Plastering of 1940s semi

[adam2]

Took a look this AM and found the plaster has cracked in many places.
The cracks seem hexagonal and occur in clusters. More pronouced at top of wall than bottom. Spoke to him. He said "thought it might have since his colleague hadn't made the mix accurately" He'll retry again on Monday, will have to restrip. I think doing one room properly before attempting others is a good idea. Then i can decide to bring in someone else or carry on......

Fortunately downstairs is not as bad. Just stripped patches inh lounge and dining room and the plaster seems sound/hard. Near light switches and wooden (door supports/surrounds) there are loose areas of plaster coming off.

One place where kitchen and dining room meet where a door would be placed under the wooden support the support is not biult up. In other words the previous owner has placed wallboards cutouts to shape an archway but there is no permanent wooden frames which encloses a door. There is some wood there against the brcikwork but no frame. Is that a big job for a joiner?

 

[jbonding]

Took a look this AM and found the plaster has cracked in many places.
The cracks seem hexagonal and occur in clusters. More pronouced at top of wall than bottom. Spoke to him. He said "thought it might have since his colleague hadn't made the mix accurately" He'll retry again on Monday, will have to restrip. I think doing one room properly before attempting others is a good idea. Then i can decide to bring in someone else or carry on......

Fortunately downstairs is not as bad. Just stripped patches inh lounge and dining room and the plaster seems sound/hard. Near light switches and wooden (door supports/surrounds) there are loose areas of plaster coming off.

One place where kitchen and dining room meet where a door would be placed under the wooden support the support is not biult up. In other words the previous owner has placed wallboards cutouts to shape an archway but there is no permanent wooden frames which encloses a door. There is some wood there against the brcikwork but no frame. Is that a big job for a joiner?

if he would of said the weather was too hot, i would probably give him another chance. but blaming his mate on the finish if hed mixed it wrong and that can only mean too stiff or wet he should of sent it back

 

[Third_Eye]

Deary me ! Cracks in new plaster that has been applied over old/tired plaster is caused by not properly cutting out loose plaster or no fiba tape used over hairline cracks or to much heat or radiator heat or fireplace heat or light bulb heat or not correctly sealing surface of its suction rate etc.......Out of interest is the 'The cracks seem hexagonal and occur in clusters' at where the patches were ?

 

[adam2]

Friday was a hot day around 19-20C and it was quite warm inside the room. The plaster went on midday/afternoon. It could be that he didn't apply much PVA, a friend commented and he thought reskimming over would be OK.
The cracks are such that you can pick off pieces of plaster off the wall.

The patches on this wall are absent..they are on the other wall where filler will be used.

The cracks are more apparent middle/higher up the wall so guess hot air rises and heat could be the cause...plaster drying out too quickly.

Not sure what u mean third eye with respect to tired/old plaster....as the white stuff was peeled of when they took paper down....just grey/coatiing left...which is intact but is dusty on surface once scraped.

 

[jbonding]

it sounds like its gone off too quick, more than likely the background wasnt treated and its set and not stuck. It doesnt sound good on his first walls.

 

[Third_Eye]

Yep, "jbonding" not good on first walls. Seems to me "adam2" that the lad has only applied one coat of thin PVA over highly porous old plaster. Therefore causing the multi-finish plaster to dry to quickly (to much suction) and causing a sahara desert like efect on surface of the new plaster (i.e. cracks). Though there again the cracks could have been on walls previously and not spotted ! If you can "The cracks are such that you can pick off pieces of plaster off the wall." then unfortunatly all the new plaster must be taken off as poor adhesion. The reason is if wallpaper is applied over poorly adhered plaster then the plaster would loose adehsion and blister. I do not recomend plastering over the poorly adhered plaster.

 

[adam2]

I think ur right Third eye and j bonding.

He did have a 500ml bottle of PVA which was half full before plastering and still nearly half full after. I will ask him to use more PVA and buy it for him. I have bought all materials and asked him if he needed anything else. He used his own PVA for the job. the cracks are like"when the water dries out in the desert in a water pool and the soil bed cracks..spiderlike cracks.

 

[Third_Eye]

To be honest ya usualy need 5 Litres of PVA per room !

 

[adam2]

He tried to replaster today. I was at work. Says the plaster still formed cracks so he took it off and is thinking of plasterboarding it.

Should i bring in someone else. Not sure if he knows whats going on. The browning is cracked originally in some places but here it can be scarped off and filled with bonding coat. I think he has spent to much time onj this job and wants to do it quickly as plasterboard.

The mix has cost minimal will plasterboard cost a lot more. The rooms are 12ft x8ft TWO rooms and 9ft by 7ft one room.

I'm sure he has only tested on same wall again with not enough PVA as i wasn't able to buy him any today since i was at work but them he could have bought some out of the cash i paid upfront.

I having doubts about his plastering skills....

 

[Third_Eye]

Re-sheeting or Putting gyproc over an already gyproc cieling can be done. But on walls seem very silly, expecialy over plastered walls, not unless you are taking off all old plaster and dot & dab over brick, though the walls still need to be plastered over once dot & dab is done. To be honest i persoanly would put a stop to his plastering abilities and get an Plasterer who has been known in the area for atleast 10 years. Cos i am still learning about plastering even after 15 years, cos no two jobs are the same. Seems to me the lad has unfortunatly not got deep insight to plastering i'm afraid.

 

[adam2]

I'll speak to him about it.

Is it a case of looking in the yellow pages/newspaper....don't know anyone good.
I hired him for decoration and said i would pay him extra for plastering.
Anyway what kind of quote should i expect for 3 bedrooms( two 12x8) and one small single room 9x7. The rooms need finishing coat over plaster and patching in a few areas only.

 

[Third_Eye]

350 a room Lab & Mat.........................

 

[adam2]

Does it depend on size of rooms or is it standard. I have been quoted 250 per room. I will provide materials. I will ask the person to do one wall first to test the finish.

 

[Third_Eye]

To me personally i would find your intervention of buying materials & wanting one wall done etc time consuming therefore holding me back from doing job (not being cheeky, again ), but as u have had an bad expereince i would understand. Therefore explain this to any plasterer who u choose to get in, before they do job. Usualy size of rooms does come into consideration but mostly with Big Contract work (i.e. price per square metre), but doing private work for a room at a time usualy takes 2 days for cieling and walls (depending on work needed) regardless if the if one room is 1 metre shorter....... 350 is for cieling and walls, though i assume your 250 is for walls only.

 

[adam2]

I can see your point 3rd eye. The thing is I have already bought the materials for the job for the guy who made a mess of it. The ceilings are fine so yes its just the walls which need doing. If 350 is per room for walls/ceilings then thats a fair price. I think for me having just the wall done is as you say me being nervous of the walls cracking again...as i suspect the plaster is very old and may have to be removed totally. Is the price fo 350 include total replaster( taking off browning) or just skimming over old plaster.