Fixing uneven new Plaster

[vonsworld]

Hi

I recently had my living room ceiling skim plastered and it's now been painted (mist coat and 3 top coats). Even though we used matt ceiling paint some of it still looks uneven with ripples showing.

I was thinking of sanding it with a hand sander and 120 grit paper and then repainting. I'm cautious about using a power sender, because knowing me I'll get carried away and make it worse!

Is this the right approach, any tips please?

Is it normal for plasterers to leave some ripples in plaster? Before it was painted some of the plaster had stripes rather than being one solid colour.

Thanks

John

 

[opps]

Photos will (possibly) help.

A decent DA sander should help to flatten it but sanding ceilings with heavy sanders is hard work. Mirka sell a hand sander that you can connect to a vacuum cleaner. If you only have a domestic vacuum, the hose will probably be too short though and the dust may clog the bag very quickly and increase the risk of overheating the motor.

Mirka Dust Extraction Handy Sander Kit 80 x 230mm | Toolstation

For sanding filler, removing paint and the keying of surfaces prior to painting. With 55 dust extraction holes, when used with the Abranet strips and a dust extraction machine creates an environment which is virtually dust free. Kit contains:- 1 x Mirka Handy Sander 80 x 230mm, 1 x 20mm dia x 4m...

www.toolstation.com

They sell other sizes.

You can use it without dust extraction but expect a lot of dust. You can buy it for less elsewhere and without the hose. Alternatively, you can buy sanding pads that connect to poles and have articulated joints that use clamps to hold 115mm sanding paper in place.

Ultimately, it, based on what you say, sounds like your plastering was rubbish.

Dulux, and other brands sell super, super matt paints, the Dulux Ultra matt has what they call "anti-reflective" qualities- but it will cost you about £75 for 5L.

Cheaper options will be the low latex, contractor paints. Leyland, Armsted, etc.

 

[vonsworld]

Thanks for your reply.

Is there a best technique to sanding? If you have a ripple should you sand in the same direction as the ripple or go around in circles?

 

[Wayners]

Need a cheap orbital sander bodged on a vacuum with 120 grade sandpaper. 80 grade can be used but very aggressive.
Tbh your probably better to skim again with large blade.
Maybe wall smoother ready mix if you fancy trying.
Sanding plaster to a flat finish is impossible to achieve imo as taking the high spots off only can't be done.
Hand sanding is a nightmare job.
The dust is a lung killer

 

[omph]

I wouldn't recommend sanding plaster, it's hard work. Get some Gyproc EasiFill, fill in uneven areas, use a straight edge to scrape off excess and level the surface, then sand that down using a sanding pole with 120 grit paper. Easifill is really easy to sand and can give you a very clean finish.
Plastering does need preparation/minor touching up before painting though, esp ceilings.