Today I am going to Lime PLaster

[skier-hughes]

So, it'll either go to plan or not............
Anyway, kettle will have boiled, so better get that plan right first..............

 

[plasticpigeon]

Which coat are you doing? Good luck. Have you got your various floats?

 

[skier-hughes]

I have a whole set of tools, and am starting with base haired coat!!
Lime is currently knocking up, wall is currently dampening down, I'm drinking more tea.
Pictures will follow!
I've been on a course, a couple of years back now though, and watched the experts do my kitchen, bedroom and helped a bit with the bathroom.
This wall isn't so important, as it's an old outside wall that is now inside a relatively new extension and at only 6 sq metres and mostly hidden by freezer, I thought it was ripe for my first solo attempt!
Maybe you could pop over this afternoon and help out?

 

[plasticpigeon]

Not sure I'd be a lot of help, my attitude is to keep working it till it is right. At least with lime that is possible.

 

[skier-hughes]

With all your experience you'd be a wonderful help, at least I could ensure I had plenty of tea and kitkat while you plastered

 

[Flyfisher]

Good luck with it! We'll await the obligatory photos with bated breath.

Now, put that kit kat down and get back to work! :lol:

 

[Flyfisher]

Hmm. No news from Skier . . . I hope he hasn't fallen in the mixer.

 

[skier-hughes]

I was lime plastering!! Just finished and cleaned my tools ready for an early start tomorrow...... got some pictures, they will follow, but now I need sleep

 

[skier-hughes]

Took a bit longer than expected, had a disaster or two, but with a little on-line help from the other place I've finished my wall with the scratch coat.

 

[skier-hughes]

End of day one's work



Day two was spent mostly tearing my hair out. I had to plaster above the doorway, (horizontal piece like the ceiling) onto a hacked about concrete lintel. I had just finished it, and was feeling quite happy and had Jo's parents in the kitchen next door, when........

PLOP it all fell off.

more details in other posting of result!!

Managed to stave off the really bad language and had another tea break, along with online research.

Fixed some stainless mesh on the vertical, bent round and on the horizontal and finished the day around 10pm again with plaster staying on the lintel!

Day one about 3.5sq m, day two about 1 sq m.

 

[skier-hughes]

Day three went more much to plan and got about 3sq m completed and that finished he wall.

So, as usual, this is how I started, using kitkats for contemplation, I have cookies for preparation!



and this is how it now looks!

 

[skier-hughes]

Coat two today.....................

 

[plasticpigeon]

Well done! I am plastering tomorrow, trying to tidy up the parts that the plasterer didn't finish very well. In fact I will probably end up reskimming one wall and replacing the pantry ceiling as it is an absolute disgrace. Patching lime plaster is very hard it seems as it is not possible to feather the edge to nothing. Perhaps a lime (as in putty no sand) and gypsum mix could be used to go over the patch to soften the edge. Anyone know?

 

[Feltwell]

I've used powder filler to feather bad edges on plaster here to good effect. A little bit of filler won't do any great harm I reckon!

Gyproc Easifill is cheap for a big bag which lasts for ages, it's meant for jointing plasterboard but it's a good general purpose powder filler and it sands easily. Builder's Merchants stock it, so long as you keep it in a plastic outer sack somewhere dry it lasts for at least 3 years after it's "use by" date.

 

[Flyfisher]

Looking good Graham - full marks for perseverance!!

 

[plasticpigeon]

Thanks Feltwell, I might try that on small patches, but there are some larger areas to level off which will need something I can trowel on like normal multifinish. The lime skim on the largest wall is very thin, maybe only 0.5mm. I like to think that it looks ok because the render I put on was so flat, but the finish is rough enough to warrant me doing it again. There comes a time when I've identified so many bits that need patching that I may as well do the lot. Should have done it myself in the first place. The same reaction I've had after every tradesperson's efforts. However it makes my partner happy when she can see me wasting my money as it looks like I'm trying to get things done quickly.

 

[skier-hughes]

I'm getting the hang of it, will do second coat in 1 day instead of the three days it took for the first. Then again, I did find an awful lot of unprepared areas that I had missed.

 

[plasticpigeon]

I replastered the pantry ceiling, new boards and all, and couldn't believe how easy it was compared to lime. However when trying to straighten the the join between walls and ceiling in the main kitchen I got into all sorts of troubles despite covering a foot worth of the perimeter of the ceiling with PVA. The plaster just seems to dry out really fast making work slow and then it sets before I finish. I now have a good shape but poor finish which I suppose is better than bad shape and poor finish. At least new stuff can be scraped and sanded. I shall be doing all the plastering from now on, what fun!

 

[skier-hughes]

I've got a plasterer in today and tomorrow to do all the new walls and ceilings in pantry and utility. Second coat went well, finished in a day, well would have done if I had enough mixed, had about 2 square feet left to do, so mixed more yesterday and did the wall in the pantry that I forgot I needed to do.
I now have one wall with one coat and one all with two coats!

 

[skier-hughes]

Mind you he is tearing his hair out, "How am I going to get a straight edge here and here and ..............."
Me, don't worry, there's no other straight edge, just plaster it as it is!!
Him tut tut tut mutter mutter, quality of my work compromised.........
me, have another cup of coffee