Removed skirting board, to this..

stuart45

Hoffnung said:

stuart45 said:

Hoffnung said:

Ah, I thought we could have just patched this up at the bottom with some sand and cement or bonding, as we intend to just line it/wallpaper over it. 

Maybe back to the drawing board 😳

It depends on the condition of the plaster. If it's sounding hollow in a lot of places it might need hacking off. Skimming only gives you a smooth surface for decoration, it won't solve blown plaster issues. 

So, I've tried knocking around the current walls and it doesn't sound hollow. 

I thought this would be able to be quick tidy up at the bottom ready for new skirting board and then line the walls and wallpaper them. 

I'm unsure now.. I don't think my partner would appreciate me wanting the room fully replastered from scratch.. 😞

If the walls are sound and generally flat you probably just need a bit of filling and sanding. You could get the walls skimmed and still need to do a bit of filling and sanding.

Hoffnung

fisher66 said:

You could use high skirting, high enough to cover the gap if you haven't already decided which skirting to use. Attach it directly to the bare brick using big blobs of clear silicone. If you want to use skirting that isn't high enough to cover the gaps then you'll need to get plastering or get a plasterer in.

The skirting we have bought doesn't come up high enough. 

Could I get away with sand and cement the lower bits and plaster over with bonding or multi finish? It's literally just so we can attach the skirting before papering 

stuart45

You could fill in with a few different methods. Sand/cement, one coat plaster, hardwall etc. Most will be covered with the skirting, the lining paper will cover the rest.

ThisIsWeird

If the walls are sortable with just sanding and filling to make them good enough for paint, then save yourselves a fair bit by not bothering with a reskim.

That leaves the missing bits along the bottom. The simplest solution would be to mark a line where the new skirting goes up to - considering using a higher 'board than previous - and then filling any bits that'll still show using a general powder filler - the kind you mix with water, and which 'sets' chemically.

To fit the new boards, cut and mitre them as required, and then fit them using an expanding adhesive foam. They will need holding firmly and squarely in place whilst it sets, but jobbie otherwise jobbed.

It would make sense to first prime the exposed blocks using either diluted PVA, SBR or stabilising solution - it'll seal the dusty surfaces and allow the foam to adhere.

Holding the boards in place shouldn't be hard - you just need weights sitting on the floor, and a spacer to push against the boards, ensuring they are perp to the floor.

Hoffnung

stuart45 said:

You could fill in with a few different methods. Sand/cement, one coat plaster, hardwall etc. Most will be covered with the skirting, the lining paper will cover the rest.

I think we will try the sand and cement as that is what we bought. Do you know how long it takes to dry? Thank you Stuart 

stuart45

You'll probably need 2 coats, so put the scratch coat on, then next day put the top coat on. After a few days you should see it harden up.

Hoffnung

stuart45 said:

You'll probably need 2 coats, so put the scratch coat on, then next day put the top coat on. After a few days you should see it harden up.

After we do the two coats, do we need to plaster with a multi finish or can we just apply the skirting straight back onto it

stuart45

If you need a really smooth finish for decoration a final skim of multi finish is a good idea. If it is getting covered with a skirting board a sand/cement finish is OK.

Martyn_H

I'd rather use grab adhesive:

https://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-grab-adhesive-solvent-free-white-310ml/87451

Cheaper and less mess.

FreeBear

Faced the same problem with the room I'm currently working on. Took the skirting boards off, and great chunks of lime plaster came away. Even more fell off the walls as I levered out the nails originally used to fix the skirting. Filled the voids with bonding plaster and then skimmed the whole lot with multifinish.

Bonding plaster goes off in a matter of hours and dries out in two or three days. Cement takes ~28 days to reach full strength, and would (probably) be dry after three days or so.