Advice Needed - Cowboy Plasterers

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Barnezy318

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Hi all,

I'm having my flat converted from a communal heating system to an independent one, so whilst the upheaval is happening, I thought it would be a good time to redecorate and get the ceiling re-plastered as there were a few previously repaired cracks in the lining paper that bugged me.

Our decorator, who has a very good attention to detail, recommended someone to strip and skim the ceilings. Unfortunately they have done a terrible job, and in the living room plastered straight on to the lining paper as they claimed they couldn't get it off the ceiling, even though they managed to take it off in no time in the hallway, which was the identical stuff.

The next day I realised the issues with plastering over paper, so paid another highly rated plasterer to do a survey. His report was that the plaster was well bonded and not lose, but that the finish was extremely poor and not suitable for decoration.

Today the decorator arrived and was so sorry for the recommendation and couldn't believe it was done like this. He confirmed it would not look good once decorated as well.

I've since spoken to a local plasterer who is highly rated, who says I have 2 viable options:
1. He can skim the ceiling with a finish coat to correct the finish issues, but cannot assure the ceiling as the base is on paper.
2. He can cut the ceiling out (there is an original 1930's cornice) around the cornice, re-board it and skim it.

My question is what would you do? Given that the plaster is over textured paper, could the plaster be scrapped off to reveal the original base, or is this an impossible task?

BTW, I haven't paid the original plasterer yet and when I spoke to him to tell him my findings, you could tell he was aware of what they had done. although he did say, "we do this all the time and it's fine" which is worrying for other unsuspecting customers!
 

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Tbh can’t tell s**t from the pictures just paint it and be done with the complaining ,
The coving looks clean I think he did the ringt thing skimming over the paper
 
Paint and reassess, you might get away with filler, you can’t make out any detail on photos since the forum upgrade
 
He charged £640 for 32sq m, but I haven’t paid him yet. I don’t know what plastering costs as his was the only quote I got as it was based on a recommendation. I’ve since discovered the guy actually doing the plastering was a different person to who normally works with him.

After speaking to him today and sending him a copy of the survey, he’s offered to come tomorrow with a different person who “will do a perfect job”. Effectively skimming over what’s been done to fix the finish.

The guy who did the survey is confident the bond is good so maybe a skim is all it needs.

In that case I have two options:
1. Let him come tomorrow and correct the finish, get some sort of guarantee for if the ceiling falls and knock the price down for the job not being done correctly and the cost of the survey.
2. Get the highly rated firm in next week to do a finish correction, and only cover material costs for the original plasterer.

FYI the ceiling is board not plaster larvae.

The difficult thing is I have a 5 month old and a 2 yr old and we are living in a family members flat at the moment which we will need to leave soon. All this has added massive delays to us getting back in.
 
Barnezy318 said:
He charged £640 for 32sq m, but I haven’t paid him yet. I don’t know what plastering costs as his was the only quote I got as it was based on a recommendation. I’ve since discovered the guy actually doing the plastering was a different person to who normally works with him.

After speaking to him today and sending him a copy of the survey, he’s offered to come tomorrow with a different person who “will do a perfect job”. Effectively skimming over what’s been done to fix the finish.

The guy who did the survey is confident the bond is good so maybe a skim is all it needs.

In that case I have two options:
1. Let him come tomorrow and correct the finish, get some sort of guarantee for if the ceiling falls and knock the price down for the job not being done correctly and the cost of the survey.
2. Get the highly rated firm in next week to do a finish correction, and only cover material costs for the original plasterer.

FYI the ceiling is board not plaster larvae.

The difficult thing is I have a 5 month old and a 2 yr old and we are living in a family members flat at the moment which we will need to leave soon. All this has added massive delays to us getting back in.
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Shame. Try get it done for nothing
 
maltman777 said:
Shame. Try get it done for nothing
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Do you mean, get him to fix it and then pay nothing? I’m trying to be reasonable, but maybe I shouldn’t be. My thought is I should go with the other company as their ability is confirmed and offer to cover materials costs to the first plasterer.
 
Barnezy318 said:
Do you mean, get him to fix it and then pay nothing? I’m trying to be reasonable, but maybe I shouldn’t be. My thought is I should go with the other company as their ability is confirmed and offer to cover materials costs to the first plasterer.
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Yeah maybe it's the best idea. You can't be sure how good the first one will be.
 
Sand the ceiling and paint it, you just want it for nowt, bet the skimming over wood chip was fully discussed with you, no way they'd just do it without talking to you
 
Barnezy318 said:
Do you mean, get him to fix it and then pay nothing? I’m trying to be reasonable, but maybe I shouldn’t be. My thought is I should go with the other company as their ability is confirmed and offer to cover materials costs to the first plasterer.
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Quick someone agree that he should get the chap to fix it and then still pay him nothing
 
That cornice looks new to me, just take it down reboard and skim but don’t pay the other bloke his work is shite and will come down sometime
 
Lodan said:
Sand the ceiling and paint it, you just want it for nowt, bet the skimming over wood chip was fully discussed with you, no way they'd just do it without talking to you
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Yeah that’s exactly what I want... a wavy ceiling that might fall down for free!

They took the paper off the hallway and plastered that. The next time I saw them they were plastering over the paper in the living room. I asked them why they were, and they told me they couldn’t get it off. Not knowing anything about plastering at the time I didn’t think anything of it and assumed it was standard practice. Only when I saw bubbles the next day, I got concerned. The paper wasn’t woodchip it was a textured lining paper. The quote for the job was to strip the paper, PVA, Tape and Skim. I expect the real reason they didn’t remove the paper was because they wanted to get away that day and they only arrived at 11:30am and left at 7pm.

Now I’m left with either a bigger job of removing the original cornice, overboarding and skimming or taking the risk that I might wake up one morning to find my living room covered in plaster.

I wasn’t aware that sanding a ceiling was expected when you’ve pay someone to do a job properly.

The cornice is original. It’s a 1930 mansion block and all the flats have the same cornice.

Attached is a photo of the ceiling before. Arguably in better condition than it is now.
 

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