Hack off the gypsum plaster and replace with lime?

[JoceAndChris]

I don't know, I really don't. What would you do? They're exterior walls.

The two interior walls - I know it's lime plaster as I can see the horse hair.

The two exterior walls - I know it's gypsum as it's pink and brittle.

Black mould that's been behind a fitted wardrobe for 30 years - I pulled the wardrobe out

The first layer of the pink plaster is just flaking off, but underneath that seems sound and firmly attached

Very hard concretey plaster around the cold water pipe that runs from the well to the attic

Looking very carefully at the room, and knowing its history, I suspect that it was worked on in the 30s when other areas of the house were cemented up. But should we return it to lime?

 

[skier-hughes]

I'm taking all of my gypsum plaster off.

 

[Lime]

What are the funny marks on the cables?
(bottom picture)
They look like they could be nail holes.

 

[JohnB]

I'm about to start taking more of mine off. Very thin skim of gypsum and two inches of cement :roll:. I'll try to limit the violence to an hour a day, so my SDS drill doesn't shake me to pieces!

 

[JoceAndChris]

Lime - they're just grimy marks, not nail holes.

Are you boys hacking off the gypsum out of sheer perfectionism or because of a persistent damp problem?

 

[JohnB]

Are you boys hacking off the gypsum out of sheer perfectionism or because of a persistent damp problem?

My walls are quite wet under the cement, and in places it has come through, but the room I'm about to start just appears to have condensation problems. I think my main reasons for doing it are to protect the building by undoing unenlightened "modernisation", make the house more comfortable because dry walls should be warmer, and because I want a place with character that doesn't look like a pair of 1950s council houses! I also want to see what horrors are hidden, such as rotten timber and dodgy alterations.

I'm also uncovering evidence that it was originally two houses, that have been partially made into one, seemingly without permission, and I want it to be two again!

 

[MatthewC]

Joce

I am assuming that you have an on-going damp problem, judging by that disintegrating pink plaster and the black mould. If it is as bad as it looks, why do you have to ask the question? I can perhaps understand your reluctance to rip off the gypsum plaster if it looks sound, but the problem will surely remain until the walls can breathe.

Matthew

 

[jocelyn plummer]

I agree with that Matthew--- strip off Joce----. Nasty mould needs GONE once and for all.

 

[JoceAndChris]

The room never felt damp. The wallpaper stayed on for nearly 30 years. It's just that I've just pulled it off, and pulled the fitted wardrobe out. Behind the fitted wardrobe is the black condensation type mould, and near the door the top layer of gypsum has come off, but it would take some really full on bashing to get it all off - not a job I'm prepared to do myself - nor would I want to lime plaster myself. Around £1000 of work I'd imagine? I'm just wondering if it's really necessary when the outside is still caked in cement.

Oh, if only I were a builder.

 

[Zebra]

nor would I want to lime plaster myself

When I lime plaster I always plaster myself - clothes, hair, face......

 

[Feltwell]

I've long since given up getting myself plastered - it hurts too much the next day now.

 

[Flyfisher]

Purism aside, I'm presuming the black mould behind the fitted wardrobe is a condensation problem rather than a systemic damp problem. If this is correct and the plaster is sound then I'd clean it up and leave it - even patch it up, where necessary, with more gypsum plaster. If you're not planning on papering the walls and require a really smooth surface then I'd even consider re-skimming with gypsum.

However, if you do have a real damp problem then I'd hack off the gypsum in the offending area and replace with lime. Although I'd probably want to make that decision after the external cement render is removed or replaced (do I recall you've mentioned before how an inside damp patch cleared up after a section of external cement render was removed?).

Not a purist approach perhaps, but pragmatic. If funds were unlimited then I'd probably take another view but, as with our house, I'd rather spend money on more important things before replacing gypsum plaster that has no apparent problems.

 

[jocelyn plummer]

mmm --- maybe a good wash down and leave exposed for a while will be a good move. We need some sunshine as well. !!

 

[JoceAndChris]

I think that's all very sensible. I'd love the whole house to be lime plaster inside and out, admire, envy, respect those who are doing just that. But it would really mean a whole different kind of project to one I was prepared to take on - the house was sold as " finished". ( of course they never are!)

I don't think there's a serious damp problem here, it isn't as bad as the dining room was and other areas where we've hacked off exterior cement. I think just repairing with Polyfiller and repapering will be sufficient.


Thanks for all the feedback.

 

[LadyArowana]

the house was sold as " finished". ( of course they never are!)

So true, the big house opposite us in London was worked on almost continuously for maybe 5 years. Planning applications came and went, plans changed ( they wouldn't allow the underground pool and garage ) and finally it looked "finished". Clearly the lack of pool and having to keep the ugly, small, newish garage was too much for them though and it was put up for sale. I was about 10m short of the price so it got sold to someone else, and they have just moved in..... and yes the builders and landscapers are back LOL.

 

[skier-hughes]

Mostly perfectionism, but it's been nice to find some timberwork under some of the gypsum.
The taking off has never been that hard. An sds drill with various width chisels and confidence. Ok a little bit of brick bashing happens, but that in my eyes is catered for by the fact that the 99% of bricks that remain unharmed are going to last an awful lot longer now, the odd brick with is damaged is often soft from the gypsum and damp, so gets replaced and the very odd brick which I damage from not being too careful gets plastered over anyway.

 

[Flyfisher]

I was about 10m short of the price so it got sold to someone else, . . . .

Bad luck Milday, how infuriating to be so close to the asking price. :wink:

 

[LadyArowana]

I was about 10m short of the price so it got sold to someone else, . . . .

Bad luck Milday, how infuriating to be so close to the asking price. :wink:

:lol: I am waiting for the transaction to get listed on Zoopla / Primelocation so I can see what it actually sold for. I knew what it listed for, but the gossip was that they cut the price substantially to get rid of it. Strange to live on a building site for years, turn a lovely arts and crafts home into a sterile modern box and then move. It did provide endless entertainment for the serial objectors in our building though, mostly that was driven by jealousy rather than any genuine conservation desire, the garage they wanted to demolish is not some bit of original lovliness. So they didn't do anything tragic to the house, it was more the style of the decor inside that was horrid.