pink plaster outside. is this ever ok?

[alan131]

Hi all. Hoping for some help about using plaster outside please. I have a sort of outside landing at 1st floor level with solid walls round it. The flat downstairs bathroom is under it. The render was quite poor in places. A builder patched the render and it looked quite nice painted but about three/four weeks have passed and the paint has lifted in places to show pink underneath.

I saw some of the base coat and this was a render but I suspect at least the skim coat may be plaster, because it's pink, looks like plaster and I can easily push my thumbnail into it. I think this is bad news, but before I start to panic is there any way it could be ok ( additives or whatever ). Builder has not been fully paid yet ( another story).

If it is plaster, what should i do?

Many thanks in advance for any advice
Alan

 

[roughcaster]

Cement render outside, no problem. Plaster outside,, NO,,,, NEVER!!

 

[JohnD]

Are you in Devon or Somerset?

How old is the house?

 

[alan131]

House is in essex, built around 1930....

 

[alan131]

am i right to think fixing this is going to be worse than the original becaise i'll have to get all the plaster off first? Anybody able to give me a rough idea of time or cost please? Its about 5 sq meters all under 6ft from floor level... .thanks vety much alan

 

[JohnD]

I think you need to ask the builder what he used.

As it is not in an area, or on a house of an age, where a lime or cob render is likely, it does sound like he has used a gypsum plaster, which would be quite wrong outside. It wasn't in a porch or other protected area?

I suppose you've paid him, and he was not an itinerant?

Looking on the bright side, after a few weeks of rain, it will not take much effort to scrape it off.

 

[alan131]

Part of some wrk done with a grant from council , it was council person who ho recommended builder In a private capacity. Same person from council inspect tomorrow and pay direct to him.