Removing plaster from boards

[0Floz0]

Hey everyone.

I’ve read several threads but it mostly seems to be about removing plaster from brick or block walls. On my stairs and landing there is the swirl pattern for the ceiling. I’ve had it tested and it’s just plaster. No artex there. Or at least no asbestos present in the results anyway.

I’m looking to remove it and I’ve got several options

Rip the ceiling out and redo it (worried under the board there could be asbestos as I hadn’t tested that deep).

Remove the plaster but leave the boards in place and reskim

Overboard and skim (awkward as I’ve got coving up and could have already been over boarded once.

Sand the plaster level with a drywall sander (and dust attachment, it’s the screwfix one)

My personal preference is probably sanding it back but I’m not sure if the titan drywall sander would work well here.

Any tips? I’m getting the drywall sander anyway to sort some other walls out that have had a lot of filler applied.

Thanks!

 

[Alastairreid]

Easiest would be to get it skimmed, assuming the decorative finish is sound.

 

[0Floz0]

Easiest would be to get it skimmed, assuming the decorative finish is sound.

It is but I need to trim some of it back as they’ve done a weird take around the stairs where it goes over the wood slightly. I’ll upload some pictures later.

 

[0Floz0]

Easiest would be to get it skimmed, assuming the decorative finish is sound.

Photos attached. Something up with the coving as it’s almost flush in some spaces. Which means I’d have to take them off to skim it. Wouldn’t be an issue if wasn’t for the fact the walls are lining papered.

I don’t get what they were going for with the stairs. Think I’m going to have to rip that out and start again.

The cracks have come from when we’ve had a steel installed downstairs so have had a little movement.

 

[Wayners]

Smash cove through centre and take down although most coving is poorly stuck and comes down easy as large pieces.
Either skim what you have or pull down and reboard.
Fit new coving.

 

[0Floz0]

Smash cove through centre and take down although most coving is poorly stuck and comes down easy as large pieces.
Either skim what you have or pull down and reboard.
Fit new coving.

Thanks Wayners. Is it worth scraping/sanding a bit to get it flat to make the skim easier? Getting one of those orbital sanders on a pole to sort some other rooms out anyway.

Guessing for under the staircase it’s easier to just smash it. I’m less worried about that part as loft conversion was done in 2002 so doubt it’s been over boarded.

 

[Alastairreid]

The ceiling can be skimmed with a bit of care it can be feathered in to the coving.
Strangest shaped bulkhead I have ever seen! I would try and square that off if possible.

 

[0Floz0]

The ceiling can be skimmed with a bit of care it can be feathered in to the coving.
Strangest shaped bulkhead I have ever seen! I would try and square that off if possible.

Yeah. Judging by the rest of the house and things I’ve had to sort, they didn’t know what they were doing (or didn’t care). I’m tempted to rip that part out to be honest as it just looks terrible. Probably quicker to do that part that way.

 

[Wayners]

Under the stairs will be mesh wire tacked then plastered.
That's how you get the shape.
I can board and skim plus fit coving so that's what I'd do however, maybe that's more work than you want to do. Sanding will have a limited effect on surface so not a good solution.
You have already lost the edge on cove because of a previous skim maybe? So just start again if you want a nice flat ceiling.
Probably leave the bit under the stairs and just skim over.
Any questions post here...

 

[0Floz0]

Under the stairs will be mesh wire tacked then plastered.
That's how you get the shape.
I can board and skim plus fit coving so that's what I'd do however, maybe that's more work than you want to do. Sanding will have a limited effect on surface so not a good solution.
You have already lost the edge on cove because of a previous skim maybe? So just start again if you want a nice flat ceiling.
Probably leave the bit under the stairs and just skim over.
Any questions post here...

Thanks Wayners. Happy to do the reboarding and skimming. I’ve done that in my conservatory and got on ok. How is the mesh and plaster when it comes to ripping it out? Assume it’s not too bad as long as you find the nails?

 

[Wayners]

Its chicken wire or mesh laths.
Stapled or nailed.
Small bits of wire used to hold it together and shaped.
Then bonding plaster with multi finish over..

This

Wickes Galvanised Metal Mesh Lath - 2.5m x 700mm | Wickes.co.uk

Wickes Galvanised Metal Mesh Lath - 2.5m x 700mm

www.wickes.co.uk