I've followed the thread on the B&Q PVA disaster with personal
interest. I'm redecorating several rooms, which involve Expamet corner
and stop bead and 'feathered' skim-coats, as existing corners were 1"
wooden dowel from the 1920's. I've used a glue product called 'Sticks
Like Sh*t' to secure the Expamet beading, so far quite successfully.

Now, I have a chimney breast where the L&R sides have been skimmed flat
and smooth, and the plaster has been carried round onto the front face
as a 9" wide feathered surface, onto the existing mainly sound plaster
- which was painted. Some of this paint was loose, and I've used 2"
parcel tape to pull off the loose stuff. So, there are 3 'problem'
surfaces on the one chimney breast - old bare plaster, paint over old
plaster, and gypsum skim-coat over paint over old plaster.

When I run my hand over this old plaster surface, I get a little
plaster dust. When I run my hand over the new 'feathered' surface, I
get a *lot more* plaster dust...

I've now fitted stop bead around the fireplace opening, and I have it
in mind to apply a Polycell/Polyfilla Finish Skim product as a
skim-coat - which will bring the surface out 2-3mm to the edges of this
new stop bead around the opening, and improve some roughnesses higher
up.

However, I want an adequate paint adherance afterwards.

My local Crown Trade store recommends shellac-based 'Zinsser Primer
Sealer', then Crown Matt Vinyl emulsion.

Has anyone on the forum any relevant experience, recommendations, or
horror stories to tell?

In message .com,
bilbo*baggins writes
I've followed the thread on the B&Q PVA disaster with personal
interest. I'm redecorating several rooms, which involve Expamet corner
and stop bead and 'feathered' skim-coats, as existing corners were 1"
wooden dowel from the 1920's. I've used a glue product called 'Sticks
Like Sh*t' to secure the Expamet beading, so far quite successfully.
I've now fitted stop bead around the fireplace opening, and I have it
in mind to apply a Polycell/Polyfilla Finish Skim product as a
skim-coat - which will bring the surface out 2-3mm to the edges of this
new stop bead around the opening, and improve some roughnesses higher
up.

However, I want an adequate paint adherance afterwards.

My local Crown Trade store recommends shellac-based 'Zinsser Primer
Sealer', then Crown Matt Vinyl emulsion.

Has anyone on the forum any relevant experience, recommendations, or
horror stories to tell?

I had nearly all the rooms in the old house skimmed, I just used diluted
emulsion for the first coat (about 15-20% diluted with water, depends on
the paint/plaster). All was well.
--
Chris French