Hi,
As the title suggests its another cracked plaster problem. I bought a new house which had been empty for a few years prior to me purchasing (repo).
I've had the builders in for a few months with ceilings replaced and walls stripped back to brick, bonded and re-plastered.
Unfortunately they didn't do a great job levelling the ceilings or walls. Didn't bother battening ceilings which they've now "corrected" (atleast visually) by fillering and applying coving. The walls I think they left the old bonding/sand cement in certain areas and when they filled gaps added too much in some areas.
In the main living room I had to call in another plasterer to correct this (as despite promises his plasterer didn't reappear to fix the problem), as there were areas where there was a 20mm diff within a radius of 50mm (don't ask me how they managed this, there were chimnees removed from this wall, but the problems are not restricted to those areas).
The new plasterer first attempted to remove excess bonding, but then advised it would take forever and may damage some of the bricks in the party wall (perhaps just got fedup of fixing someone elses mistake). Instead he added more bonding to correct as much as possible (looks level to the eye and differences are within reasonable tolerance). Then skimmed over the top.
He did apply uPVA (I watched him and had to buy a few bottles) and everything looked fine for month or so. However, he did warn since the old plaster was only 6 weeks old and quite alot of bonding and plaster was on the wall, that it may crack.
Unfortunately that prediction has come true, and the main wall (10m x 2.6m) has now developed several cracks. From tapping the wall in certain places it seems the plaster has come away from the wall as it produces a hollower noise.
The plasterer (who I know through a close friend) has advised to wait for the cracks to settle then clean with a knife and fill. He's said if the problem re-appears he will return to rectify it. Another builder friends has instead advised to apply plasterboard and re-skim. The contractor who's original plasterer/workmen created the problem has suggested filling with no more cracks.
MY two questions are:
1) Is repairing the cracks plausible or should I just bite the bullet and re-do the wall?
2) Who is telling the truth? I'm inclined to believe the new plasterer, as he was upfront from the begining there was a chance of cracks. And our mutual friend provides him with alot of work, so he is unlikely to risk getting caught lieng to me. However, the contractor is implying it is the new plasterers fault and he didn't apply enough uPVA. That could ofcourse be the reason or he could be trying to deflect attention from his workers who caused the problem in the first place.
Other then a quick test, the heating has not been on. And the neighbouring property is emmpty so the heating has not been on in there either.
Thanks in advance for any help and advice you can provide.
As the title suggests its another cracked plaster problem. I bought a new house which had been empty for a few years prior to me purchasing (repo).
I've had the builders in for a few months with ceilings replaced and walls stripped back to brick, bonded and re-plastered.
Unfortunately they didn't do a great job levelling the ceilings or walls. Didn't bother battening ceilings which they've now "corrected" (atleast visually) by fillering and applying coving. The walls I think they left the old bonding/sand cement in certain areas and when they filled gaps added too much in some areas.
In the main living room I had to call in another plasterer to correct this (as despite promises his plasterer didn't reappear to fix the problem), as there were areas where there was a 20mm diff within a radius of 50mm (don't ask me how they managed this, there were chimnees removed from this wall, but the problems are not restricted to those areas).
The new plasterer first attempted to remove excess bonding, but then advised it would take forever and may damage some of the bricks in the party wall (perhaps just got fedup of fixing someone elses mistake). Instead he added more bonding to correct as much as possible (looks level to the eye and differences are within reasonable tolerance). Then skimmed over the top.
He did apply uPVA (I watched him and had to buy a few bottles) and everything looked fine for month or so. However, he did warn since the old plaster was only 6 weeks old and quite alot of bonding and plaster was on the wall, that it may crack.
Unfortunately that prediction has come true, and the main wall (10m x 2.6m) has now developed several cracks. From tapping the wall in certain places it seems the plaster has come away from the wall as it produces a hollower noise.
The plasterer (who I know through a close friend) has advised to wait for the cracks to settle then clean with a knife and fill. He's said if the problem re-appears he will return to rectify it. Another builder friends has instead advised to apply plasterboard and re-skim. The contractor who's original plasterer/workmen created the problem has suggested filling with no more cracks.
MY two questions are:
1) Is repairing the cracks plausible or should I just bite the bullet and re-do the wall?
2) Who is telling the truth? I'm inclined to believe the new plasterer, as he was upfront from the begining there was a chance of cracks. And our mutual friend provides him with alot of work, so he is unlikely to risk getting caught lieng to me. However, the contractor is implying it is the new plasterers fault and he didn't apply enough uPVA. That could ofcourse be the reason or he could be trying to deflect attention from his workers who caused the problem in the first place.
Other then a quick test, the heating has not been on. And the neighbouring property is emmpty so the heating has not been on in there either.
Thanks in advance for any help and advice you can provide.
