Hi there,

This weekend I will be embarking upon my first ever plastering related
project. I am going to skim a chimney breast! I have a brand new hawk, a
float (not brand new but nice and clean looking), a bucket, a bag of Wickes
Universal Finishing Plaster and last but by no means least a Wickes good
idea leaflet telling me how to do it. I aim to do the following and I
invite people to contradict me where experience dictates:

1) Preperation - this part is important I am told. The breast is currently
very uneven and patched but for the most part is covered in grey cement
plaster type stuff. I intend to brush this down with a stiff brush to
remove lose particles and prime this with a 5:1 PVA:Water mix and give this
plenty of time to dry.

2) Putting beading on the corners - the corners are presently badly defined
with wooded beading - I would like to use some angle beads to re-create the
corners - and this brings about my first question: Which angle beads do I
need? I have bought some but I am concerned that they are too deep for
skimming and are probably more suited to plastering from scratch. Is there
a special bead that should be used for skimming existing plaster or am I
worrying over nothing and should I just put the stuff I've got up and see
what happens? Which leads me on to my second question - what should I use
to fix the beading to the walls?

3) I am then going to apply a 3:1 PVA:Water mix to the walls and allow it to
go tacky, during which time I will mix the finishing plaster as per
instructions in said leaflet. I will then attempt to skim the breast, again
as per said leaflet. Will one coat be enough or should I plan to do two?

Any tips/help/advice muchly appreciated but I fear that in the end it will
come down to weather or not I am any good at it! We will find out in good
time I am sure!

Thanks,
Ric.