it happen to you but usually only when you lay it on too thin.

So, stuck that bag to one side and opened another. Same s0dd1ng thing happened.

Water was clean, buckets and tools were clean - everything.

In the end I just had to take it a bit slower and pick the bits out as and when I spotted them (or as and when they dragged lines out as the case may be). The same thing happened on the second wall, only even more of a pain in the bum due to the forst coat being gritty too.

I checked the first bags I used and they had a use by date of Nov 5th. The dodgy bags had a date of Nov 14th. So, I'm left with 5 bags of Multi which I suspect will have the same characteristics as the 3 I used today.

Off to buy some more in the morning - I don't want the same thing happening tomorrow.

Anyone else had this problem (as in a dodgy gritty batch rather than laying it on too thin)?

Regards

Fred

 

[joe-90]

Whether you think you did or not you laid it too thin. That's the only way the grit can roll around without being pressed into the skim.

 

[FredFlintstone]

Nope, it definately wasn't on too thin. If that's the case, how come it didn't happen when I layed the first coat on the first wall? It only happened when I layed the second coat on, from a new mix from a new bag. That's whengrit started to appear.

 

[joe-90]

You were too late getting back to the first coat. Either that or you have proved the laws of physics wrong.

 

[FredFlintstone]

Either that or you have proved the laws of physics wrong.

Christ. Not only is this guy a top plasterer but he's a physics expert too! I know what it was Joe, it was grit, lots of it, bigger than usual, and the forst coat wasn't too thin and hadn't pulled in too much.

 

[joe-90]

So you've got two coats of about 2 to 3mm - that's 4 to 6mm - yet you reckon there is grit larger than that in a bag of plaster?? Check the bag, mate, I think you've picked up pea-gravel by mistake.

 

[FredFlintstone]

So you've got two coats of about 2 to 3mm - that's 4 to 6mm - yet you reckon there is grit larger than that in a bag of plaster?? Check the bag, mate, I think you've picked up pea-gravel by mistake.

No Joe, second coat is never as thick as the first. My total skim coat is 3mm - 2mm first coat and 1mm second coat. Any more and it'd be far too thick.

 

[joe-90]

So you've got two coats of about 2 to 3mm - that's 4 to 6mm - yet you reckon there is grit larger than that in a bag of plaster?? Check the bag, mate, I think you've picked up pea-gravel by mistake.

No Joe, second coat is never as thick as the first. My total skim coat is 3mm - 2mm first coat and 1mm second coat. Any more and it'd be far too thick.

So you are saying that there is gravel bigger than 3mm in the bag?

 

[FredFlintstone]

Joe, I'm going to stop replying now because you're starting to look like an even bigger **** than normal and quite frankly, I feel a little bit sorry for you.

 

[joe-90]

Joe, I'm going to stop replying now because you're starting to look like an even bigger **** than normal and quite frankly, I feel a little bit sorry for you.

Don't feel sorry for me. I'm simply proving that you know little about plastering. You are going too thin over the bumps and the grit is showing through. Go a little thicker over the hollows and you won't crash into the humps. Try it - you know I'm right.

 

[sanj.varah]

not had any problems over here although where did you get it from. i always go to b and q. not as cheap as the merchants but at least its kept inside and warm and not damp in a freaking shed!

i wonder if it has got contaminated at the british gypsum factory. Ring them up. they are either extremely helpful or about as much use as a chocolate fire guard.

 

[noseall]

open bags of finish, that have stood for some time, do age more quickly than unopened bags of the same age.

this results in the powder losing some of the 'fat', which means the user tends to find it a bit grittier or more wishy-washy. if you know what i mean. the setting time is prolonged too.

 

[joe-90]

You get a smooth finish on bonding if you apply it deep enough - but it rolls like marbles when too thin. Same problem with finishing plaster. The only time you can get grit rolling around is when it is applied too thin.

 

[popeye1967]

Your always going to get the odd bad batch of plaster but its more likely to be caused by the bags getting damp .

 

[popeye1967]

P.S. If you have to put 6mm of finish on the wall it means your floating isnt good enough.