ALL ABOARDPlastering gives a superior, flat and smooth finish to a wall or ceiling. It allows a building to be decorated. It does however have a natural lifetime, generally 100 years or more in normal circumstances.
A building may require re-plastering for various reasons. The original plaster may have failed or a modern plaster has been applied to an older building which has proven to be defective. Perhaps a property has undergone alterations, damp proofing, modernisation or refurbishments; or maybe a building has suffered from flood or fire damage.
As a plasterer who operates in the home counties: Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, along the Thames Valley and boroughs of North London, Loughton, Chigwell, Chingford, Cheshunt, