Plaster coming off after stripping wallpaper - advice wanted

[Col_Buendia]

Hi folks. I've just stripped the wallpaper off our bedroom, and revealed quite a variety of crumbling plasterwork underneath. We have a 100yr old terraced house, and the most recent plasterwork seems to have fallen off in places, leaving a grey layer about 10-15mm thick which I can see lies over the brickwork. The trouble with this grey layer is that it is turning to dust under my fingers. It's quite coarse, but easily rubs away when I put my hand to it.

So the question is - what should I do to fix this layer? I'm presuming that I'll need to fix it before getting someone in to replaster the whole room (hopefully properly this time!) Is there something I can spray on to bind it again?

In fact, now I come to think of it, the whole house seems to be turning to dust! The bare bricks on the chimney breast in the loft do the same, and I've been left with a gaping hole when trying to drill a 4mm hole for rawl plugs in internal walls. Should I be worried?! Ta for any pointers...

 

[roughcaster]

Hi Col,
Just a comment on the plaster on the bedroom walls. Sounds as though the plaster that is turning to dust under your fingers has seen better days and should be taken off. It could be old Carlite plaster.Maybe, when it was put onto the old dry bricks a long time ago, they never soaked the bricks and the plaster dried in too quick before it had a chance to set, which would make it powdery,and then because of that, the top coat, having nothing to hold on to,came away from the backing coat. I'm only guessing here, you'd have to see it. If you are planning to get the room re-plastered anyway, it wouldn't be worth you fixing it (unless you want to do it that way), because the plasterer would take care of all these bits as part of the overall job. Get someone in to give you first hand advice is the best bet for starters.

Roughcaster.

 

[joe-90]

The grainy stuff that rubs away with your fingers is lime render. It is the original wall surface. To replace the lot over the whole house will cost up to £10,000 and you'd have to move out for a month! However, most old terraces are in the same condition and will continue that way for decades to come.

The cure is to mix up some PVA about 1 PVA to 5 water and drench the crumbly stuff until it won't take any more. When it is dry you will find it is much toughr than it was. Then patch the wall until it is almost level then get it skimmed for best results or use pollyfiller if you are doing it yourself.
It's nothing to worry about, as all pre 1930 houses are in the same condition.

 

[Col_Buendia]

Nice one! Thanks for the PVA tip. I'll give that a go as it is the sort of low-tec inexpensive option that I can manage. As for 10 grand and moving out for a month, I think my 3 month old little boy might have something to say (scream) about that. In fact it is his fault we're redecorating in the first place... just a mere 6 months sort of behind though

I'll be looking for a decent plasterer in Cardiff - if anyone has any tips for that one, PM me ta!

 

[brist]

Hi im a decent plasterer and live in the Vale of Glamorgan.

 

[Col_Buendia]

PM on its way

 

[Col_Buendia]

whoops. I've just discovered that this forum seems to have no way of contacting other members... well, short of me posting my email addy up here, which ain't gonna happen and is in contravention of the posting rules, I can't see how I'm gonna take you up on your offer, brist!

 

[brist]

Whats PM

 

[roughcaster]

Whats PM

Mid-day until midnight Bristy.

Roughcaster.

 

[joe-90]

Prime Minister

 

[brist]

Seems like weve a few would be comedians in the house

 

[Col_Buendia]

Whats PM

PM = private message. Most other boards (not many!) I've been on allow the option of contacting other board members privately. I'm not a frequent user of DIYNOT, so I assumed that I would be able to contact you privately, and then realised that there doesn't seem to be this option here. Not sure why, perhaps to stop the boards being spammed with people looking for business. Anyway, there you are. Search me out online and send me a quote, brist!

 

[brist]

Most bedrooms about £200

 

[Col_Buendia]

I hope I'll be forgiven for "resurrecting" this thread, but I wonder if I might get a few opinions on the quotes I've been getting for this job? The first one came this morning and quite took the shine off my breakfast.

We're talking about a room that is 5m x 3.5m, re-plastering all the walls and covering the artex on the roof. The price I got this morning was £1090 - "£130 hack off damaged rendering, re-render wall; £930 plaster ceiling and walls; £30 remove all rubbish from site".

Does this sound like a reasonable price. Brist suggested £200 a room, so I'm guessing his price was less than entirely serious, but what about this one? Thanks for any advice offered!

 

[duckegg]

Hi

I can completely sympathise with you, we've got a 1930's house built with a very tough engineering brick, and upon taking off wallpaper on the old part of the house the majority of the plaster has blown.

I've got a room thats L 5.6m W 3.1m H 2.4m and all going to go back to the brick and I'm getting quotes between £800 - £1100. I know that it's a very expensive job, especially when you're not expecting it! There is the option of dot & dabbing it, we're not in favour of it and I think you'll find views on this forum about it, but it is the cheaper option if the whole house needs doing!