Looking for advice on plaster identification/removal

[Maisiedays]

Hello everyone,
I've been doing a lot of reading about plaster in its various forms, (never thought I would say that).
Most of it has been online purely because I don't know if there are any good books out there about period plaster.
Can anyone suggest some good reading on this subject? It can be books or online. I'm not fussy.

Also, I keep seeing renovations where the modern plaster has been removed and period plaster applied, but I haven't seen anyone mention things like lead paint or asbestos. We were hoping to do a lot of the work on our new house ourselves but I'm starting to worry we will have to get someone in and quarantine the place until the old plaster is removed. How do I know what is on my walls?

Sorry I'm inundating everyone with so many questions. It seems as though every time I find the answer to one question I have three more questions about the answer! :shock:

I've tried searching the forum but haven't come up with anything that answers my questions.

All advice happily accepted.

Thank you,
Kath

 

[plasticpigeon]

Try this, I think it is pretty much the definitive text. I haven't heard about asbestos in plaster apart from in artex, but I imagine most old paint, particularly white and light colours is lead based. Other paints have horrid stuff in too like arsenic in greens, mercury in reds etc, lead chromes in others yellow and green I think, but a lot used natural pigments too.

 

[davidbrac]

never heard of lime plaster having asbestos in it, the first coat often has horse hair in it thought. This information may help
http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/shop/acatalog/plastering_with_lime.html

 

[plasticpigeon]

Sorry I forgot the link

https://archive.org/details/plasteringplaind00mill

 

[Maisiedays]

Both of these links are brilliant. Thank you both, so much.
I have no idea what is on my walls at present but I'm willing to bet it is not lime plaster. Actually, I can tell they've put up sheet rock on some of the walls and anything could be behind it.
As for asbestos in plaster, I've been reading that it was added to plaster around WWII. The article was saying how difficult it is to detect because it often formed clumps, so you could test one area and it could look asbestos free but the rest could be full of asbestos fibres. Keeping in mind this was an online article and might not be trustworthy. Hence my initial questions.

I still can't believe I'm drooling over this plaster book. If my friends could see me now.

 

[Penners]

I wouldn't worry too much about your plaster - unless, as plasticpigeon says, it's Artex (which is generally - although not exclusively - used on ceilings). Some forms of Artex were at one time made with an asbestos content.

There probably aren't many people on this forum who haven't, at one time or another, set about hacking off modern plaster - your chances of encountering nasties are probably low.

You talk about 'period plaster' - I assume you mean lime plaster? If your plan is to hack off gypsum (ie: modern) plaster and replace it with lime plaster, this can only be good for your property.

One of the suppliers of traditional materials who is quite often used by people here is Mike Wye Associates. This page on their website is a useful read:-

http://www.mikewye.co.uk/mikeplastering.htm

Sorry I'm inundating everyone with so many questions. It seems as though every time I find the answer to one question I have three more questions about the answer!

This forum lives and breathes period property questions, so you certainly have no need to apologise for contributing as many as you like! Remember that other people may well encounter the same problems as you, so the answers to your questions could well be of help to them, too. That's what forums are all about.

 

[Maisiedays]

Yet another great link! Thank you so much.
I'm enjoying this process so much I'm a little worried about what happens when we're done with this project.

 

[Moo]

You stay on the forum and share your hard-won knowledge with others.
(But you'll never run out of questions!)

 

[Penners]

what happens when we're done with this project.

The simple answer, Kath, is that you start another one! Once you've been bitten by the bug, you're infected for life!

 

[Zebra]

I'm worried about that too! I might have to go and get a life!

 

[Cocoa]

I'd second the Mike Wye reccomendation. I was doing a lot of reading too, and ended up thoroughly confused as to the terms and language particularly (sample conversation with self: why have Wormersleys sent me lime PUTTY? I distinctly asked for lime PLASTER) In the end, I went on one of Mike's courses and it did take the fear out of it for me.

And I did my very first bit of actual plastering this weekend (repointing doesn't count) and - to my eyes - it looks pretty good.