Plastering - Fuked UP

yop

Lads

Plasterer finished last weekend, we did a visual, day check, on the plastering and skimming and it looked top notch, paid up and went on my weekend trip happy out.

Then last nite I was there late, cleaning out the sockets with all the sh*te that gets into them.

I had the spot lights with me and when I put them on the walls I spotted a bit of "roughness" on the wall, spotted a trowel end mark, you know the line when you lift the trowel straight off the skim, instead of "flipping" it off.

I then began to check all the walls, and the sickness in my stomach grew.

Now I am very close to been a perfectionist and live by the theory "if its worth doing, it worth doin...." but to me this is not good at all, upstairs seems ok, I have not checked it well as I walked out of the house in disgust.

So what are my options here, I have my so called "mate" paid, as in mate, I was in the same class in school.

I am totally sick in the stomach with this, as I classified the skimming as been really important.

Rant over!!

FrankGrimes

eh a few trowel marks here and there is to be expected - you should be more worried that its all level and that the corner beads were put on exactly level. Around door frames is where youll notice if its not level and this will affect putting on your architraves.

If theres millions of trowel marks then you have a point but if its only a few in each rule thats ok. Whack two coats of white emulsion on all plastered walls and then take a walk round in daylight and see if theres any marks remaining. User painters filler to patch these up, wait to dry, sand it down and then put on two coats of your colour and you have achieved the required perfection.

yop

Do you think Frank Grimes, maybe alright,

But to be honest it is more than just trowel marks, that I can live with it. It the "sand" effect on the skim, where even if u rub it is pure rough, also waves, maybe 5mm apart.
Rounded corners, in one or 2 places, especially around light switches and socket, where the panels will not cover it is multi layered.

Maybe your right, but I will get a 2nd opinion

CJhaughey

If you are sanding get the special open-weave sandpaper that is like a mesh, it rinses out and doesn't hold the plaster dust.
Sorry to hear about your troubles, it is a bummer especially when it is the finish that you see!

rooferPete

Hi Yop,

Don't panic, perfection is something everyone should aim for but not always achieved, even the best skimming jobs need a little attention and I have worked with some of the best "old school" plasterers.

Make up a sanding block and tack the sandpaper to it then give the walls a light rub down everywhere.

Any spots that look like dips etc unless they are really bad shouldn't be worried about, then use a coat of thinned out emulsion to "size" the walls.

Any areas that are still obvious you can use the Lafarge or Gypsum very fine joint finisher bought in tubs pre-mixed to fill out and sand down.

Then you apply another coat of thinned out emulsion, that should leave the walls nice and smooth ready for your finish painting.

Also give the walls some time to dry out, the skim coat may be hard but it takes a while to dry out completely.

Daylight is very often the best time to check everything because work lights do leave shadows and can make minor imperfection look like a disaster remember work lights do not have the same effect as finished lighting.

.

yop

Cheers lads,

Maybe ye are right, I have 2 high powered work lights and these will bring up these issues for sure.

Daylight is the best time for checking, I would have thought checking with natural light would not show these up.

Size the walls, what you mean here Pete?

I presume do a 50/50 mix of cheapo emulsion and water with the paint?

Thanks lads, the dad will be over for a look this avo so it will be interesting.

rooferPete

Hi Yop,

I believe it's an old decorators term for sealing the walls prior to painting or hanging wall paper, it took the suction out out of the plaster finish so they could slide the wallpaper or it didn't absorb the expensive paint.

If you want to go real old school you will have to find an old pack, it was made from ground hooves in the rendering factories many moons ago.

Today I think the cheap emulsion nicely thinned out will do just fine.

.

Macy

yop wrote:

I presume do a 50/50 mix of cheapo emulsion and water with the paint?

80-20 mix is the one on the side of the paints we got. Did the job, as only needed the base coat and the finish coat, to give a good enough finish for us anyway. Only exception was the chimney breast, which obviously enough was block and "normal" plastering rather than just a skim.

On the plastering, don't get too hung up on the finish now - sure you've to go through it popping off where there plaster board nails are yet....

mad m

Sorry to hear the job is not to your liking Yop.I was always told that you shoudnt need to sand down new plaster if the job is done right,also sanding down will probably leave other marks in it.

The way we used to write out our theory papers in tech,was first to de-nib plaster(you always get little specks of hard plaster from trowel or brush as plasterers were laying off).But thats all well in theory.

I'd be more inclined to give it a sealer like the others above said and go from there,then you might have a lot of poly-filling.Or as we used to say "Painters make plasteres look good".Just take care with the woodwork if any as you are sealing walls,watered down emulsion sinks/dries fast on new wood and can be a pain if trying to get out,especially if you are varnishing.

Goodluck.

Piusno1

rooferPete, I have another one for you. Have you ever come across "mapping" thats what i call it. It only happens the skim on a sand and cement base coat. Where the wash coat and all other coats (sec. finish etc.) have different soaking(drying) times on some areas of the wall. Whats your solution, and do'nt mention sanding. I do'nt agree with it.