Dot n' Dab on old/poor walls

[hoicem]

Is dot and dab now the most popular method of covering a wall?

Half of our 19th century town house is currently stripped down to the brickwork which is very poor. The plaster wants to dot and dab everywhere.

We have damp & contaminated walls(salts) in the kitchen. I've installed a resin DPC, neatralized the salts and plan to use a waterproof plaster membrane on the lower 1.5 metre of the walls to make sure whatever finish is used the damp will not penetrate to the surface.

I have no experience of dot and dab really, but the plasterer(very experienced) seemed to recommend. Any other options with old tatty/ uneven brickwork?.....

and any other advice?

[George]

Nothing wrong with Dot&Dab however I wouldn't have it in my kitchen though as its a bugger to hang the units on the wall. :-) If you're opposing the D&D method then you have the right to tell the plasterer you want the traditional method of backing plaster,after all your paying for it.

[Andrew Gabriel]

Yes, because it's thought to be less skilled.

Brickwork which was intended to be plastered often is. That's where the 'B' grade bricks got used, and the appentice brickie did his practice work.

Standard scratch coat (use sand and cement and waterproofer if the wall is likely to stay damp), and standard finish coat.

[Weatherlawyer]

No it isn't.

You are suposed to run a strip of bonding all along the joints to stop the wall becoming a smoke and fire conduit. Work out where the wall unit fixings are going to be. The bottom of the wall unit is going to be some 18 inches or three tiles above the work-top. So two suitably placed strips along those heights are going to be all you need take care of.

After that, all you need is the normal screws and plastic plugs. Failing that you just use a 2 x 1 behind the units fixed with mastic bonding or silicon. The 2 x 1 will take the weight and spread it around the board.

(Clear silicon is as adhesive as no-nails/gripfill and can be removed with the least problem if it is in the wrong place. Coloured silicon shouldn't be used.)

[George]

You do it your way and I'll have the piece of mind my cupboards will stay up. :-P