Hi I'm renovating a cottage (GII listed) where the pain of a conservation officer has insisted that a ceiling removed by a previous owner is reinstated in lath and lime plaster, I have found a source for traditional riven lath but at £30/m2 or 30p/linear foot it's stupidly expensive. Has anyone plastered a significant area using lath rip sawn from 1" boards?
plastering lath
- Thread starter chadfieldpropertyservices
- Start date
Sponsored Links
If your original laths were riven then the conservation officer is unlikely to accept sawn.
I did a couple of bathrooms in an old cottage about 18mths ago and that had to be done with riven laths and lime mortar render. the riven surface holds the traditional lime better than sawn which was used with hydrated lime renders. The riven laths are also still quite green which helps stop them splitting when nailed and they don't dry the lime out too fast
I think the laths came from the "old house store" but you could also try Mike Wye Assoc
Jason
I did a couple of bathrooms in an old cottage about 18mths ago and that had to be done with riven laths and lime mortar render. the riven surface holds the traditional lime better than sawn which was used with hydrated lime renders. The riven laths are also still quite green which helps stop them splitting when nailed and they don't dry the lime out too fast
I think the laths came from the "old house store" but you could also try Mike Wye Assoc
Jason
I wasn't figuring on the CO seeing the lath before plastering!, with labour it's going to cost me an extra £1200 to do the ceiling like this instead of plasterboard, I'd rather donate the money to charity then at least it could be of some benefit rather being a total waste that no-one will ever notice or appreciate, then CO's wonder why Traffic wardens are way ahead of them in the popularity stakes!!!.
And when yout plasterboard ceiling starts cracking as the old building moves about or the lime won't stick to the sawn lath I expect you will be moaning as well
Why buy a listed building if you are not prepared to treat it properly
Oh and don't forget to allow for the extra time, you will likely be looking at a couple of days between each of the three coats for the lime to firm up before the next is applied, more if its damp cold weather
Jason
Why buy a listed building if you are not prepared to treat it properly
Oh and don't forget to allow for the extra time, you will likely be looking at a couple of days between each of the three coats for the lime to firm up before the next is applied, more if its damp cold weather
Jason
Sponsored Links
i was told by a 25 year veteran of lime and lath that there should be between 2-4 weeks between coats of plaster as the lime needs time to go through some carbonation and gain strength, any attempts to plaster too quickly may result in a weaker plaster strength.
just what i was told though
just what i was told though
Exactly why I do not want to use lath & plaster! The same conservation officer allowed us to use plasterboard extensively in our other listed property where there have been no problems at all with cracking, plasterboard does not crack easily if it is fitted and skimmed properly
Laths are all expensive, Particularly Riven laths. The SPAB website used to have links to a lot of specialist suppliers of lime plastering materials, so you might be able to find a slightly cheaper source.
You could also use NHL rather than lime putty in your scratch coat and float. Then once it's been devilled up you can use lime putty and silver/playsand, 50/50 mix, for the set.
The NHL will dry much quicker than using putty, so you won't need to wait as long between drying times.
You could also use NHL rather than lime putty in your scratch coat and float. Then once it's been devilled up you can use lime putty and silver/playsand, 50/50 mix, for the set.
The NHL will dry much quicker than using putty, so you won't need to wait as long between drying times.
DIYnot Local
Staff member
If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.
Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.
Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local
