Need some plastering help...what to buy?

helping_hubby

I have some holes to fill. They are varying in size and shape, from a hole where a double socket used to be to more shallow cracks which I want to scrape out and fill up so it's nice and smooth.

We've been using polyfilla on tiny holes (pin holes and dents).

What do I need to buy to fill these bigger holes? I got a bit lost in B&Q when I saw different types of plaster. Or do the big ones (ie the plug socket hole) need cement first?

Also, I need to sort out the bathroom walls. We've ripped all the tiles off and are left with some patches where the plaster came off and now it's down to the breeze block. My dad says I need to render with a 'thistle' plaster? Is this right? I guess it doesn't need to be smooth, just flat enough for tiling over?

Finally, the unibond debate...a plasterer before told us to unibond the holes first before plastering. Is this right? Should the unibond be dry before plastering?

rebon

Uni bond is a must so the patching plaster gets a good bond to the existing plaster.

Also look here for advise...
http://www.ehow.com/how_115326_repair-damaged-plaster.html

Space_Cowby

Unibond will seal the wall and prevent plaster drying too quickly or rather stop the wall absorbing the moisture.

most fillers will do, just depends if you want ready mixed or not. As for the larger holes put in some filler then some plaster board or similar allow to dry and then some more filler. Little at a time is best and allow it to dry, say 24 hrs for each coat / layer.

weekendwarrior

Unibond or PVA is normally a good idea when doing this kind of job.

Polyfilla make some light weight repair fillers that are really good for this kind of thing.

You can fill upto 50mm at one go with this-

http://www.polycell.co.uk/products/polycell_plaster_repair_polyfilla_ready-mix.html

jason_s_2

I'd say use a bag of easyfill, you can also use easyfill45 which you can sand after 45mins, but is a little more expensive.

andrew-b

Just to point out Unibond is a brand name as they make lots of different products..but in this case i assume your talking PVA.

My method for filling holes is that I tend to fill bigger holes with mortar first. I use Wickes patch repair and pointing mortar as you just add it to water (not the other way!) - using a clean yoghurt pot to measure by volume for smaller quantities (or a plastic christmas pudding container for slightly bigger quantities - excellent container for polyfilla too!). If you want a more workable mortar and for it set really hard then use a 5part water to 1 part PVA admixture instead of water to mix. I usually use an old coffee jar to mix up my PVA in - has the advantage you can just put the lid on and store it rather than throwing away what you don't use - put a sticker on saying the dilution though if you have different solutions on the go at once! I dampen the area to be filled with water (little hand held garden spray useful here) and then use an old brush to paint the area to be filled with neat PVA - do this immediately before you fill rather than letting it dry out. Then fill to about 5mm (don't need to be accurate!) from the surface of the wall. I criss-cross the mortar with the point of the trowel as it will help the final plaster layer adhere. Once your mortar has dried paint on 5:1 pva solution shortly before a layer of plaster (you'll probably still have some in your coffee jar from earlier!). I'm one for an easy/less messy life so i use a bucket of Wickes ready-mixed patching plaster - however from experience don't try using this for really deep fills as we did a large area in the kitchen this way and it took about a week to dry despite the claims on the packaging of being able to fill deep holes! Use a metal plastering trowel to spread. If you want a nice smooth finish then as it begins to dry out dampen your trowel and lightly spray the surface with water before gently polishing the surface with your trowel. There's a knack of knowing when is too soon and when is too late to do this. After drying if i'm not happy with the finish i trowel over again with polyfilla.

For smaller holes i just use polyfilla .. though i mix my own as this is far cheaper. I tried some ready-made fillers and really didn't get on with them and ended up binning them.

My method isn't the cheapest method but if you look at the walls in my spare room where i practiced my filling technique it can certainly give a good finish (though we did line the walls after too) - i had a 2 inch deep, 1 inch wide channel to make good in one place (cable run for telephone and network cabling )

Of course the quicker way is get a plasterer in - but i'd still fill the bigger holes with mortar first and leave the plasterer to do the finish coat/skim - this is what i'll be doing in the bathroom.

Preparation is the most important part of decorating so spend as much time on it as you can as the end result will be that much better.

Hope that helps

Andy

andrew-b

Oh and where your back to the blockwork (i am too in our bathroom in places) you need "bonding plaster" ideally. Probably going to get the plasterers to do this for me though. Your not supposed to tile straight onto bonding plaster...though we did in the kitchen using Unibond ready-mixed tile adhesive (dispersion type adhesives such as that one you can get away with this apparently) - you'll find tiles adhere very strongly to it and if you remove a tile it'll take the plaster with it too.

Andy

evilgoose

(or a plastic christmas pudding container for slightly bigger quantities - excellent container for polyfilla too

I second that! they are very handy, and v tasty to get ready.

pickle

If the hole is gaping then I would scrunch newspaper in the hole as much as possible then layer polyfilla. Let one layer dry and then do another until filled.

helping_hubby

weekendwarrior wrote: »

Unibond or PVA is normally a good idea when doing this kind of job.

Polyfilla make some light weight repair fillers that are really good for this kind of thing.

You can fill upto 50mm at one go with this-

http://www.polycell.co.uk/products/polycell_plaster_repair_polyfilla_ready-mix.html

This is the stuff we've been using at the moment. The problem I've found (so I must be doing something wrong). Is even after 2 - 3 coats of paint I can still see in certain lights the patches of filler Maybe I'm not sanding down enough? I've done one bedroom, I'm just hoping to make a better job of bedroom 2. And then a perfect job of the master bedroom.

Larger holes have been filled My electrician very kindly filled in my bigger holes for me yesterday.

Oh and where your back to the blockwork (i am too in our bathroom in places) you need "bonding plaster" ideally. Probably going to get the plasterers to do this for me though. Your not supposed to tile straight onto bonding plaster...though we did in the kitchen using Unibond ready-mixed tile adhesive (dispersion type adhesives such as that one you can get away with this apparently) - you'll find tiles adhere very strongly to it and if you remove a tile it'll take the plaster with it too.

So if you're not meant to tile straight onto bonding plaster, what are you supposed to do?

madjay

pickle wrote: »

If the hole is gaping then I would scrunch newspaper in the hole as much as possible then layer polyfilla. Let one layer dry and then do another until filled.

All I can say is.......

"Cowboy" don't do any filling of my walls!!!!!!!