Lime Plastering

[Agu]

Good morning all,

This is my first post on the forum so forgive me if I get things a little wrong.

I have an 1892 cottage with solid walls and have recently had a wall strapped as there had previously been some movement. I still have to rewire the house and take a fireplace out but after this will then need to plaster the whole house! I am unfortunately ( or fortunately depending on how I am feeling on any particular day) unable to afford to have a plasterer come in and do this work so will be doing it myself!! :shock: I have no experience of this and was hoping somebody could reassure me it's not as hard as people suggest.

I am planning to remove any blown plaster and then replaster and skim the house, I am aware that I will need to make sure the walls are breathable to avoid any mositure issues in the solid walls - is lime plaster the best option for this and is it a skill that, while not going to be up to professional standard, I can do to a decent standard??

Any comments and advice would be gratefully recieved.

Thank you

Agu

 

[Mark]

Yes. :lol:

You can do it to a fair standard.
Lime is the best option.

If you do a search then you'll find many threads discussing the ins and outs.

 

[MdB]

There are a number of lime courses around the country which are well worth going on. Not done any plastering myself yet but intend to give it a go.

 

[DaveBrigg]

There is a wealth of good advice on this forum; a quick search should bring it up. I went on a one day course in Sheffield which was well worthwhile, since you don't have to sit and stare at your mistakes for years afterwards. The most economical way is to mix your own plaster, which is a skill in itself, but the small bits I've attempted have stayed on the wall. It depends what type of finish you need.

 

[Agu]

Thank you, you've confirmed that I need to give it a try myself. I'll head off to swot up and may well be back to seek more advice when I know a little more myself.

Thanks again

 

[rosbif]

Give it a go.
I started on this lime stuff about 8 months ago, knowing next to nothing about it. I found that by doing little bits, you learn what works for you and what doesn't.
There are an increasing number of books and articles on using lime, together with advice on this (and other) forums.
Go on a course if you can (although I have to say that courses don't usually do anything for me)
At the end, nothing beats the experience of doing it, and unlike soddin' gypsum, it's not the end of the world, if you have to rip out what you've just plastered and re-do it.
Remember, don't fear having a go, 'cos fear leads to the dark side (i.e. Polyfilla......)

 

[Nemesis]

And Mike Wye has a very useful DVD available on his site.

 

[Anonymous]

Having recently paid and watched professionals lime plastering most of the walls in our house I would suggest you save up until you can afford to have it done properly. True anyone can throw plaster on the walls, or build the walls themselves for that matter, but attending a one day course will not give you the skills that a trained plasterer has spent years learning, my other half attended such a course, which to be fair gave us a better understanding of the benefits of using lime, but it did not and could not hope to give you the necessary practical skills to undertake a major project. I had a play around with some plaster when the builders were in and it was quite satisfying but there was a world of difference between my crude attempt ( which was quickly scaped off) and the finish the builders achieved. I suppose it depends on what you are happy with, we had three coat haired plaster on stone walls finished plumb and straight to avoid problems with fitted units etc.

 

[Nemesis]

While I am sure there are people who don't feel they can DIY, there are many others who have carried out significant amounts of lime plastering in their own homes - and saved a great deal of cash, it's not cheap to hire people.

It is possible, as with all things it takes time to learn but it can be done. Unlike gypsum lime's a forgiving material, and if things don't go right at first there are plenty of people here to ask.

For some, perfection isn't needed, as they live in cottages with walls where the plaster doesn't have to be plumb perfect. However, others post here such as Nigel Watts who has carried out not only 'basic' plastering, but also done a great deal of repair work to decorative cornices, with amazing results.

As with all things, it depends how much time you have, how much cash, and how practical you are at working with your hands.

 

[inwood]

If you're planning a lot of plastering the you can certainly save yourself some cash but it will always take you longer without the experience of a time honoured plasterer. Personally I enjoy it (when it goes well!).

I did a two day course in modern plastering techniques with a great company based near Bedford - they do 1,2 or three day courses - http://www.plasteringworkshop.com. Considering everyone on the course had no experience we all ended up with perfect finishes after two days. That will give you the basics of plastering.

I then did a lime plastering course with Ty-Mawr Lime - http://www.lime.org.uk which helped me understand the differences between lime and gypsum plastering.

Since you're planning to plaster a cottage then the finish isn't as important as it might be in say a Georgian mansion so I would definitely give it a go. You could always find say a 1 metre squared area to practice on, apply three coats and then pull it off and apply again until you're comfortable with the technique and comfortable to do a whole wall. Have a look a uTube for a quick intro:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOxPsK6MZzA&feature=related

 

[Nemesis]

Great vid - thanks for that!

I note several others also via that link.

Hmmmm...

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=oJDFBNfpKgI&feature=related

 

[Agu]

Thanks once again to all for you responses, it's been very helpful and insightful. Think I will be giving it a go as the finances wont stretch far enough for the plastering and if I save up it might end up with the other half walking out on me as the house will be years in a right state.

 

[brynffynnon]

Lime plastering your entire house, sounds as though you are are removing 25% of a thermal element (plaster) this would mean that you have to meet part L of the building regulations. i.e drylinning with an air gap and 75mm of rigid phenolic board with foil linned plaster board ! hardly the breathable quaint cottage look you have in mind . I speak from experience (expensive)

 

[Nemesis]

It's not actually law...

by Ian Bond on 12 Nov 2007 09:42

But Part L1B of the regs does not just exempt listed buildings or those in CAs...

See Page 18, Historic Buildings in the General Guidance section.

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/BR_PDF_ADL1B_2006.pdf

Which refers to...

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/upload/pdf/ign_partl_buildingregs.pdf

See 3.6 Other Buildings on Page 6.

Yes, I know it is only guidance, and yes I know that you may get an intransigent BCO. But the above is what the docs actually state.

Also - see this thread:

http://periodproperty.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=8571&p=103818&hilit=Ian+Bond+lime+Part+L#p103818