Use of battens when floating or rendering

[NickB_99]

Hello all,

Couldn't find a previous post on this - so hopefully no duplication!

Do the pros/experienced plasterers use battens as a guide when rendering or floating with backing plasters?

They take a bit of time to set up and I personally struggle a bit getting the bug*ers out and making good.
Was wondering if you guys manage without.

TIA

 

[roy c]

If you are hacking a wall off to float and set then if you leave a 2" strip of old plaster on the wall and a 2" band along the top of the wall you can use that as a guide to work your scratch and float coat to. You can hack it off and fill it in or if its sound leave it on when you skim.. Another method is drop a string down dot 3 pieces of laths ,top middle and bottom to the string , fill inbetween the laths do this on a wall l/h middle and r/h side and use them for screeding across. or on a window wall set a string from l/h side across to r/hside at top and bottom of window height then fix your angle beads to the string then screed off the beads. It all depends on how fussy and how plumb you need to make the walls...

 

[stevethespreader]

Hello all,

Couldn't find a previous post on this - so hopefully no duplication!

Do the pros/experienced plasterers use battens as a guide when rendering or floating with backing plasters?

They take a bit of time to set up and I personally struggle a bit getting the bug*ers out and making good.
Was wondering if you guys manage without.

TIA

i dont use battens but always prefer to rule off something like a door frame or window reveals if they available, if not i will rule off the float coat freehand, also ive been on some sites where they make a dummy window frame up for you to rule off, the window frames are not fixed yet but they would get a chippie to put in some ply around the windows so u can rule off that, they would later be taken out and the real window frame would be put in later

 

[NickB_99]

Another method is drop a string down dot 3 pieces of laths ,top middle and bottom to the string , fill inbetween the laths do this on a wall l/h middle and r/h side and use them for screeding across.

I think my terms may be wrong which is not helping my understanding - are laths small strips of wood (typically ~10mm thick) ?
Have heard metal lath discussed before, and thought this was a metal mesh used to reinforce plaster/render? sorry for the basic Qs!

 

[roughcaster]

Have a read of this one again Newbee. I always use the dot method to form the screeds in the wall, and always take the dots out before the plaster has set, so no problem getting them out at all. The "dots" that i refer to are just thin pieces of timber,, 12 to 18" in length, and about an inch and a half, to 2" or so wide. The thickness of the timber dot just depends on what you have available,, you can tightly bed a thicker timber dot to the wall,, or you can bed a thinner dot out with more plaster,,, if you know what i mean.

//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1135494#1135494

 

[stevethespreader]

Another method is drop a string down dot 3 pieces of laths ,top middle and bottom to the string , fill inbetween the laths do this on a wall l/h middle and r/h side and use them for screeding across.

I think my terms may be wrong which is not helping my understanding - are laths small strips of wood (typically ~10mm thick) ?
Have heard metal lath discussed before, and thought this was a metal mesh used to reinforce plaster/render? sorry for the basic Qs!

they would normally be pine laths @3mm thick on top dabs or dots of render set at the desired thickness ,when the screed is formed the laths would be taken out, i think you are getting the wooden battens that you can rule off confused with the laths that you use on the dot &screed method

 

[NickB_99]

Have a read of this one again Newbee. I always use the dot method to form the screeds in the wall, and always take the dots out before the plaster has set, so no problem getting them out at all. The "dots" that i refer to are just thin pieces of timber,, 12 to 18" in length, and about an inch and a half, to 2" or so wide.

Perhaps should of re-read this fully before posting!

they would normally be pine laths @3mm thick on top dabs or dots of render set at the desired thickness ,when the screed is formed the laths would be taken out, i think you are getting the wooden battens that you can rule off confused with the laths that you use on the dot &screed method

You are right. I am getting confused between the two.

I can see the advantage of the dot method (easier to get out) compared to a larger piece of wood e.g. from my first attempt last year (

Untitled

• NickB_99
• 15 Jun 2009
• 2

battens for my 1st float & set :-)

)

I think the last bit I'm unsure of is how the dots are oriented/spacing etc.
I've only got a Darby, so it's not as long as a straight edge.
A pic or diagram would make this easier, but not sure how to produce one on the forum.
R/c indicated that the dots are oriented vertically to form the screed in the middle. Are the dots the full length of this screed or are they staggered at slightly different heights to help when ruling off?

 

[stevethespreader]

Have a read of this one again Newbee. I always use the dot method to form the screeds in the wall, and always take the dots out before the plaster has set, so no problem getting them out at all. The "dots" that i refer to are just thin pieces of timber,, 12 to 18" in length, and about an inch and a half, to 2" or so wide.

