I hired a guy recommended by my window cleaner to render 2 upper outside walls in cement/sand whilst we were away. Received a message that the top coat had slippe off after being applied morning after scratch coat applied morning before. Both wall s are soft Cheshire clay commons. Render has done a runner leaving site it a terrible mess. On removing his scratch coat (6/1 plastering sand) found it well attached suggesting bonder/primer applied. However when removing the scratch coat found it easily crumbled like chalk when lightly tapped. It's surface was almost plain faced with poor combing in only a few areas which part explained why 6/1 top coat slipped off. Any clues on why the scratch coat should only have the strength of a digestive biscuit? Was it just the 24 hour diff between coats or were there other causes?
Top render fell off wall after 24 hours of applying scratch coat. Should it have been 48 hours?
- Thread starter Rogeranerley
- Start date
Many thanks blup
I've had to reconsider one aspect of my enquiry after since noticing an earlier comment referring to softened render. I've come to learn the reason for 2 coats in less than 24 hours was due to him rushing to jobs else were in each day's afternoon. Although we'd agreed a primer should be used, the comments I found indicated no primer on soft bricks to be the cause. Given the cowboy was in a rush with other work, I now think he just soaked the walls rather than apply the primer. In such a case, as soon as he applied the scratch coat, its moisture was instantly suck out into the bricks, seriously damaging the coats' chemical curing, reducing their strength to that of a digestive biscuit. They just crumble at the merest tap. Also, the combing is too little and too shallow vertically resulting in a plain face. Again giving evident of rushed work. Add less than 24 hours between coats, and its no surprise both top coats immediately slipped off.
Does this all make sense in your or any other reader's experience.
Again, thanks for your reply
I've had to reconsider one aspect of my enquiry after since noticing an earlier comment referring to softened render. I've come to learn the reason for 2 coats in less than 24 hours was due to him rushing to jobs else were in each day's afternoon. Although we'd agreed a primer should be used, the comments I found indicated no primer on soft bricks to be the cause. Given the cowboy was in a rush with other work, I now think he just soaked the walls rather than apply the primer. In such a case, as soon as he applied the scratch coat, its moisture was instantly suck out into the bricks, seriously damaging the coats' chemical curing, reducing their strength to that of a digestive biscuit. They just crumble at the merest tap. Also, the combing is too little and too shallow vertically resulting in a plain face. Again giving evident of rushed work. Add less than 24 hours between coats, and its no surprise both top coats immediately slipped off.
Does this all make sense in your or any other reader's experience.
Again, thanks for your reply
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