Please help!Plastering Victorian bare brick walls.

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Tia

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Hi,

Ok guys Ive got really conflicting information and its driving me crazy. I'd appreciate your help please. Small side note: I've got hardly any experience with plastering and what very small amount I do have is using gypsum plaster.

So I had to hack the existing plaster of my victorian solid brick wall which hold my windows, it was all blown and cracked in places. The problem I have now is deciding what to put back. A bonding coat and then multi finish or go down the whole lime plaster route?

The bare brick is dry and I can't see any signs of damp. Now Ive read 101 articles about how I need to let the building 'breathe' which is all well and good if I was intending on using breathable paint but I'm not. I'm going to wallpaper it, and last time I checked they don't make breathable wall paper glue haha.

So my question is do I risk using gypsum or do I try my hand using lime plaster?. Or can I just use the gypsum and install a air brick?. Or will the gypsum cause damp to build up, therefore stay clear from it in this case?

Thanks.

Ps If the answer is lime plaster. How do I build it up? (I guess I could google it but if you know again advice would be greatly appreciated)......sorry Im a real newbie. :estudioso:

To note: The buildings not listed and the other walls internally I believe have gypsum plaster on them from previous owners.
 
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Good advice from @zolco. Ring your nearest builders merchant, buy whatever they stock for this work, I like limelite myself, but there's others.
Directions on the packs. Build up thickness in stages, normally (for me ) 10-15mm per coat. Watch the brick suction as you go, damp them before 1st coat, then as required.
Good luck.
 
Tia said:
Hi,

Ok guys Ive got really conflicting information and its driving me crazy. I'd appreciate your help please. Small side note: I've got hardly any experience with plastering and what very small amount I do have is using gypsum plaster.

So I had to hack the existing plaster of my victorian solid brick wall which hold my windows, it was all blown and cracked in places. The problem I have now is deciding what to put back. A bonding coat and then multi finish or go down the whole lime plaster route?

The bare brick is dry and I can't see any signs of damp. Now Ive read 101 articles about how I need to let the building 'breathe' which is all well and good if I was intending on using breathable paint but I'm not. I'm going to wallpaper it, and last time I checked they don't make breathable wall paper glue haha.

So my question is do I risk using gypsum or do I try my hand using lime plaster?. Or can I just use the gypsum and install a air brick?. Or will the gypsum cause damp to build up, therefore stay clear from it in this case?

Thanks.

Ps If the answer is lime plaster. How do I build it up? (I guess I could google it but if you know again advice would be greatly appreciated)......sorry Im a real newbie. :estudioso:

To note: The buildings not listed and the other walls internally I believe have gypsum plaster on them from previous owners.
Click to expand...

If you would like to insulate and dehumidify the property, you could use Bauwer Light + Bauwer Finish:
https://youtu.be/oxogp2uRgaw

If no insulation required, just one layer renovation plaster render Rasolite would do the job.
Old plaster to be removed before the application.

I believe vinyl wallpaper is no good as not breathable. But many other paper types are fine with natural wallpaper glue being breathable as well. Only non breathable, plastic type of wallpapers are impermeable.

Due to the hygroscopic nature of gypsum, it easily absorbs and retains moisture from the surrounding atmosphere and substrate, therefore it is not the best materials in humidity impacted applications. Renovation plaster is preferred, as advised earlier in this thread.
 
Given it's a solid external wall, to minimise risk of damp problems, you're going to want to use breathable materials as you've been advised. You could use a wood fibre board as base and then skim with lime. Somewhere like Mike Wye will be able to advise.
 
Balls! I just saw this as a recent thread on this board and didn't look to check the date....
 
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