Removing old plaster from brickwork - best tools for the job

[wwwebber]

Ok, I have a large hammer and a bolster which I was thinking of using to remove old plaster from about 1 walls inside my refurb project.

A mate said yesterday that I would be better off with a percussion / hammer drill with a chisel bit as this would do the job much quicker - is this correct ?. If so, can you please supply some links for the products I need thanks. I have access to Wickes & focus.

Thanks again.

 

[trowelmonkey1]

if you want to speed the job up then get a big 6kg SDS hammer drill with chisel bit, you'll go through it no time, i used one recently to get old lime plaster of the walls on a job, did 3 bedrooms and a lounge in a day.

something like:

http://www.wickes.co.uk/6kg-SDS-Plus-1020W-Hammer-Drill/invt/186869

 

[wallcoatingsbloke]

but make sure you use protection and work safe eh? Face mask as to not inhale the dust, eye protection, gloves etc and make sure no-one is around the area you are working. Good luck.

 

[JohnD]

if you are strong, you can get it off very fast with a spade, pushed round the wall by hand. You may need to bash any hard bits, especially where it has been repaired.

Completely agree about PPE.

p.s.

about 1 walls

How many is "about 1"?

 

[Richard C]

Use an SDS with caution when removing old plaster; careless use can do a lot of damage to soft faced blocks & cause cracks in the mortar joints, these can later cause corresponding cracks to appear in your nice new plaster finish as it fully dries out. I prefer to do it manually with a club hammer, wide bolster & pry bar or a flat spade as JohnD suggests.

 

[Chukka63]

depends whether its got a good hold onto the bricks/blocks.

 

[gregers]

agree totally about ppe,
1st remove skirting's and then start at the bottom and work your way up,so many peeps start in the middle or top and work down,then they have to shovel all the crud away to continue,do it the way suggested and you can remove it all in 1 go.then remove to skip etc.

 

[roy c]

agree totally about ppe,
1st remove skirting's and then start at the bottom and work your way up,so many peeps start in the middle or top and work down,then they have to shovel all the crud away to continue,do it the way suggested and you can remove it all in 1 go.then remove to skip etc.

I totally agree, if we are knocking render off a large area (In or out) then we always start at bottom and work up to about 3ft high then go to the top and hack off. These SDS breakers you can get nowadays that cost hardly anything are fantastic tools and the one I have been using for a few jobs is still going and all I have replaced is the chisel ( which I had in my tool box) when they stop working it is usually the "brushes" that have gone or a wire may have come loose so check them out before you "bin" 'em...

The next best thing to get render off is a good labourer....

 

[wwwebber]

if you want to speed the job up then get a big 6kg SDS hammer drill with chisel bit, you'll go through it no time, i used one recently to get old lime plaster of the walls on a job, did 3 bedrooms and a lounge in a day.

something like:

http://www.wickes.co.uk/6kg-SDS-Plus-1020W-Hammer-Drill/invt/186869[/QUOTE]

Ok I bought that exact model and its a great piece of kit. Been using it on tough plaster & artex - works a treat - thanks very much

 

[harleythedog]

throwing a big hammer drill around for a few hours will find muscles you didn't know you had.

We removed 28 sqmtrs of exterior concrete render in 2-3 hours with a hired compressor and a £20 air hammer from Machine Mart. fast light and very effective , might be dusty inside thou'