Plastering old cavity wall. Holes?

[zenonithus]

Hello all,

I removed the sink and base unit to find this pleasant mess behind it. It looks like someone tried to smash off the old tiles halfway ending up taking the render off the wall! I will be patching this all up with bonding soon and was just wondering as this is a cavity wall and there are two gaps in the brickwork, do these gaps have a purpose? Can they be covered over?

I was thinking of just putting some pieces of plaster board in the holes and bonding over them.

 

[Tigercubrider]

It would be easier to mix up a small amount of plaster. Last time I needed to, I used a small (2Kg?) bag of quick set mortar. Very quick to go off

 

[zenonithus]

I think the longer it takes to dry the better as plastering behind the pipes will be tricky. Still can't figure out these gaps. It may even be possibly they held something into the wall when the flat was originally built?

 

[Nige F]

Hello all,
, do these gaps have a purpose?

Belfast sink brackets were in them

 

[Tigercubrider]

Seeing as there is plastic pipe/speedfit? At the bottom, I would be tempted to spend an extra hour or so draining and removing the copper pipe work. Then plaster and replace all the pipes with whatever you need as fresh pipe. Or just modify what you have but it's a mess.

 

[zenonithus]

Belfast sink brackets! Yes that must be it! thanks. Will plaster over these then.

I'm on a bit of a budget so just making do with the shoddy pipework for now and plastering what I can behind it. Though taking off all the pipes would be ideal.

 

[zenonithus]

Hey all, just bringing this up for another question.

The render that has broken off from the wall (due to smashing the tiles off) is pretty chunky. Do you think screwing in sheets of plasterboard to it to bulk it up could work? Then bond over that?

 

[Tigercubrider]

Just use bonding or cement. It will be easier to get a flat surface
Scrounge a big enough bit of metal that runs across the good plaster for a level.
If a sink/cupboard is hiding it, just paint the wall once it is dry

My cupboards near the dishwasher have alll sorts of connectors and power mounted on the wall so there is no factory back on that cupboard- just white emulsion wall

 

[zenonithus]

Ok thanks, will just hit it with bonding as its fairly inexpensive