Advice - Skimming an old house

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Mikey1693

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I am new to the forums so bare with me.

I have just got a job re-skimming an old house (internal only). The house is lime internal and external render and plaster. The ceiling is lath and lime.

For the ceiling i was going to just rip it down and put up normal plasterboard then skim using multi.

For the external walls i am going to erect a stud wall then screw foil backed plasterboard to the studs, tape and skim. There would also be atleast a 50mm air gap between the stud wall and the existing wall for the wall to breath.

For the internal walls i am going to febond blue grit them as they are smooth and no or low key for multi to stick to and they say blue grit is good for this. Then skim them once dry.

The walls are damp free apart from one patch in the living room but we will get over that when we get to it as got many other rooms to do first.

Could someone let me know if i am looking at this in the right way and if i am going about it the right way too please.

Have done my research and even on these forums i am correct just wanted to double check as so many different ways people go around this.

Regards,
Mike
 
I would just overboard the ceilling rather than pull it down unless the original ceiling is all over the place.
 
Do the old ceilings need to come down ? Are you insulating the external between the studs?is there any distemper in the paint work, dry coat would suit for the damp patches..
 
Ceilings are not to good thats why im pulling them down.

No i dont think client wants insulation as cost a bit and the house is quite warm to be honest.

Distemper, what do you mean by this.

Cheers
 
Some walls have been painted but all different colours, it looks like someone has used sand paper and scraper on them, but some walls have been wallpapered.
 
Mikey1693 said:
Some walls have been painted but all different colours, it looks like someone has used sand paper and scraper on them, but some walls have been wallpapered.
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Distemper is an old lime based paint that will come off under pva, google it,there are many discussions on it,ridiculous not insulating at this juncture..
 
Distemper in the paint work, no i do not believe there is as they had there kitchen done the way im saying about 3 years ago and no problems so i doubt it.

There only problem with the work done in the kitchen is that they have not used foil backed plasterboard as a vapor barrier but this could be because obviously a kitchen is ventilated etc so no need to i guess :s
 
Mikey1693 said:
Distemper in the paint work, no i do not believe there is as they had there kitchen done the way im saying about 3 years ago and no problems so i doubt it.

There only problem with the work done in the kitchen is that they have not used foil backed plasterboard as a vapor barrier but this could be because obviously a kitchen is ventilated etc so no need to i guess :s
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I would not worry about it, if it has been ok till now, foil back is used mostly for flat ceilings on extensions and anywhere condensation may be a worry,.
 
johniosaif said:
I would not worry about it, if it has been ok till now, foil back is used mostly for flat ceilings on extensions and anywhere condensation may be a worry,.
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Okay thanks for the advice, since no damp etc already then there shouldnt be a worry with condensation etc if foil backed plasterboard is not used, makes sense cheers.
 
If your not insulating the studs, why not take off external walls and re- do in lime? Foil back PB will not allow walls to breath and all the work studing, boarding and skimming could be put into lime plastering. Also your loosing 4 inch plus off walls!
 
JVplastering said:
If your not insulating the studs, why not take off external walls and re- do in lime? Foil back PB will not allow walls to breath and all the work studing, boarding and skimming could be put into lime plastering. Also your loosing 4 inch plus off walls!
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I have never done lime plastering so do not want to attempt it, the client knows this. They are happy to lose 4 or so inches off of the external walls as this is how there kitchen has been done.

Foil backed PB acts as a vapor barrier, so that warm air from inside the building can not pass through into the stud cavity into the cold air, so no condensation or dampness is caused. Normal plasterboard may allow warm air to pass through which will create dampness after time. So should i not just stick to the safe side and use foil PB?

Also it may not allow whats behind it to breath but that is why i said about an air gap between existing wall and stud wall, this will allow the lime walls to breath.
 
Mikey1693 said:
I have never done lime plastering so do not want to attempt it, the client knows this. They are happy to lose 4 or so inches off of the external walls as this is how there kitchen has been done.

Foil backed PB acts as a vapor barrier, so that warm air from inside the building can not pass through into the stud cavity into the cold air, so no condensation or dampness is caused. Normal plasterboard may allow warm air to pass through which will create dampness after time. So should i not just stick to the safe side and use foil PB?

Also it may not allow whats behind it to breath but that is why i said about an air gap between existing wall and stud wall, this will allow the lime walls to breath.
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Foil backed pb will still allow heat to leave the building into the cold void. The foil is there so that the moisture that condences on the back of the board does not get reabsorbed into the board causing the board to get damp. Ideally you will need vents to allow the moisture to evaporate.
 
