not happy with my plastering finish

[adam01]

Hello I have been plastering out my spare room and when it dries it is really dusty when wiped with your hand even though it is all a uniform colour and flat. It looks polished to start with but can be wiped off. I always give it two wet trowels and a dry trowel before it starts browning in colour. I would appreciate anyone who can advise me on good techniques. It is really fine dust and I don't think I am over doing it with the water. Many thanks

 

[stuart23]

Give it a coat of paint and you'll see if any things wrong with it.

 

[leebo02]

hi adam, what was the background and how did you prep the walls

 

[adam01]

Hi thanks for the replies the background was silk paint and I near enough neat pva'd the wall and skimmed when tacky

 

[leebo02]

try Stuarts advice and hopefully it will be ok,, dont forget to water the first coat of paint down a bit

 

[henry]

did the skim dry quickly and back ground very dry

 

[Marshy]

Hi Adam, this may sound a silly question but did you have the heating on to help dry the plaster out? Sometimes if plaster dries out too quickly it can cause the surface to be powdery similar to what you are describing?

 

[adam01]

The heating was on all the day after. Am I finishing it at the correct time which is before it starts browning up thanks for the help

 

[leebo02]

yes your last trowel is usually just as it starts to change colour,,but if you use a plazzie or a s*p*r*lex you can finish it sooner

 

[CTPlastering]

To late to do much with it when its goin dark ..... I think it may be to much water , get it on , 2nd coat , one dry trowel using pointing trowel to clean angles then one wetting angles down to clean then a wet trowel then a dry if needed

 

[leebo02]

by the time its starts to go dark there should be nothing left to do to it apart from final polish

 

[Essex]

If its giving off a fine dust maybe a trick to help with painting it is a coat of watery pva to make sure it's sealed then paint hope it helps

 

[Fatarm]

I wouldnt be putting pva on it before painting:RpS_thumbdn:

 

[Arti]

IMO.....................:RpS_wink:

 

[Marshy]

IMO.....................:RpS_wink:

With a glug of OTT :RpS_thumbup:

 

[raggles]

I wouldnt be putting pva on it before painting:RpS_thumbdn:

ahh man why did ya tell him :RpS_laugh: seriously tho Fatarm is reet never ever ever give a wall a coat of pva afore ya put emulsion on it never, forever never !

 

[Bennyspreadsmore]

Dry trowel when the colour starts to turn your closing in too soon

 

[Essex]

Ok why no pva before paint just so I know? Seems harmless to me

 

[leebo02]

only needs a watered down coat of paint to start with,,, sometimes pva can be a c**t to cover

 

[stuart23]

Leave the pva for plastering, watering down first coat with water is sufficient for painting.

 

[scottie5]

Hello I have been plastering out my spare room and when it dries it is really dusty when wiped with your hand even though it is all a uniform colour and flat. It looks polished to start with but can be wiped off. I always give it two wet trowels and a dry trowel before it starts browning in colour. I would appreciate anyone who can advise me on good techniques. It is really fine dust and I don't think I am over doing it with the water. Many thanks

Theres a few reasons for the surface of your finish being soft and of dusty mate, your problem could one or more of the following.
1 excessive suction
2 undue thinness of your final coat
3 skimming had been worked past its setting point
4 trowelled up with too much water
5 or excessive heat or draught during setting.
Its probably troweling up with too much water past the setting point.

 

[spunky]

It's probably completely normal and you're worrying about nothing