PRO ADVISE PLEASE!!!!!!!!

[sheldon1982]

i have been plastering a few walls in my house and as i am new to plastering i have hit a stoppage point. i have been plastering small walls no problem but i skimmed the wall in my lounge and it was a nightmare. KNOCKED MY CONFIDENCE BIG STYLE. the finish was crap. by the time i got 3/4 through the trowel lines where dry . i really struggled.

how do you skim a big wall . is there a certain way to do it or is it that i am not fast enough.

 

[vbpupil]

Im no expert although i have done a little more than the average 'give it a goer', but i would say that if your not that quick then attempting a big wall is suicide. Although there are a few things that you can do to help you if your working on a timer.

1. Make sure you have a mate to clean up after you and knock the suff up for you. so many times I wish I had done that, its never been detrimental to the walls ive done just would have been easier.

2. Depending on the finish of wall your working on you may wan to wet it down - some surfaces will draw all the moisture out of your plaster before you get halfway down the wall. I think your supposed to pva and plaster while its tacky that way you get an even dry.

these few things in their self should help you allot, but nothings going to help if your just not fast, and you find beginners spend too much time playing with the stuff rather than just getting it on kinda even.

 

[noseall]

i have been plastering a few walls in my house

Over-skimming existing?

Skimming plasterboard?

Skimming a float coat (backing coat - browning, bonding) wall?

What skim plaster were you using?

Did you use any plasterers friend?

 

[marshman]

i have been plastering a few walls in my house

Did you use any plasterers friend?

 

[sheldon1982]

i was using multi-finish.

have not had any problems until now.

are there any techniques or do i just need to SPEED UP A LITTLE.

 

[Alastairreid]

loads of different factors really! the first being your relative inexperience,
the proper prep work of the area to be plastered, as previously stated different methods are used in preparation of different substrates.

the age of the plaster (it has a shelf life) the heat, humidity in the room you are working, the mix of the plaster and the speed at which you plaster.

it is also a good idea to have someone mixing for you who knows what they are doing as so far as the proper consistency etc is concerned.

generaly i would mix a bag at a time lay it on, double back on myself and give it a quick straighten, then proceed until area is covered.
any single wall/ceiling which required any more than 2 bags of plaster to cover, i would have someone else on the tools with me.

as a rule of thumb a bag of say multi finish on a straight forward surface unhindered by clutters of switches, sockets and such like should take around 10 minutes to apply. this of course is down to fitness levels and competency.
so practice i think will be your answer.

 

[marshman]

if you answer one of noseall questions we could give you more help, tips & tricks of the trade.
Did you use any plasterers friend? He's asking if you used p.v.a

 

[NickB_99]

as a rule of thumb a bag of say multi finish on a straight forward surface unhindered by clutters of switches, sockets and such like should take around 10 minutes to apply. this of course is down to fitness levels and competency.

10 minutes for a full bag!!!
I hope London has plastering on the agenda for the olympics - awesome!

 

[roy c]

QUote...

10 minutes for a full bag!!!
I hope London has plastering on the agenda for the olympics - awesome!

And thats taking it easy!!!!

 

[Alastairreid]

QUote...

10 minutes for a full bag!!!
I hope London has plastering on the agenda for the olympics - awesome!

And thats taking it easy!!!!

plastering a night club, walls the size of fitba pitches 4 plasterers 2 labourers,
probably less than 10min a bag when the competitiveness kicks in.

 

[roy c]

Oh! for the joy's of youth............
That's anything under 50,,,,,,,

 

[Alastairreid]

Oh! for the joy's of youth............
That's anything under 50,,,,,,,

i know roy!.........then the arthiritis.....bad back...scrapyard at 60

 

[bogan]

I think an important issue here my be applying two coats of plaster. Firstly prepare the wall to be plastered with a coat of watered down PVA. If the background is very porous use a very weak mix first and then increase the concentration for subsequent coats, two more should be fine. Apply your first coat of multifinish and then go back and straighten it out using a large trowel. This first coat will help to even out any irregularities in the wall and provide a stable background for the second coat. Then apply a second coat of multifinish. You will have more time to work with this coat because the first coat is providing a barrier between it and the wall. Go over the wall using a large trowel again and then trowel over with a smaller trowel as it dries, flicking water on the wall in the later stages. If the area is still too large and no extra help is at hand you can break the area down into more manageable sections using stop end bead. This is my first post so i hope it has been of some help.

 

[Alastairreid]

you can break the area down into more manageable sections using stop end bead.

in the middle of a wall?

 

[bogan]

Yes, i have used this method on a large ceiling before. Tack the stop end bead, which is like an angle bead with only one side, to the wall and plaster up to it. Then pva where your new plaster will meet the old and continue. This method is not as good as laying the whole wall on in one because it may need a bit of attention from the decorator at the join, but if you are on your own and the area is too large the result will be better than running out of time and leaving trowel marks everywhere.