Pros/Cons of 'accidental' exposed stone wall in bedroom? (Solid stone walls, old house)

ST1991

18/08/2020 - EDITED to just say, i am now using this thread as updates for my DIY progress! Helpful hints and tips are more than welcome!

So... first i apologise as i feel like i have 60 million threads ongoing about all different things.. but it seems like in the midst of 'lets just do a bit of decorating' it has thrown up a multitude of other problems.

We are planning to decorate our bedroom and nursery before baby makes an appearance, and as far as i could tell the walls up here are in pretty good shape. My plan was to strip the existing wallpaper and then re-wallpaper and paint etc. Nothing drastic!

There was a small damp patch in the main bedroom which is on an external wall. The wallpaper came off with ease in this area, and some of the plaster came loose so i chipped it off. I started to chip off more of the old, loose plaster and it has gone right back to the solid stone walls. Chipping off all the loose bits around, and around, has finally come to the entire strip of wall behind completely loose plaster (I could pull it off with my hands!) so the entire strip of wall is now fully exposed stone from floor to ceiling.

I have a feeling that the plaster on the other side of the window is in a similar state, as i noticed before when moving furniture that it appeared rather 'bouncy'...
That one wall with the window is the only external wall in the bedroom... thankfully!

We now have a small dilemma of what to do...

Option 1 - Replaster this/cover it back up - if so, Lime is best from what i read. Is this easy for a novice to do...? It would have to go on quite thick, judging by the depth of plaster that came off in some areas.
Option 2 - Clean it up and keep it exposed - If so, i can't find anything solid online for the best way to do this on a solid stone wall. It looks like perhaps putting a white lime plaster around the edges as a 'border' or over any particularly ugly bits would help neaten it all up.
(Either of those options... we'll be assessing the rest of the plaster on that wall and doing the same thing with it, rather than keeping it in it's current 'bouncy' state).

Dilemma number 2 - whilst chipping off the plaster, there is a hole at the top where the wall ends and goes up into the loft space. I'm assuming i can't just throw a big chunk of plaster at that hole and hope it sticks - Would anyone have any recommendations for how best to 'bridge' this hole, and what the best option may be, taking into account any problems i may not have considered about keeping the stone exposed, if it causes any issues with damp, dust, needing retreatment... etc etc. I honestly have no idea and google is a minefield. My brain is already scatty whilst trying to just 'do up' the house a bit whilst pregnant with first baby, and discovering problems along the way...

Here are some pictures of the wall in question:

stuart45

If it was mine I would re plaster both sides with lime. Some people like to clean up and repoint the stone and leave it exposed, but that stonework was built with the intention of being covered up.

FreeBear

Oh dear... It looks suspiciously like someone in the past has slapped a cement render on the wall and then skimmed with gypsum. If the grey stuff is cement, drop a bit of acid on it to see if it fizzes (white vinegar, brick cleaner, battery acid, or an acidic descaler). If it does fizz, then it is lime..

Pop the skirting board off, remove the remaining plaster, and then watch a few of the videos by Ty Mawr on youtube - They do a series on lime plastering, and it isn't that difficult to do.

ST1991

Thanks both!

I'm aware that the stonework of this wall is certainly not a piece of art... but we're just trying to consider what would be both better for the house, and better for our pockets! My mum is all things 'old house' and when i sent her a picture of it in a panic, she said it would look lovely to keep it exposed and report + white-wash it a little with something semi-opaque.

The render/material between the stones does have large particals of white in it - so i had assumed it was lime-based already. I'll wait for my partner to come home tonight and we'll do the acid test on a loose piece
I'll also check out that youtube channel as well, thankyou for the recommendation!

maisie_cat

I'd agree that looks like gypsum plaster, the same has been done here and we have blown bits everywhere. Be thankful that it came off easily. Lime plaster is the correct replacement, and breathable paint.

Ganga

PS love your safety shoes/ footwear

ST1991

Ganga said:

PS love your safety shoes/ footwear

  We didn't plan on so much coming off the wall, as you can see lol!

stuart45

If you and your mum like the look of exposed stonework don't let me put you off. It's really a mater of taste. I would rake out the joints and flush point them with lime mortar though, not just lime wash them as they are.

ST1991

stuart45 said:

If you and your mum like the look of exposed stonework don't let me put you off. It's really a mater of taste. I would rake out the joints and flush point them with lime mortar though, not just lime wash them as they are.

Thanks for the reply We are going to see how the rest of the wall looks first - as it will effectively be all around a very large window, and the wall is approx 4.5 meters long so it's a fair whack of exposed area...!
I think if we leave it exposed, we will for sure neaten it all up and repoint it - just weren't sure if leaving it exposed or having it replastered made any difference other than just the look of it (if that makes sense?)

coffeehound

There's a middle way of replastering about 80% of the area but leaving a few choice areas of stonework visible.  Can look really good.

ST1991

coffeehound said:

There's a middle way of replastering about 80% of the area but leaving a few choice areas of stonework visible.  Can look really good.

Thanks! I believe that is what we would be looking to do actually if leaving it exposed, in essence to try and tidy up the edges/particularly ugly bits! So lime plaster around the edges to kind of 'frame it' and repoint the remaining exposed area. Reminds me of something i would see in a holiday cottage somewhere!