DIY advice please - removing plaster from brick

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MartDude · #1 Post by **MartDude** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 5:06 pm

Having started to prepare the dining room for re-decorating, I found that quite a bit of the plaster was loose, so I've knocked that off. It's beginning to look as if it would be better to strip the whole lot, & replace with plaster-board, rather than patch what's remaining.

I'm finding removing the more firmly-attached plaster rather hard on my recently-operated on wrist - been using a brick hammer & crowbars; any suggestions for doing this more easily?

I was wondering about using a cranked chisel in the SDS drill, on roto-stop.

#2 Post by **Kwackerz** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 5:28 pm

Angle grinder...

I dont think a hammer drill will help your wrist any more than the hammer..

I'd suggest hiring an oik for a tenner. There's usually someone's teenage lad who'd like to earn a few spons.

My young lad often gets roped in for random things for people, like that.

Keith75 · #3 Post by **Keith75** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 5:49 pm

I don't suppose framing it in 2" x 1" and plasterboarding onto that is an option? Save a lot of work, albeit at the expense of a couple of inches (write your own punchline).

Willopotomas · #4 Post by **Willopotomas** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 6:45 pm

If you're boarding it anyway, why bother taking the old stuff off? As Keith say's, just box it in.

fatboy · #5 Post by **fatboy** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 7:14 pm

There is a method of fixing plasterboard onto existing walls without needing to fix battens.
If the existing wall is fairly flat and true you can use the dot and dab method,dobs of a special type of plaster on the back of the plasterboard bonds it to the wall
Use PVA glue,diluted with water 50% painted on the wall to sael it, leave 24 hours ( after getting rid of the loose shite )

MartDude · #6 Post by **MartDude** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 7:48 pm

This is one of those jobs that's escalated. Initially, I was just removing loose patches of the skim - a plasterer friend was going to re-skim those areas (I've seen his work, & know he can patch neatly). Then I found the loose plaster - plasterer said 'get it off'. Now half of one wall , & over a third of another, are bare, in patches.

At the moment, to me it looks as if it would be better to remove the existing plaster - it'll be much quicker for my friend to board it, rather than plaster from scratch.

Actually the best solution, as far as I'm concerned, would be top return the dining room to it's original function - an integral garage. Then the bike wouldn't have to live outside. But SWMBO doesn't concur. Funny chaps, women.

snapdragon · #7 Post by **snapdragon** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 7:52 pm

How old is the plaster? my place is a century old, and some plaster just falls away but in places it's been patched with high tensile comcrete (or whatever) The last time I removed wallpaper and the plaster all fell off I scrubbed and chipped what was soft, painted all over with a weakened pva solution leaving the hard areas insitu. Then used a lightweight all in one plaster to re-do the wall up to the level of the hard stuff.
For me - the bits that weren't broke didn't need fixing

If you're boarding onto uneven walls there'll be battens and you will lose space, but you could patch fill without skim and let it harden before fixing direct by dabs

garage sounds better to me too :D

bigun · #8 Post by **bigun** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 8:13 pm

Dot and dab is your answer and is pretty cheap to do. You won't really gain anything by hacking it all off as your plasterer will probably then board and skim anyway (its quicker and easier than old school plastering) By hacking it off you're only saving a few mm. Get the loose stuff off, dot and dab, square edge board and tape the joints. Skim coat on top, job done.

fatboy · #9 Post by **fatboy** » Tue Apr 17, 2012 7:10 pm

Or garage

Dot and dab fastest, cheapest way if the funny woman chap is to be kept smiling

Gio · #10 Post by **Gio** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 9:28 pm

I have dot and dab its horrible, its how they build modern (won't last 50 years) houses.
Anyway i have a good plasterer now he's only £120 a day and he'll do a whole room in that, obviously materials are extra but I know how I'm replacing things.