Perhaps should of re-read this fully before posting!

they would normally be pine laths @3mm thick on top dabs or dots of render set at the desired thickness ,when the screed is formed the laths would be taken out, i think you are getting the wooden battens that you can rule off confused with the laths that you use on the dot &screed method

You are right. I am getting confused between the two.

I can see the advantage of the dot method (easier to get out) compared to a larger piece of wood e.g. from my first attempt last year (

Untitled

• NickB_99
• 15 Jun 2009
• 2

battens for my 1st float & set :-)

)

I think the last bit I'm unsure of is how the dots are oriented/spacing etc.
I've only got a Darby, so it's not as long as a straight edge.
A pic or diagram would make this easier, but not sure how to produce one on the forum.
R/c indicated that the dots are oriented vertically to form the screed in the middle. Are the dots the full length of this screed or are they staggered at slightly different heights to help when ruling off?

what you need is a straight edge or feather edge and a spirit level,
1check to see if walls are straight with level
2 if the wall is level place a a dot of render at the top and one at the bottom then put your straight edge with level to see if dots are still level if they are then, form the screed this is whats called a running screed
if at first the wall is not level you would adjust the thickesses of the dots till level and then run the screed this would then make the uneven wall even
3 you could run a screed along the wall sidways as well so you have screeds going up the wall and a long the wall then the middle is filled in this is called a box screed

 

[NickB_99]

Hi Steve, need some clarification on this -

what you need is a straight edge or feather edge and a spirit level,
1check to see if walls are straight with level

Fine - with this above

2 if the wall is level place a a dot of render at the top and one at the bottom then put your straight edge with level to see if dots are still level if they are then, form the screed this is whats called a running screed

Not quite sure on this -
Ok, with a dot of render top & bottom.
For this running screed, do your drag your straight edge horizontally so it spreads the dots of render horizontally, leaving two thinner (but level) parallel lines of render? (e.g. 3mm thick)

Or is the intention not press too hard so that the thickness of these lines of screed is adequate as a final depth (e.g. ~10mm).

if at first the wall is not level you would adjust the thickesses of the dots till level and then run the screed this would then make the uneven wall even
3 you could run a screed along the wall sidways as well so you have screeds going up the wall and a long the wall then the middle is filled in this is called a box screed

Can see what you're getting at here with forming a box. Just wasn't sure about 2 as I thought 2 was a sideways screed

Hope this makes sense.

 

[stevethespreader]

Hi Steve, need some clarification on this -

what you need is a straight edge or feather edge and a spirit level,
1check to see if walls are straight with level

Fine - with this above

2 if the wall is level place a a dot of render at the top and one at the bottom then put your straight edge with level to see if dots are still level if they are then, form the screed this is whats called a running screed

Not quite sure on this -
Ok, with a dot of render top & bottom.
For this running screed, do your drag your straight edge horizontally so it spreads the dots of render horizontally, leaving two thinner (but level) parallel lines of render? (e.g. 3mm thick)

Or is the intention not press too hard so that the thickness of these lines of screed is adequate as a final depth (e.g. ~10mm).

if at first the wall is not level you would adjust the thickesses of the dots till level and then run the screed this would then make the uneven wall even
3 you could run a screed along the wall sidways as well so you have screeds going up the wall and a long the wall then the middle is filled in this is called a box screed

Can see what you're getting at here with forming a box. Just wasn't sure about 2 as I thought 2 was a sideways screed

Hope this makes sense.

2 is a top to bottom screed as i said put a dot at the top and bottom, once the dots are on there and are level you do not want to touch them, what you would then do is infill between the 2 dots with your trowel to form the screed this is now what you are going to rule off, i have a diagram somwhere that may simplify things it will be in the attic ill have a look later on today

 

[NickB_99]

2 is a top to bottom screed as i said put a dot at the top and bottom, once the dots are on there and are level you do not want to touch them, what you would then do is infill between the 2 dots with your trowel to form the screed this is now what you are going to rule off, i have a diagram somwhere that may simplify things it will be in the attic ill have a look later on today

If you get chance to find a diagram that would be great

 

[stevethespreader]

here we are then newb there are 4 sketches and they show u the process, i done one of the sketches myself for you as it was not really clear View media item 24983 View media item 24984 View media item 24985 View media item 24986

 

[NickB_99]

here we are then newb there are 4 sketches and they show u the process, i done one of the sketches myself for you as it was not really clear

Many thanks Steve - that has helped a lot

Mind, the threshold of +-3mm over 1.8m straight edge
Respect for managing that