Hi,

Just bought my first house and now encountering what must be standard
problems...I stripped the wallpaper in the living room, and mostly the
plaster looks pretty even and smooth. However, there are a few uneven
and patchy areas on the chimney breast and the alcoves. I had a go at
putting up some heavy lining paper from Wickes with the intention of
painting over it but unfortunately it looked awful - the lumps and
bumps showed through very clearly.

So, my questions are- would reskimming solve the problem of my lumpy
plaster so that I could just paint the walls without having to line
them? If I were to rekim is there any preparation I should conduct
prior to having a plasterer out?

Hopeful thanks in advance of any replies...


Phil

In article om,
writes:
So, my questions are- would reskimming solve the problem of my lumpy
plaster so that I could just paint the walls without having to line
them?

Yes, if it's done better than the original. No otherwise.

If I were to rekim is there any preparation I should conduct
prior to having a plasterer out?

Remove all electrical accessories (after isolating the relevant
circuits, obviously), and coil the cables in the back boxes so
they do not stick out past the wall surface. This enables the
plasterer to sweep his trowel right across and gives you a
much better result than if he has to steer around accessories
or protruding wires. When I skim, I cut a tight fitting cardboard
square or rectangle and push it into the front of the box. This
helps keep the plaster and PVA out of the box. I've never seen
a plasterer to this though. Finding the box afterwards can be
difficult if you don't know exactly where it is and it's been
skimmed right across. Remove the cardboard before the plaster
sets completely.

This is also a good time to think what extra sockets, switches,
wall lights, etc you want to fit before the reskim.

--
Andrew Gabriel

wrote:
Hi,

Just bought my first house and now encountering what must be standard
problems...I stripped the wallpaper in the living room, and mostly the
plaster looks pretty even and smooth. However, there are a few uneven
and patchy areas on the chimney breast and the alcoves.

It sounds like the whole house might be suspect as regards plastering.
First thing we need to know are the walls plasterboard or old mortar
walls. chances are its the old stuff.
think carefully or it could develop into a very big job. I mean if
there is a bulge you might have to remove it and if its a dip in the
wall that could indicate patching and more removals.

A woodchip paper over that wall and paint it could hide that lot.
Put a few pictures over the flaws when finished.
It can develop into a big and messy job if the bad stuff is more
extensive as you tackle it.

In message , Andrew Gabriel
writes
In article om,
writes:
So, my questions are- would reskimming solve the problem of my lumpy
plaster so that I could just paint the walls without having to line
them?

Yes, if it's done better than the original. No otherwise.

If I were to rekim is there any preparation I should conduct
prior to having a plasterer out?

Remove all electrical accessories (after isolating the relevant
circuits, obviously), and coil the cables in the back boxes so
they do not stick out past the wall surface. This enables the
plasterer to sweep his trowel right across and gives you a
much better result than if he has to steer around accessories
or protruding wires. When I skim, I cut a tight fitting cardboard
square or rectangle and push it into the front of the box. This
helps keep the plaster and PVA out of the box. I've never seen
a plasterer to this though. Finding the box afterwards can be
difficult if you don't know exactly where it is and it's been
skimmed right across. Remove the cardboard before the plaster
sets completely.

This is also a good time to think what extra sockets, switches,
wall lights, etc you want to fit before the reskim.


Huh? I've had a number of rooms skimmed now, no cardboard and no
difficulty finding the back boxes... I really can't see how on earth
they'd get 'lost'?

Maybe your good intentions (cardboard in the boxes) suggest to the
plasterer that you want the holes covered? I dunno?

For me, the last thing of the day (if & when the plasterer's labourer
forgets) is to go round the edges of the sockets & switches with a
stanley knife, but it literally is no more than a "clean up the edge".

Back to the OP's point though, yes a good skim followed by
quality/careful painting - you'll have a class finish.

Around our way (darn sarf - North Essex) reckon on 200quid per room for
a good quality skim.

