PVA before hardwall?

[bizron]

Do I need to do a PVA coat on old brick work before I apply the hardwall?
It's over a hundred years old and in places and has eaten up masonry bits.
What's best policy on applying skim coats? Let the hardwall set for an hour or so and then apply multi-finish without a coat of PVA or let it go off and PVA then skim it the next day?

 

[trowelmonkey1]

if you do it by the book you only need to wet the wall down so long as it's not thermalite blocks, give it a decent drink until it stays damp looking then just get on and float it, work a block/section at a time from top right (if you're right handed) and work from there, as each section firms up you can use the previous section to rule off.

regarding skimming, the book says float in the morning and skim the floated work in the afternoon, but even this can be a handful for a beginner/intermediate as it will still pull in very quickly indeed the same day, you may be best giving it (hardwall) a generous PVA (5:1) at the end of the day, and skimming it the following day, with another coat of PVA before you get skimming.

 

[bizron]

Cheers trowelmonkey dude