I have recently had a fireplace removed from my living room, which has left a hole about the size of a small football in my plastered wall. I am a complete novice at this type of thing but would like to try to repair it myself. Can anyone please give me some advice about the steps i need to take. Thanks Paul
Others better qualified will no doubt be along but my advice is, before all else, make sure you get new, fresh plaster. The difference between using fresh plaster and an ancient sackful is most considerable. The old stuff goes off in minutes and leaves you with a surface a special effect designed for Star Trek would sell his soul for.
For a bit of plastering this size you can afford to learn on the job. Get a bag of Multifinish, mix it to be workable, put some into the hole so that there's about 1/4 inch left to fill. Leave it a bit rough. Next day, no later, finish it with Multifinish. This means filling to the original level, smoothing a bit, leaving it a little while to go off (say 30 mins), smoothing again, putting small amounts in if some is a bit low, and hoping you've done a good job. If it's rough, don't worry. Either sand the tops off with sandpaper after a couple of days, or fill in depressions with Polyfilla, or both.
When you've filled the original hole ready for the topcoat,don't leave it too long before putting on the finish or the base coat will dry out and suck water out of the topcoat and make your life difficult. You can put on the topcoat as soon as the bottom has gone off (and maybe shrunk, leaving cracks which are fine in the basecoat but you don't want in the finish.).
You may feel a whole bag of Multifinish is a bit much for a small job. Well, it's not very expensive, but you could get some small bags of jobbing plaster from a shed. Mind you, they may work out more expensive, but the psychology is that you throw less away so are more comfortable with it!
This is a non-professional plasterer talking so you may find some pros come along and suggest something different.
Rob Graham
For holes blown out of plaster I use the ready mixed polyfilla finishing skim. [1]
It's certainly probably not the most cost effective, but for ease of going on, speed, coverage and finishing sanding it's the easiest i've found to use.
Don't go over it too heavy, for deep fills use 2 or 3 applications then sand down.
Cheers,
Paul.
[1] I'm sure someone will be along to say they don't think this is a good idea !
From my own only experience of plastering a significant area, my advice would include making sure that the room is not dry and warm when you are plastering - or it will dry out too quickly for your comfort while working. Windows wide open on a cool day seemed to be desirable, but those more experienced than me can comment further on such matters.
Funny - I've never seen a shop that sells used bags of plaster. ;-)
Actually, for little repair jobs, keeping half a bag of old plaster can be quite handy, simply because it does go off so quickly.
I know lots that sell stale plaster though - and after its been in a shed for a year you could make a model of the north face of the Eiger with one pass of a trowel!
Too bloody right. I bought some once and attempted to plaster a french door reveal. Bit tricky when it sets in 30 seconds! Grrrrr.
Fit a piece of plasterboard into the hole in such a way you can use it as a patch/backing piece. To do this:
Work out the biggest piece you can slot through the hole. Thread a loop of string through two holes in it. Slather a load of plaster on it. Post. Hold in place until the plaster sets. Remove string.
Then plaster the hole. Do it in three layers. Expect the last one to shrink too far back when it has dried in a few days. Go over it with polyfiller and sand down flush.
In message , Dave Plowman writes
You don't shop at Wickes then
I do, but realise my limitions, plastering wise. The white one coat stuff is about my standard.
I'd have thought places like Wickes good for plaster given the rate they sell it.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.