Don't rip the ceilings down I guarantee you will be sorry. Just overboard them! Why are you building stud walls over the external walls?!?! If there not good enough to skim rip them off and dot and dab.
 
Fourplastering said:
Foil backed pb will still allow heat to leave the building into the cold void. The foil is there so that the moisture that condences on the back of the board does not get reabsorbed into the board causing the board to get damp. Ideally you will need vents to allow the moisture to evaporate.
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Yeah sounds good :) may aswell use FBPB then, but the vents what type of vent do you recommend, as its a thick wall and can not realy go cutting whole through the outside walls to install vents for obvious reasons, then vents through the stud work would be used but can anyone recommend a vent to be used or shall i just cut a little panel out and install a vent say same thickness of plasterboard that allows air to travel in and out of the cavity?

Cheers
 
BuilderMCR said:
Don't rip the ceilings down I guarantee you will be sorry. Just overboard them! Why are you building stud walls over the external walls?!?! If there not good enough to skim rip them off and dot and dab.
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Ceilings are so bad they need to be ripped down to be honest over boarding them would cause just as many problems i.e boards not being flat etc. ripping off old lime skim would cause big problems and take alot of time, coast money and would still have the same problem about condensation/dampness ocurring so stud seems the simplest way as there will be an air gap allowing walls to breath expecially if air vents are installed if Fourplastering gets back to me on which ones to use.

Also just so everyone knows this is an upstairs bedroom, downstairs living room etc so not all on one floor and no tumble dryers etc going giving heat off, but there are rads in most of the rooms.
 
You could fit breathable membrane over the stud work , then normal plasterboard would do, an air brick would be essential for air flow , other wise its only dead air.
 
Timber battern the ceilings then re board will let you pack out ceiling as need be, all your 9" walls will come under part L regs
if your stripping back to brickwork..
 
johniosaif said:
You could fit breathable membrane over the stud work , then normal plasterboard would do, an air brick would be essential for air flow , other wise its only dead air.
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Instead of using air brick, as this would have to be installed to the outside wall, could i not put a vent into the stud work, surely this would do?
 
Okay, last post is not a link 'lol' it was meant to be i swear :). You will have to type it in google.

I mean just a cover or something that will allow air to travel around the house and walls as its doing at the moment with no 'fake' wall over it, the air would still be able to pass in and out from behind the stud work leaving the existing wall to still breath.

<< That sounds good to me, stud work up, say 50mm air gap, foil backed plasterboard (good joints), one or two vent covers per room, walls skimming (multi-finish).

What does everybody else think?
 
Everybody else.. How is the wall and room breathing at the moment ? Is there existing air vents in the exterior walls, is there lime plaster on the wall .. Are you talking about re cycled air . You need cross flow ventilation in a house. I will leave it now to everyone else..
 
johniosaif didnt mean that,

There is no existing air vents at the moment in the walls to the rooms, not sure about loft space etc. There is lime plaster on the walls internally and externally.
 
If there is lime on internal and external walls then that is how the house is breathing and being ventilated. Only by sealing walls in with gypsum will you need to vent so good idea. Leave 50 mm gap an put vents into rooms. No need for foil back as you have lime on exterior and external walls so should be no issues with damp and air flow. Old houses with no cavity have lime so they can vent (breath).
Don't dab or use any gypsum on external walls as this will draw damp in!!
 
Not sure mate. I usually do lime! What I was brought up doing. Never used vent on PB but something like that sounds good. Good luck with it.
 
I would use the plasterboard with the insulation already stuck to it. (50mm total thickness) I would stick it straight to the external walls using 100mm rawlplugs (RAWLPLUG)

Its so simple. Stick it to the wall and skim it. If its tight to the wall you won't need to worry about air.

The last house I done I coated the wall with gyproc wall board and pulled a tiling trowel across it then stuck on the insulation/plasterboard with the pins. This give it extra grip and made sure all the hollows were sealed leaving it air tight.

Is there plug sockets on the external walls???
 
cooptaza,

Yes there is plug sockets these will be moved through the stud work.

You cant leave a solid wall air tight this is what the thread is about, if you leave the wall air tight dampness will occur after at least 12 months give or take a few.
 
Mikey1693 said:
cooptaza,

Yes there is plug sockets these will be moved through the stud work.

You cant leave a solid wall air tight this is what the thread is about, if you leave the wall air tight dampness will occur after at least 12 months give or take a few.
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If its airtight it will be more heat efficient. Do you really think damp will come through if it hasn't already.

Are the walls painted, I doubt there is much air getting into the walls from the inside anyway. And if you are putting on foilback insulations damp won't do anything anyway.

I done a stone house this way 6 years ago and have been living in it. Its warm and toastie and I have never seen a damp patch.
 
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