Checking correct practice.

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Justchecking said:
Hello, I'm having some work done in my Victorian house. The walls are mostly the original lath and plaster. Although I've employed a largish company I have some questions about the plaster work being done. Most of the original Lath and plaster is sound but it has some old repair and damage. The plasterers are using 3 materials, bonding compound, Joint filler (and tape) and finishing off with Arrow-lite Joint cement. They are then sanding the Joint Cement back to a smooth finish. My question is, is this normal sound practice?
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You don't mention boards, but I assume they are dry lining the holes, filling the gaps with filler & sort of skimming it with the Arrow?
Not exactly sympathetic to a Victorian house, infact dog rough if you want my honest opinion.
If it were my house I would be expecting all patches on external walls to be filled with Thistle Hardwall, and all stud/ceiling to be boarded & plastered out flush with the existing using Thistle Bonding Coat. I would then insist the whole wall was treated with PVA, SBR or Thistle Bond-it, and re-skimmed with Multi Finish.

The taping/filling techniques you are experiencing are more at home in shop fitting or office blocks.

But as said before, a picture would say a thousand words!
 
Danny said:
I think the workers would say its correct though.... they would be pretty silly to say no...lol

With plastering there are a million and one ways to do any job... :)
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Thank you for that. I think perhaps that was the answer I was looking for. I thought there was one industry standard way to finish plaster a wall and I was wrong it seems.
 
DMA said:
You don't mention boards, but I assume they are dry lining the holes, filling the gaps with filler & sort of skimming it with the Arrow?
Not exactly sympathetic to a Victorian house, infact dog rough if you want my honest opinion.
If it were my house I would be expecting all patches on external walls to be filled with Thistle Hardwall, and all stud/ceiling to be boarded & plastered out flush with the existing using Thistle Bonding Coat. I would then insist the whole wall was treated with PVA, SBR or Thistle Bond-it, and re-skimmed with Multi Finish.

The taping/filling techniques you are experiencing are more at home in shop fitting or office blocks.

But as said before, a picture would say a thousand words!
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Thanks for your reply. It seems from the other replies I've received that there are many different practices used. As for a picture... the walls have been patched and "skimmed" so it would only show a flat surface. Perhaps I should have been snapping as work was going on but I'm sure that wouldn't have gone down too well!
 
Justchecking said:
Hi Stuart. Very good point. The quote says only "repair/ replace plaster work as required" and "finish to a high standard. The plastering is only part of a much larger job and before it started the talk was of "skimming" the walls after repair work was carried out to the original lath and plaster.

I seem to be going round in circles with some of the answers I'm receiving (or not receiving) but all I'm really trying to establish is if finishing a wall with Joint Cement and then sanding back to a smooth finish is an accepted method.
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I'm afraid they are doing what they say on the quote, if I'm doing repair work I sometimes use joint filler and joint cement as this can be blended into existing walls much easier than plaster. I would take the quote to them and ask them to elaborate in what is getting done. I'm in scotland but Perth is over an hour away so bit far to go and have a look at someone else's job.
 
Justchecking said:
Thanks for your reply. It seems from the other replies I've received that there are many different practices used. As for a picture... the walls have been patched and "skimmed" so it would only show a flat surface. Perhaps I should have been snapping as work was going on but I'm sure that wouldn't have gone down too well!
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The most important thing is to have a fibreglass scrim bridging the old & new work, or else cracking is pretty much yours to enjoy in the future.
 
Thanks. The builders are still working. I'm assured a "high standard" finish. Call me old fashioned but I think it's just as important to know that everything below the surface is "high standard" as well as the finish.

I think the problem is that this crew are used to working without anyone seeing what's going on behind the scenes and then presenting a finished product. It may look great but as you say "will it fail?"
 
Justchecking said:
Thank you for that. I think perhaps that was the answer I was looking for. I thought there was one industry standard way to finish plaster a wall and I was wrong it seems.
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Nah unfortunately not.... seems a shame there is not a regulatory body like gas safe or whatever....

I am not defending some of the comments but some will be frustrated that people are working and possibly doing poor work while super skilled plasterers are sat at home not being able to get the work...

Danny
 
stuart23 said:
I'm afraid they are doing what they say on the quote, if I'm doing repair work I sometimes use joint filler and joint cement as this can be blended into existing walls much easier than plaster. I would take the quote to them and ask them to elaborate in what is getting done. I'm in scotland but Perth is over an hour away so bit far to go and have a look at someone else's job.
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Thanks again Stuart. I'm actually between Perth and Stirling but I appreciate that you are too far away. Hope the weather is better in Ayrshire than it has been here!

I have already challenged the work being done but as someone already said "they are going to say it's correct, aren't they?"
 
