Mesh in bonding

[perky416]

Hi guys.

This is my process for bonding. Please bare in mind I am no plasterer, just a DIYer that does it myself to save on labour costs. This may be a bit unorthodox but it works for me and i get good results.

• I screw 11mm wooden battens to the wall and get them flat and level.
• Fill between the battens with bonding.
• Use my feather edge along the battens to flatten the bonding.
• Remove the battens and fill in the gaps left.
• Apply plastering mesh to the entire wall.
• Skim over the mesh with a thin layer of bonding.
• Flatten the top layer of bonding with my darby as much as possible.
• Float the bonding.

As mentioned this has worked well however after filing in the batten gaps it becomes very long winded and tedious. Adding the mesh to the bonding was a trick my old plasterer did to prevent cracking. Especially in my old house where the brickwork has a habit of cracking (i do re-point where needed).

The wall is pretty much dead flat until i apply the skim of bonding over the mesh. Then i have to faff about flattening and floating the top layer. I find that bonding is a pain to float if the mix isnt just right or you get it at just the right point of curing. I can get it pretty flat but its not perfect and takes forever.

Finally to my question lol...

Can i apply the mesh, let the bonding dry (i never have time to bond and skim the same day) then pva and multifinish directly over the mesh?

When i bond over the mesh it is obviously all still wet and fuses together so the mesh is well embedded. Im worried if i dont bond over the mesh the multifinish wont adhere to it sufficiently.

Thanks

 

[Mottie]

• I screw 11mm wooden battens to the wall and get them flat and level.

• Fill between the battens with bonding.

• Use my feather edge along the battens to flatten the bonding.

• Remove the battens and fill in the gaps left.

Many years ago I saw my mate, who was an experienced full-time plasterer, do exactly that in his own Victorian home when he had hacked off the whole wall and came across an assortment of different bricks. Didn’t use any mesh afterwards though - he just skimmed the whole wall straight on top of the bonding. I think he had an old wooden float with some adjustable nails in it that he used to score the bonding up while still wet to key it for the finish coat.

 

[motorbiking]

If you are going back to brick in an old property, I'd be foam bonding insulation to the wall and then foam bonding plaster board to that. Then tape and skim. 20mm will probably reduce the U value by around 1/3rd depending the construction.