Lath and plaster repair (from behind!)
 

I've just ended up pulling down all the laths and plaster off my old
bathroom wall - plaster was blown and removing the tiles from the
plaster was a non-starter. Now the wall on the opposite side of the
stud partition, which faces on to the landing is also in a pretty bad
state, blown in a lot of places. With the back of the wall now exposed
you can see all the nibs of plaster extruded through the laths have
broken off.

So before I put the plasterboard up in the bathroom I thought I might
have a stab at some remedial work. Ideally the landing wall wants to
come down too, but that ain't gonna happen any time soon! I thought I'd
try chucking 1:4 PVA all over the back, and then essentially applying a
very rough coat of Carlite bonding plaster to the back of the laths with
a view to it holding the blown plaster. All that will be concealed as
soon as the bathroom wall goes up.

It's got to be worth a go; has anyone tried this or got any refinements
to suggest (eg which type of plaster)?

David

Lobster wrote:

It's got to be worth a go; has anyone tried this or got any
refinements
to suggest (eg which type of plaster)?


I'm REALLY no expert but I'd probably brace the plaster onto the laths
from the good side, to avoid any unfortunate pushing off incidents.
Where I've had the same thing, the plaster was basically held up in one
sheet, so pushing it off would be a bad thing.

--
Steve F

Lobster wrote:

I've just ended up pulling down all the laths and plaster off my old
bathroom wall - plaster was blown and removing the tiles from the
plaster was a non-starter. Now the wall on the opposite side of the
stud partition, which faces on to the landing is also in a pretty bad
state, blown in a lot of places. With the back of the wall now exposed
you can see all the nibs of plaster extruded through the laths have
broken off.

So before I put the plasterboard up in the bathroom I thought I might
have a stab at some remedial work. Ideally the landing wall wants to
come down too, but that ain't gonna happen any time soon! I thought I'd
try chucking 1:4 PVA all over the back, and then essentially applying a
very rough coat of Carlite bonding plaster to the back of the laths with
a view to it holding the blown plaster. All that will be concealed as
soon as the bathroom wall goes up.

It's got to be worth a go; has anyone tried this or got any refinements
to suggest (eg which type of plaster)?


I think you are spot on actually.

David

In article , The Natural
Philosopher writes
Lobster wrote:

I've just ended up pulling down all the laths and plaster off my old
bathroom wall - plaster was blown and removing the tiles from the
plaster was a non-starter. Now the wall on the opposite side of the
stud partition, which faces on to the landing is also in a pretty bad
state, blown in a lot of places. With the back of the wall now exposed
you can see all the nibs of plaster extruded through the laths have
broken off.

So before I put the plasterboard up in the bathroom I thought I might
have a stab at some remedial work. Ideally the landing wall wants to
come down too, but that ain't gonna happen any time soon! I thought I'd
try chucking 1:4 PVA all over the back, and then essentially applying a
very rough coat of Carlite bonding plaster to the back of the laths with
a view to it holding the blown plaster. All that will be concealed as
soon as the bathroom wall goes up.

It's got to be worth a go; has anyone tried this or got any refinements
to suggest (eg which type of plaster)?


I think you are spot on actually.

I'd suggest using a smooth plaster to make it easier to spread and push
into the little gaps & crevices more easily. I've only used browning + finish
so don't know if bonding is smooth consistency or gritty. If it's gritty, then
maybe use one-coat?
--
fred

On Wed, 12 Jan 2005 16:57:57 GMT, fred wrote:

So before I put the plasterboard up in the bathroom I thought I might
have a stab at some remedial work. Ideally the landing wall wants to
come down too, but that ain't gonna happen any time soon! I thought I'd
try chucking 1:4 PVA all over the back, and then essentially applying a
very rough coat of Carlite bonding plaster to the back of the laths with
a view to it holding the blown plaster. All that will be concealed as
soon as the bathroom wall goes up.

It's got to be worth a go; has anyone tried this or got any refinements
to suggest (eg which type of plaster)?

Yes I've done this but not on a wall, I have done it on a ceiling from
above. Hoover the wall well before PVAing, propping the wall on the
good side sounds sensible, on a ceiling you'd use a runny mix of
gypsum and perlite which gets in holes easily and is lightweight but
on a wall bonding might be just as successful - worth a try anyway

Would you let me know how you get on?

