Tried the sponge and couldn’t get the sponge marks completely out. when using sponge do you flatten the final coat sooner than normal and apply the sponge straight away while the wall is still pretty wet? And do you flatten out the sponge marks straight away or wait a bit? Would really appreciate some tips thanks.
Sponge floating
- Thread starter Jimbo95
- Start date
paulf
Well-Known Member
Bin the sponge for everyday skimming, it's an unnecessary. It all seems pointless me, I use one trowel start to finish most of the time.
smoother09
Well-Known Member
You must be talking about rendering or washing the car, surely you can't be talking about sponging skim I thought we got past all that nonsense, go youtube if you wanna get involved with all that jibba jabba!
Complete
Well-Known Member
This is how I'd do it.
First coat maybe 25% more than you typically would in a set.
Flatten with a blue blade speedskim straight away, bigger the better.
Sort out all your internals and brushing.
Second coat and again flatten with speedskim straight away.
Once it's picked up and ready for a first trowel, give it a light mist with clean water, 1 wall at a time. Once the wall is dampened, give it a sponge with a figure of 8 motion over the whole wall. Make sure the sponge is wet and wash it out after each wall is sponged.
Once the first wall is sponged, give it a trowel. Make sure you move the gear around and keep your trowel clean. Don't leave any sponge marks in the wall.
Do this on all walls.
Then treat it as you would with second trowel.
You can afford for the gear to go a bit on each wall as the sponge brings it back. Keep the sponge wet but the wall just dampened.
It slows the set down so you may aswell put more on than you usually do, otherwise it's pointless.
First coat maybe 25% more than you typically would in a set.
Flatten with a blue blade speedskim straight away, bigger the better.
Sort out all your internals and brushing.
Second coat and again flatten with speedskim straight away.
Once it's picked up and ready for a first trowel, give it a light mist with clean water, 1 wall at a time. Once the wall is dampened, give it a sponge with a figure of 8 motion over the whole wall. Make sure the sponge is wet and wash it out after each wall is sponged.
Once the first wall is sponged, give it a trowel. Make sure you move the gear around and keep your trowel clean. Don't leave any sponge marks in the wall.
Do this on all walls.
Then treat it as you would with second trowel.
You can afford for the gear to go a bit on each wall as the sponge brings it back. Keep the sponge wet but the wall just dampened.
It slows the set down so you may aswell put more on than you usually do, otherwise it's pointless.
smoother09
Well-Known Member
Chancer!
Yeah don’t know if it’s for me and it seems it could be more time consuming than the traditional way
Complete
Well-Known Member
Didn't say I do it that way, I've tried it, and it works
smoother09
Well-Known Member
I know, just wanted you to bite lol
Complete
Well-Known Member
You'll have to do better than that, racist
Sorry when you say 25% more with first coat do you mean make the coat thicker or flatten sooner? Thanks
Complete
Well-Known Member
I mean do more meterage. If you normally do 100m2 a set then do 125m2. The sponge gives you time, you may aswell have more gear on or you're just finishing later
MakeItSmooth
Well-Known Member
@Jimbo95 don't overlook this little detail. I'm not big on sponging but I can tell you that you probably made the mistake of leaving your sponged wall too long before troweling it. When you sponge your wall, you have (generally speaking) no more than 5 minutes before it needs troweling, because you have to bear in mind that the plaster has already begin to pull-in before you livened it with a wet sponge - that means it will pull-in rapidly after sponging, and that can catch you out if the sponge marks don't stay soft enough to smooth out properly.
As soon as the wet glossy shine on the wall from the sponging water begins to go slightly satin/dull, you need to get busy troweling it, pronto. In summer, this can be immediately after you've completed sponging. In winter, 5+ mins or so. This can vary slightly depending on the suction of the wall, or if there's central heating, etc., but you get the general idea.
If you struggle to trowel the wall fast enough, to get all the sponge marks out, then a metal-blade spatula (or speedskim SF) can help you.
Blue plastic speedskim ST for flattening fresh plaster, metal blade speedskim for smoothing-out sponge marks. If you're confident and quick with a trowel, then you may not need any speedskims. If you feel like using speedskims, then remember that you can buy one speedskim and then buy a different blade for it, to save money.
I'm not one of the 'haters' of people who like to use sponging, but, ideally, you should try to learn to plaster without sponging. IMO, sponging is better used for occasional situations where there is uneven suction on a wall, etc., where it can make life easier.
Retired Spread
Well-Known Member
yet again another bunch of over-complicated bollox posted on here
Retired Spread
Well-Known Member
MakeItSmooth
Well-Known Member
Retired Spread
Well-Known Member
no..... NathHas Hector been coaching you?
MakeItSmooth
Well-Known Member
Has Hector been coaching you?
To be fair, no one is promoting sponging. The guy specifically asked about it.
Often, it's too easy to just slam someone and judge them for asking a controversial question in the TPF bear pit, rather than calmly answering what they asked.
IMO, it's nice to see someone answering a sincere question with a sincere answer, but I do get where you're coming from
You remind me of Wayne's mechanic, Roger, on Chasing Classic Cars.
smoother09
Well-Known Member
I'm not racist just don't like Muslims
Retired Spread
Well-Known Member
commendable response but its still all bollox
To be fair, no one is promoting sponging. The guy specifically asked about it.
Often, it's too easy to just slam someone and judge them for asking a controversial question in the TPF bear pit, rather than calmly answering what they asked.
IMO, it's nice to see someone answering a sincere question with a sincere answer, but I do get where you're coming from
You remind me of Wayne's mechanic, Roger, on Chasing Classic Cars.
Complete
Well-Known Member
I gave that advise on the assumption that the guy asking was a competent spread.
It can be done that way, I'm not suggesting it's ideal or required. Just how it should be done if it is going to be sponged.
I don't do it but I could
Retired Spread
Well-Known Member
why on gods fkin earth would anyone need to sponge float skim?
I just don't fkin get it pal
algeeman
It’s A Boy
Attachments
smoother09
Well-Known Member
All panoramic shots to make rooms look bigger 
u should get a job in estate agents!
u should get a job in estate agents!
algeeman
It’s A Boy
All panoramic shots to make rooms look bigger
jamie count the boards
ffs
algeeman
It’s A Boy
little one for you @smoother09
only 24 boards
only 24 boards
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Complete
Well-Known Member
No one needs too, like I said
smoother09
Well-Known Member
Your too easy lol pulling ya pisser
Complete
Well-Known Member
Keeps you going don't it alfI fuucking love that radio mate
not skimming the tops anymore
algeeman
It’s A Boy
Your too easy lol pulling ya pisser
mines is tiny jamie
struggling to pull the f**k*r up nowadays
algeeman
It’s A Boy
yes mate
jamming rock and roll in the morning
then house music
just ordered another battery
