Re-plastering after rewiring - hints please?

[Colin Brook]

Hello, one of my sons has just had his first home rewired and, to save money, elected to do the replastering over cable conduits and around pattress boxes himself. Some of the existing plastering which has been cut into is old and a little powdery.

Neither of us has done anything other than basic hole filling before but I want to get on with some of this while he's away and would appreciate hints and tips including choice of product e.g. Polycell Deep Gap polyfilla? Some of the pattresses have been set in quite deep - should I make some of card frame round them to give a more even shape to work to?

I'm pretty sure I've seen some helpful discussion about this on this newsgroup before but, at the moment, don't seem to be able to locate it in previous threads.

Any comments or pointers gratefully received.

Regards, Colin

[John Rumm]

I usually do the bulk of the filling with bonding plaster, its cheap, and stays put. You can then do a final finish with something finer like a fine surface filler or skim plaster where you need to.

[DavidM]

I've just done the same thing for my son who's had his house rewired. I agree with John, use bonding, it's MUCH cheaper than any Polcell type product and sticks well even where the old plaster is a bit crumbly at the edges. It also does a good job of holding the boxes and cable covers in place. Make sure that before it sets you scrape it off 2-3mm below the level of the finished surface, so that you have room for a finish coat. Leave a slightly rough surface to help the finish coat stick to it (I just scratch it with the point of a trowel, or a nail). Best to put the finish coat on after the bonding has set but before it has dried out as the finish will stay workable for longer that way. All the DIY sheds stock bonding in various sized bags. Don't mix more than you can use in an hour, once it starts to go of you shouldn't try and use it (it won't stick properly). David.

[Andrew Gabriel]

Brush diluted PVA into the powdery edges to stabalise them, and onto any exposed trunking in the chases so the plaster sticks to it.

I tend to use just finish coat, so I've only got one bag of plaster to carry. Mix it up with a little pva to make bonding coat for the bulk of the filling. It will crack when it sets, but this doesn't matter for the bulk filling, and gives a bit more key for the finish coat. An old bag of finish coat (past its use by date) is really good for this as it will set quickly, so you can go on to do the finish coat (no PVA) and polish it up without waiting too long.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

If the surrounding plaster is poor, give it a couple of coats of dilute PVA and allow to dry. This will allow any trimming without more falling off. Worth doing for any repair area regardless.

I use one coat or repair plaster - much cheaper than pollyfilla and quicker too. Instructions on 'how to' on the bag.

[daddyfreddy]

I'd suggest getting a bag of one coat plaster (the white stuff). Brush some diluted PVA over all the areas first. With the deep pattresses you can always just build up the thickness and cut it square quite easily while the plaster is going off.

[Colin Brook]

In message on Tue, 17 Jul 2007, Colin Brook wrote

[Details snipped]

Many thanks for those very helpful pointers Regards, Colin