Anna

~~ Anna Kettle, Suffolk, England
|""""| ~ Lime plaster repairs
/ ^^ \ // Freehand modelling in lime: overmantels, pargeting etc
|____| www.kettlenet.co.uk 01359 230642

On 12 Jan 2005 04:52:58 -0800, "Fitz"
wrote:


I'm REALLY no expert but I'd probably brace the plaster onto the laths
from the good side, to avoid any unfortunate pushing off incidents.

This is what's recommended in an elderly book I have. Place a board
on the good side and use a prop to press it against the plaster good
side and then plaster from the back. It recommends leaving the prop
in place for 24hrs
..
--
Peter Parry.
http://www.wpp.ltd.uk/

"Lobster" wrote in message
...
It's got to be worth a go; has anyone tried this or got any refinements
to suggest (eg which type of plaster)?


I wouldn't bother. I bet once you've finished you'll wish you had just gone
the plasterboard route as it will look better and have involved less work.

Mike wrote:
"Lobster" wrote in message
...

It's got to be worth a go; has anyone tried this or got any refinements
to suggest (eg which type of plaster)?



I wouldn't bother. I bet once you've finished you'll wish you had just gone
the plasterboard route as it will look better and have involved less work.



How can it *possibly* involve less work? Read my original post.

Would you be happier if I said I'd promise not to use PVA?!

"Lobster" wrote in message
...
I've just ended up pulling down all the laths and plaster off my old
bathroom wall - plaster was blown and removing the tiles from the
plaster was a non-starter. Now the wall on the opposite side of the
stud partition, which faces on to the landing is also in a pretty bad
state, blown in a lot of places. With the back of the wall now exposed
you can see all the nibs of plaster extruded through the laths have
broken off.

So before I put the plasterboard up in the bathroom I thought I might
have a stab at some remedial work. Ideally the landing wall wants to
come down too, but that ain't gonna happen any time soon! I thought I'd
try chucking 1:4 PVA all over the back, and then essentially applying a
very rough coat of Carlite bonding plaster to the back of the laths with
a view to it holding the blown plaster. All that will be concealed as
soon as the bathroom wall goes up.

It's got to be worth a go; has anyone tried this or got any refinements
to suggest (eg which type of plaster)?

David


Plasterboard is cheap and easy, so don't faff about with trying to repair the
old stuff. Rip it down and start again with new plasterboard. Leave the studs
in of course. ;-)

"Lobster" wrote in message
...
Mike wrote:
"Lobster" wrote in message
...

It's got to be worth a go; has anyone tried this or got any refinements
to suggest (eg which type of plaster)?



I wouldn't bother. I bet once you've finished you'll wish you had just
gone
the plasterboard route as it will look better and have involved less
work.



How can it *possibly* involve less work? Read my original post.

I did. Throwing PVA and a bag of bonding coat at it will invariably cause
more visible defects on the landing side which presumably will then need
attention. Thus I still think you'll wish you hadn't bothered.


Would you be happier if I said I'd promise not to use PVA?!

Hey, it's your project. I was just replying to your request for our
thoughts. All are worth the paper they're not written on.

"Lobster" wrote in message
...
I've just ended up pulling down all the laths and plaster off my old
bathroom wall - plaster was blown and removing the tiles from the plaster
was a non-starter. Now the wall on the opposite side of the stud
partition, which faces on to the landing is also in a pretty bad state,
blown in a lot of places. With the back of the wall now exposed you can
see all the nibs of plaster extruded through the laths have broken off.

So before I put the plasterboard up in the bathroom I thought I might have
a stab at some remedial work. Ideally the landing wall wants to come down
too, but that ain't gonna happen any time soon! I thought I'd try
chucking 1:4 PVA all over the back, and then essentially applying a very
rough coat of Carlite bonding plaster to the back of the laths with a view
to it holding the blown plaster. All that will be concealed as soon as
the bathroom wall goes up.

It's got to be worth a go; has anyone tried this or got any refinements to
suggest (eg which type of plaster)?

David

I had the same problem on myu daughter's wall between bathroom and landing.
Landing side was papered and that was all that was holding it together in
places. I went the same route as you are proposing although I used Polyfilla
on some of the critical bits near the door post. If it's well propped, you
should achieve an acceptable result. My daughter was happy and that's all
that mattered to me. At some time in future (when the wallpaper comes off?)
it may need to be done properly, but it's holding OK for now. Go for it.

John Miller

In article , "Lobster"
says...
I've just ended up pulling down all the laths and plaster off my old
bathroom wall - plaster was blown and removing the tiles from the
plaster was a non-starter. Now the wall on the opposite side of the
stud partition, which faces on to the landing is also in a pretty bad
state, blown in a lot of places. With the back of the wall now exposed
you can see all the nibs of plaster extruded through the laths have
broken off.