Danny said:
Nah unfortunately not.... seems a shame there is not a regulatory body like gas safe or whatever....

I am not defending some of the comments but some will be frustrated that people are working and possibly doing poor work while super skilled plasterers are sat at home not being able to get the work...

Danny
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Again, thanks but I don't think sitting at home giving people who have come here for some genuine professional advice is going to get them work!
 
I'm based in Dundee, ive seen polish "plasterers" use the techniques you've described. As far as i'm aware their method hasn't failed however in my opinion its not the correct method and i would never be happy with the finish it produces in my own house.
 
Danny said:
Nah unfortunately not.... seems a shame there is not a regulatory body like gas safe or whatever....

I am not defending some of the comments but some will be frustrated that people are working and possibly doing poor work while super skilled plasterers are sat at home not being able to get the work...

Danny
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The thing is it isn't wrong what they are doing, different materials can be used in different ways and in experienced hands a quality finish can be achieved. It all depends on how they sold the job to you and what they specified they would do.
 
the system they have used will allow your walls to breath and be less suspect able to fine line cracking. Your lime walls are soft and putting a harder finish will only lead to cracking
 
Its true though. Show me a victorian house thats been skimmed and doesnt have cracks after 6 months
 
Curry said:
the system they have used will allow your walls to breath and be less suspect able to fine line cracking. Your lime walls are soft and putting a harder finish will only lead to cracking
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We have used a product called beekotex in the past, it's a very fine plaster. Applied by trowel and flattened
Then after a few days a light sanding
It's breathable and reccomend end over lime work , also reversible ( a big plus for conservation architects in this neck if the woods , not cheap though
 
I have read this thread very carefully. Can I suggest you consult a lime based company that supplies many traditional tradesmen nationally
As people get so techy with me on this site so please ask Danny the TPF site owner if I can put this name up on here or pm me
Tony
 
topstrop1 said:
I have read this thread very carefully. Can I suggest you consult a lime based company that supplies many traditional tradesmen nationally
As people get so techy with me on this site so please ask Danny the TPF site owner if I can put this name up on here or pm me
Tony
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Thanks for your reply. I fear it is too late to start removing the products they have used and use a lime product as I didn't stipulate that in the beginning. The problem is as a non-builder you trust the "professionals" to do the job properly and they aren't always as fussy or particular (or sometimes it seems, knowledgeable) as you would hope they would be. If a lime product was needed I was foolish enough to assume they would know that, and use it. I've learned a valuable lesson though.. anyone can call themselves a plasterer, plumber or whatever and just because they do, doesn't mean they are. As we all know, these people tend to end up giving everyone in a particular trade a bad name.
 
I wouldnt help you at all, you have the wrong attitude, arrogant ( and im trying not to be abusive here ) who the hell do you think you are '' workmen know their place '' yeh right... you have so much bad attitude, im surprised anyones even replying to you anymore..
 
cassie said:
I wouldnt help you at all, you have the wrong attitude, arrogant ( and im trying not to be abusive here ) who the hell do you think you are '' workmen know their place '' yeh right... you have so much bad attitude, im surprised anyones even replying to you anymore..
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Go on Craig aarrggghhhh aarrrggghhhh aaarrrggghhhh show me your war face soldier !!!! And that's an order !!!

:RpS_lol:
 
Marshy said:
Go on Craig aarrggghhhh aarrrggghhhh aaarrrggghhhh show me your war face soldier !!!! And that's an order !!!

:RpS_lol:
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Got that face on all time pal... just off to gym in a bit to smash some ass ( how gays that sound..lol )
 
cassie said:
I wouldnt help you at all, you have the wrong attitude, arrogant ( and im trying not to be abusive here ) who the hell do you think you are '' workmen know their place '' yeh right... you have so much bad attitude, im surprised anyones even replying to you anymore..
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I must be missing something cass , I don't get where your coming from:RpS_mellow:
 
so what about when people have said to him that they need to see picture to properly say if its any good then to back up the fact that we need pics plenty of ideas as to weather its acceptable or not have been thrown out there and he just keeps implying that obviously a forum full of plasters was the wrong place to come and we dont really know what were talking about.
i said to him to check if he was paying for plastering cos if he is then hes not getting plastering (IMO) hes getting filling on a mass scale, and all i got was a sarky comment, yes i said he was just here to cause agg and im standing by that and refer you back to the whole pictures and every idea of weather its any good or not without pics being shot down
 
I don't think any pictures would help as he said all your gonna see is a blank off white or pink wall, one reason I've never took pictures of my work for a portfolio cos what you gonna see how can you tell if the work is to a good standard in a picture
 
He has taken the cheapest quote like most do, wants a porsche for the price Of a Ford, i would ban nim from the site ,,
 
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