Multi finish cracking

[Stevebgoddard]

Hi
i have skimmed over some plastered walls in an old terrace house bult around 1900. The finish was initialy spot on and after a couple of coats of matt trade emulsion looked like a new house. However after a few months the surface has developed hairline cracks which have of course spoilt the finish. Does anyone have any ideas as to why this is and how to prevent it?
The original plaster underneath was grey/black grit type plaster with a smooth reddish finish
thanks

 

[johniosaif]

Old house probably moves, plaster such as multi won't, I would give it two good coats of pva and use an embedded mesh in the first coat,

 

[S a plastering]

Just make sure when you scratch on its a thick first coat I use krend mesh which isthicker than normal scrim then bed it in tight

 

[stuart23]

See it a lot in the houses round my way, walls look fine when paper is stripped off but if you look closely you can see the hairline cracks running all over the place. As above with the mesh should be ok or loads of fibres in first coat. In extreme cases walls will need stripped back to brick and d and d or floated.

 

[S a plastering]

I always offer the mesh on dodgybackgrounds because it will crack
Through on reskims like said the background is moving not the new finish

 

[Stevebgoddard]

Thanks guys for your suggestions
i have some of the fibreglass fibres so will try plenty of these in the first coat
never heard of the krend mesh but will do a bit of research on t'interweb and might try some of that
cheers again