So before I put the plasterboard up in the bathroom I thought I might
have a stab at some remedial work. Ideally the landing wall wants to
come down too, but that ain't gonna happen any time soon! I thought I'd
try chucking 1:4 PVA all over the back, and then essentially applying a
very rough coat of Carlite bonding plaster to the back of the laths with
a view to it holding the blown plaster. All that will be concealed as
soon as the bathroom wall goes up.

It's got to be worth a go; has anyone tried this or got any refinements
to suggest (eg which type of plaster)?

You might get away with just lagging it with PVA (so it runs between
the lath and the plaster) then applying pressure from the other side
(with boards and props as others have suggested) until it's
thoroughly dry.

Anna Kettle wrote:
On Wed, 12 Jan 2005 16:57:57 GMT, fred wrote:

So before I put the plasterboard up in the bathroom I thought I might
have a stab at some remedial work. Ideally the landing wall wants to
come down too, but that ain't gonna happen any time soon! I thought I'd
try chucking 1:4 PVA all over the back, and then essentially applying a
very rough coat of Carlite bonding plaster to the back of the laths with
a view to it holding the blown plaster. All that will be concealed as
soon as the bathroom wall goes up.

It's got to be worth a go; has anyone tried this or got any refinements
to suggest (eg which type of plaster)?

Yes I've done this but not on a wall, I have done it on a ceiling from
above. Hoover the wall well before PVAing, propping the wall on the
good side sounds sensible, on a ceiling you'd use a runny mix of
gypsum and perlite which gets in holes easily and is lightweight but
on a wall bonding might be just as successful - worth a try anyway

Would you let me know how you get on?

Did the job at the weekend - TBH I delegated it to the plasterer I'd
hired to do the whole bathroom. Hoovered the back of the affected wall,
PVA'd it, then he slapped on a layer of bonding plaster. We had to
cover the bathroom side with plasterboard before this plaster was solid
and dry, so I can't really report back as to how well it's now stuck,
but certainly the landing side seems very rigid now.

I decided against propping it from the landing side, because that side
already had two thick layers of wallpaper which held the wall pretty
flat anyway; and I thought that if there were any small gaps between the
blown plaster and the laths then it would be better if some plaster got
in there. The landing side is certainly still flat now, and there's much
less of a hollow sound than before when you tap it.

Next time we decorate the landing I'll do the proper job with
plasterboard, but I'm confident this bodge has staved off collapse of
the wall for a good few years!

David

Lobster wrote:

Anna Kettle wrote:

On Wed, 12 Jan 2005 16:57:57 GMT, fred wrote:

So before I put the plasterboard up in the bathroom I thought I
might have a stab at some remedial work. Ideally the landing wall
wants to come down too, but that ain't gonna happen any time soon!
I thought I'd try chucking 1:4 PVA all over the back, and then
essentially applying a very rough coat of Carlite bonding plaster
to the back of the laths with a view to it holding the blown
plaster. All that will be concealed as soon as the bathroom wall
goes up.

It's got to be worth a go; has anyone tried this or got any
refinements to suggest (eg which type of plaster)?


Yes I've done this but not on a wall, I have done it on a ceiling from
above. Hoover the wall well before PVAing, propping the wall on the
good side sounds sensible, on a ceiling you'd use a runny mix of
gypsum and perlite which gets in holes easily and is lightweight but
on a wall bonding might be just as successful - worth a try anyway

Would you let me know how you get on?


Did the job at the weekend - TBH I delegated it to the plasterer I'd
hired to do the whole bathroom. Hoovered the back of the affected wall,
PVA'd it, then he slapped on a layer of bonding plaster. We had to
cover the bathroom side with plasterboard before this plaster was solid
and dry, so I can't really report back as to how well it's now stuck,
but certainly the landing side seems very rigid now.

I decided against propping it from the landing side, because that side
already had two thick layers of wallpaper which held the wall pretty
flat anyway; and I thought that if there were any small gaps between the
blown plaster and the laths then it would be better if some plaster got
in there. The landing side is certainly still flat now, and there's much
less of a hollow sound than before when you tap it.

Next time we decorate the landing I'll do the proper job with
plasterboard, but I'm confident this bodge has staved off collapse of
the wall for a good few years!

I've had bodges like that outlast the striuctures they were affixed to.

You will never need to touch it again.



David