Plastering Questions

pianistdave

Hello - I'm redecorating a room in a 1915 semi and am doing quite a lot. There are likely to be more posts asking questions in the coming days and weeks!

I've been stripping wallpaper as I would rather paint straight onto the wall. The walls really need skimming, so I'm going to get that done once I've finished. The skirting board needs replacing and I've removed a piece along the wall where the fireplace was blocked up (I've unblocked and am having a log burner installed). Along the bottom of that wall, where the skirting was, is recessed a little and the more recent plaster seems to stop above the skirting, creating a reasonable lip.

Is this normal? Do plasterers tend to only plaster up to the skirting line or should the plaster really meet the floor? I'm wondering whether I need to have chosen my new skirting before the job's started so the plasterer knows where to go up to. I'd have thought it would make more sense to plaster floor to ceiling but I've never dealt with plastering before so am no expert!

Another question is how long I have to wait to paint once it's skimmed. I'm presuming a skim coat will take less time to dry out than full-on plaster.

Finally, there is a picture rail around the room and some cornicing around the ceiling. I'm thinking of removing the picture rail and keeping the cornice in place - does this sound sensible?

Many thanks! Dave

Grenage

Plastering will generally stop short of the floor; I've heard various explanations for this, such as it's to stop moisture wicking up the wall, but I assume it's done because it stops crap from the floor getting picked up by the trowel.

You can put your mist coat on when it's fully dry - this will be obvious due to the colour change. In this weather it won't take long.

As for the cornice and picture rail, you'll have to decide for yourself if you want to remove the period features. I'd probably keep the cornice - less mess!

Doozergirl

The original plaster wall has has already had a refresh with a second skim. The old skirting was left in place to save money.

If you have removed the skirting then the plasterer will skim without boards (as is best practice) and then you attach the new boards.

Providing what is there is actually capable of holding another layer of skim, you'll want to buy slightly taller skirting than the last lot to hide the "lip" you describe.

You must be careful skimming over a second skim. If there isn't a good bond on that second layer, your third layer will suck the second off the wall when it dries out.

pianistdave

Thanks very much for your replies.

I should clarify that I want to keep the picture rail; I just wasn't sure if it's best to remove, skim, and then replace (probably with something new), or keep it and ask the plasterer to go to the edge.

TheCyclingProgrammer

If it's been skimmed before around the picture rail it's probably already lost some depth so plastering around it again will lose another 2-3mm. I'd remove and fix new after plastering.

Doozergirl

TheCyclingProgrammer wrote: »

If it's been skimmed before around the picture rail it's probably already lost some depth so plastering around it again will lose another 2-3mm. I'd remove and fix new after plastering.

Exactly. You have to make a call on how much definition will be left at the edges if you bury another 3mm or so in plaster.

casper_g

Bear in mind that it may be difficult to remove a picture rail that's been up since 1915 without damaging it.

If it's a pretty standard profile then it'll be easy enough to replace - even if you have to replace everything in the room with something similar-looking.

On the other hand, I needed a replacement for a short (2 foot) length of skirting board in our house and found that nothing remotely like it was available. We considered replacing all the skirting in the room, but the disruption would have been considerable, and anyway it matched the skirting elsewhere, the architraves etc. etc. We ended up paying £56 for a 1 metre length to be machined, but had quotes of five or six times that....