Plastering ....

dandowding

A couple of of Questions i have about plastering ...hope somebody out there can help ?!

When putting the first coat of finishing plaster on to a wall that is bonded out or onto a sand and cement backing, the plaster seems to dry out unbelievably quick......drying before I get to the end of the small wall I'm covering. I have sprayed with water before hand, and also used a big paint brush to give it a thorough covering of water, but it seems to dry out so much quicker than when plastering onto plaster board - which is soooo much easier !

Also, when having to plaster a larger area, either, ceiling or wall, is the best way to do it by sectioning off with a batton ?? I've heard this tip somewhere else - for a large ceiling for example, split into two, so that it's managable - timing wise ??

matbe

Paint the wall with watered down pva

this should stop the water sucking into the wall

Danosaur

This is why plastering is so hard, because the speed you have to work. PVA is the key to stopping the sucking on problem, but even then you get about 1 hour to do an entire area no matter what size. You should also be applying a 2nd skim before the 1st has dried completely, this should give you more time to smooth and polish the job at the end. Best advice I can give you is just get the plaster on as quick as you can, worry about getting it tidy when you have finished applying the skim. I'm a novice myself, and I have never had to break a job down into sections yet ( i don't think a pro would entertain this idea either), Obviously some jobs are just to big, so be strategic.

Igol

I have done big jobs and PVA and speed are important but dont forget that you need a goat as well.
And the Alter to sacrafice it on.
Talk about a black art