Pva coats, how many & what ratio mix?

[Steve28]

This is just really to find out how people do things differently to what I do, I usually give walls three coats of PVA but sometimes find it takes ages to dry and waste a lot of time.

Whats do you normally do? and do you look for the wall to feel tacky before you start plastering?

 

[Lee101]

Generally 2 coats of PVA - ratio about 3:1.

I do wait for the first coat to dry before applying the second. I have been known to start skimming the wall before the second coat is tacky all over though. Haven't had any real problems but I would always recommend letting it go tacky.

Sometimes I'll wallop the PVA on one day and skim the walls the following day. As long as you've killed the suction you should be ok.

The only time I panic over PVA is when it's a really glossy surface. If it's a small area I tend to use WBA insead  

 

[Gary_B]

Manufacturers state a 5:1 coat then a 3:1 which should be tacky before skimming. I always used to use a 6:1 mix but with 3 coats and a good splash in the 1st mix and I never had a problem.

 

[nearly_had_enuff]

we go 50/50 with it. 1 coat wait 4 the tacky then leather it never any probs.

 

[mark1]

sorry but still new to plastering and seem to be confused is the tacky pva coat to stick the plaster to the wall or will plaster stick to the dry pva coat.i have had problems recently re skim on bedrooms put a 5/1 coat on walls 3 days before i skimmed it put a 1/1 coat on let it go tacky but when i spread the plaster sags as if pva not dry enough, wait a while then put second coat seams to be ok (pva from wickes not the waterproof one should i use the waterproof one ?) thanks for any advice

 

[bigsegs]

could just be that whatever you pva'd over (maybe silk paint?) just wont suck the pva in so as soon as your plaster hits it, it lives up again and its slidin down the wall....you wouldnt get that over straight plaster...
happens to me occasionally, just gotta bite the bullet and hang back a bit before you top it...still better than havin it burn on you...

 

[nicksey1401]

sorry but still new to plastering and seem to be confused is the tacky pva coat to stick the plaster to the wall or will plaster stick to the dry pva coat.i have had problems recently re skim on  bedrooms put a 5/1 coat on walls 3 days before i skimmed it put a 1/1 coat on let it go tacky but when i spread the plaster sags as if pva not dry enough, wait a while then put second coat seams to be ok (pva from wickes not the waterproof one should i use the waterproof one ?) thanks for any advice

i had the same prob mate on an overskim on old plaster i used 4/1 as a sealer and 1/3 as the priming coat, i don't know if it's me but i swear this is what it said o the tub (travis p.v.a) it did sag like a trooper because as you said mate it does seem a bit strong
to be honest it does depend on your background but this will come from trial and error but 90% of the time 2 coats of 2/1 has always been ok for me