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plastering help please

939 views 10 replies 9 participants last post by  Big Kahuna 
#1 ·
hi all,

i am about to comemnce redecorating the lounge. There is a arch between the dining room and lounge. The plaster from the arch edges is chipped and the metal capping showing through.

Does anyone know the best way to repair this? Is polyfilla the best method and if so how to get a smooth and sharp edge?

many thanks in anticipation.

Chris
 
#2 ·
I plastered whole walls at our last house. Never done it before, but I watched a plasterer do the hallway (too big a job for me!!) By the time I did the last room I got a finish I was happy with :D

Personally I'd buy a small bag of carlite 'finish' plaster and mix it up. Remove the loose plaster and have a go. A bag of finish is about £6 so if you can borrow a plastering float it's worth a try before you pay £250 for a plasterer
 
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#3 ·
The metal beading can show thro, don't worry about that part. As for the "chipping", yes, Polyfilla (and others) will do the job but do remember to wet the area you're gonna be "patching" with it or it'll dry out and drop off again real soon.
Plastering wth Carlite Finish (or any Finish plaster) requires a good deal of skill to apply in order to get a good polished finish (as Blu DL alluded to), best to stick with the DIY kit.
 
#4 ·
If there is a significant are to repair I'd go the same way as Blu DL above. If it's very small repairs just to the corner then Pollyfilla might be more convenient.

Having the right tools is quite important. For a larger area a good quality float is essential. Whereas for a bit of pollyfilla you might only need a wall paper scraper.

As a house bashing electrician I've done mountains of patch plastering but explaining how to do it over the interweb is more difficult than actually doing it!!

Don't rush it. Apply the plaster slightly proud of the surrounding area and leave it to start setting. Before if goes completely hard (you can still leave a finger print) use the float and a splash of water to "polish" and flush it with the edges of the old plaster. This process creates a slurry that fills any tiny imperfections and allows for a finely tapered edge.
Only work on one face of a corner at once else you'll just keep disturbing the other edge before its properly set.
 
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#5 ·
It wouldnt hurt to put a bit of PVA glue on the beading before you plaster particularly if the depth of plaster is small...and if your not confident you could use Ames which is a product used to cover taping on plasterboard...that can be sanded to a finish if you dont get it spot on. Not quite as tough as plaster but still adequate for your needs.
 
#6 ·
Hi.
Polyfiller is your friend, and of course sandpaper..

It doesn't hurt to put some pva diluted down on then area to be repaired and let it dry, but with Polyfiller it will not be necessary as it is designed to be fool proof for DIY folk..
 
#9 ·
Use a plant sprayer to keep trowel wet. Mix the finish with the right amount of water to make it like whipped cream. It needs to stick to float and not slide off when float tilted.

I didn't find it that difficult but it depends on the level of finish you want. Plaster is applied in smooth flowing action, angling the float to move it across and apply an even 2mm or so. Its better to do a larger area than it is to try to patch in but this may seem scary.
 
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#10 ·
I always found that the problem when plastering large areas was that I could never get the consistency right and it either wouldn't stick or it sagged. A tip a plasterer gave me was to mix the base filling plaster with some sand which made it dry quicker and made it less likely to sag. Then apply a thin coat of finishing over the top.
 
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