Hello,
I have been stripping some wallpaper and some plaster has come of from behind it. I did use a steamer, is this to blame? I would have thought that a steamer would cause air bubbles trapped under the plaster (between layers?) to expand and cause the plaster to crumble, so is it a sign of the plaster being bad, rather than the steamer's fault? How could a steamer damage good plaster?
I don't think I held the steamer too long in one place as three walls escaped without injury but the fourth wall had a few areas where the plaster fell off. It's only the top layer of plaster that fell off, leaving a very sandy render underneath. I tapped it to see what was hollow and picked off the loose bits by hand.
I used to buy Wickes ready mixed tubs for about £7 but they are now nearer £12! I saw that a small bag of plaster powder was only a few pounds so decided to try and mix my own.
The instructions were a bit vague so I wasn't sure quite what consistency I wanted. I thought if it was too runny it might take forever to dry and might slide off the wall. I thought if it was too dry it might be lumpy and crack.
I mixed some that seemed to apply ok but overnight it has cracked. I understand this means it dried too fast. (I did not have any heating in the room: the rad was removed for decorating).
Does this mean I need to make the mix a bit wetter next time?
How do I treat the cracks? Ca I just fill them with more plaster/filler?
Thanks, Stephen.