Plastering - first attempt.

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Hi,
I have several areas back to bare red brick (early 1920's) in the house I'm renovating.
I've been capable of the jobs I've tackled so far, new joists, floor, demolishing dividing wall and fitting 3.8m RSJ etc and now I'd like to have a go at plastering or at least getting the browning on.
First project is a doorway that I've bricked up.
The old horsehair browning on the adjacent wall is about 16mm deep with a skim of 2-3mm.
Having searched these forums and gleaned a load of very helpful info, am I right in thinking that I should apply PVA to the bricks then 2 coats of Hardwall, levelled off between 2 vertical 16mm battens, leaving 2-3 mm for the skim?.
What sort of float should be used?.
 
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size of float will depend upon how competent you are.

the more skilled you are the bigger the float.

smaller floats are more wieldy than larger ones.

large floats produce the best results.

i use a 13" marshaltown, permashape, pre-worn, stainless.
 
Hardwall or Browning. 16 mm will have to be done in two coats leaving enough time for each coat to go off before applying the next. Dont exceed 11mm thickness on any individual coat!! Dont take the plaster to floor level leave a couple of inches gap between floor and plaster on wall.
Everything else ur not too far away with.
 
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size of float will depend upon how competent you are.

the more skilled you are the bigger the float.

smaller floats are more wieldy than larger ones.

large floats produce the best results.

i use a 13" marshaltown, permashape, pre-worn, stainless.


I'd call that a trowel, and a float a wooden or fibreglass one for devilling rubbing up.

The more skilled you are, the bigger is not true.

I use a 13'' for floating and a 14'' for skimming. Some of the best spreads I know work with 11'' trowels, and some of the worst with 16'' and 18'', mainly because someone tole them the bigger the better.

The bigger the trowel you use, the sooner you'll need an injection in your elbow.
 
Very many thanks for the reassurance and tips.
I hope other people appreciate as much as I do the amount of time some of you guys spend doing this for no tangible reward.The information in these forums is priceless.
I also appreciate the courtesy of tone of the majority of the replies, the few sad trolls do not appear to understand that just because someone is asking a pretty basic question it does not follow that they are totally ignorant. I happen to know a heart/liver transplant surgeon who has made good use of this forum while renovating an old property as a hobby to take his mind away from his work.
I'm a professional deer manager (deerstalker) in the hills of west Scotland and am renovating a house for my retirement in a couple of years. I have plenty of practical estate maintenance experience but when it's your own money at stake the help given here is invaluable.
Many thanks again.
 
Very many thanks for the reassurance and tips.
I hope other people appreciate as much as I do the amount of time some of you guys spend doing this for no tangible reward.The information in these forums is priceless.

Just having someone write such a genuine, appreciative response as this, makes it all worth while.I thought for a minute when Bulltaco started to mention heart and liver transplant surgery,that we might be entering a new phase on this Forum. Thank YOU bulltaco.

Roughcaster.
 
The bigger the trowel you use, the sooner you'll need an injection in your elbow.

this mutch is very true.

my comments on larger trowels refer to the fact that a larger trowel is less wieldy or more difficult to use for a novice. i started off with a small stainless Ragni and found the step up to a larger trowel was a skilled progression.

using a larger trowel means that the blade will be less likely to follow dips and hollows therefore the user is encouraged to apply more skim to get a better finish. similarly, if i were to plaster curved profiles, then a smaller trowel would be more suitable. ;)
 
I've never used browning but I've seen it on wall and I don't think you should be using this straight onto 1920's
brickwork as if there is any damp in the wall it might leach through to the surface,

( rough'/ Micilin tell me if I'm wrong)

I'd scratch coat first with sand & cement 4&1 with waterproofer added then use the browning for a top coat
for its thermal properties.
I think you'll find your old plaster with hair in it is lime mortar plaster.
 
Yes, you've got a good point there marshman.Modern plasters do have the disadvantage of drawing through acid,salts and damp from old brick/stone.It would be a good thing to do and as you said.Scratch-coat the areas to be patched with a 4 to 1 sand /cement scratch coat with waterproofer added.Let the scratch coat cure before plastering,(a day or two),and then coat the wall out with either browning,bonding coat,or hardwall,and then apply the finishing plaster.Don't forget to wet down and PVA the red brick areas before you apply the scratch coat,they will be very absorbant.

Roughcaster.
 
Yep, Roughcaster and marshman - that would be better.

Although personally I'd never use browning , I think it is poor stuff compared to hardwall (although nicer to mix and use !) .

I'd probably float it out in sand and cement altogether, and skim it.

If the browing/hardwall would make an appreciable thermal improvement ( don't really know how much difference, bit ignorant there), then that would be the way to go
 
[quote="
my comments on larger trowels refer to the fact that a larger trowel is less wieldy or more difficult to use for a novice. i started off with a small stainless Ragni and found the step up to a larger trowel was a skilled progression.

using a larger trowel means that the blade will be less likely to follow dips and hollows therefore the user is encouraged to apply more skim to get a better finish. similarly, if i were to plaster curved profiles, then a smaller trowel would be more suitable. ;)[/quote]


Fair comment - but I would say that what you are are skimming should be flat before you skim it, and if not either float it out flat, or rule and float the finish before laying it down. IMHO You don't really want to be using a skimming trowel to straighten a wall.

Obviously, that said, there must be a minium size - I mean you wouldn't be skimming a wall with a 2'' trowel!
 

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