Hth
Someone

In article ,
somebody writes:

Huh? I've had a number of rooms skimmed now, no cardboard and no
difficulty finding the back boxes... I really can't see how on earth
they'd get 'lost'?

Maybe your good intentions (cardboard in the boxes) suggest to the
plasterer that you want the holes covered? I dunno?

I am the plasterer in this case. I prefer to use the cardboard
as you then get a back box with no plaster or PVA in it.

For me, the last thing of the day (if & when the plasterer's labourer
forgets) is to go round the edges of the sockets & switches with a
stanley knife, but it literally is no more than a "clean up the edge".

Likewise. Be careful not to nick the cable with the blade.

--
Andrew Gabriel

somebody wrote:
In message , Andrew Gabriel
writes

or protruding wires. When I skim, I cut a tight fitting cardboard
square or rectangle and push it into the front of the box. This
helps keep the plaster and PVA out of the box. I've never seen
a plasterer to this though. Finding the box afterwards can be
difficult if you don't know exactly where it is and it's been
skimmed right across. Remove the cardboard before the plaster
sets completely.

Huh? I've had a number of rooms skimmed now, no cardboard and no
difficulty finding the back boxes... I really can't see how on earth
they'd get 'lost'?

Never tried the cardboard trick myself, or used the purpose-made plastic
items that I thik Screwfix et al sell for this purpose; however I've
certainly experienced the problem of "WTF was that light switch" after
having walls plastered by a pro.

David

wrote in message
ps.com...
Hi,

Just bought my first house ...

How old is the house?
What general condition do you judge it to be in relative to its age? (scale
1-10).
How much bodgeing has been done in the past?
How long are you intending to stay there? (then add 5 years ;-)

Modify the other answers based on the answers to these questions.

--
Mike W

Thanks for your replies folks. I'm going for the skim option - fingers
crossed for a class finish.


Phil

In message .com,
writes
Thanks for your replies folks. I'm going for the skim option - fingers
crossed for a class finish.


Phil


Good on yer :-)

A few thoughts....

As other posters have said, the flatter/clearer your walls are (ie no
sockets, pipes, screws/nails in walls etc) the better the final finish
will be. Plastering can also be a messy job, definately remove or
atleast cover anything and everything you don't want plastered :-)

Once the plaster has all dried (about a week usually) you'll want to
start painting. There is plenty of good advice on here about painting
fresh plaster. I've had a fair few rooms skimmed now and I find 50% matt
emulsion/50% water for the first coat. This takes the 'suck' out of the
plaster and seals it before 'real' paint etc. It looks crap but it is
needed. Don't even think about using PVA :-) This first coat is
sometimes called the '****' coat ('cos the paint has the consistency of
****).

You're now ready to paint for real. You've just paid good money to have
it skimmed so take care with the painting. Finished/dried paint has a
'thickness' to it. Each coat/roller/brush stroke adds to the thickness
of the layer on the wall. When you paint bear that in mind. It is easy
to have a wall all one colour, it is not so easy not to have ridges and
bumps and roller lines left behind. Try to maintain a consistent amount
of paint, per roller, per area covered - 'stretching' the paint out
across these areas is where your class finish is created. I'm guessing
here, but pass a very critical eye over your existing woodwork, doors,
ceilings, walls etc etc and you may actually see what I'm babbling on
about!

The best advice I can give to a novice (big assumption there) is to put
a small amount of paint on the roller and try to spread every single
roller of paint as far as it will possibly go. Expect to put on more
coats and forget all the 'one coat' crap on the advertising. Lots of
thin coats will give you a good finish, one thick coat will look like
she-ite. Once you've done it a few times, you'll get a feel for the
balance between how much paint on the roller and how far to try and
stretch it.

Personally, on fresh plaster, one **** coat and two proper coats does me
fine. Oh and I get comments saying how good the finish looks (from pro's
too:-)

Hth
Someone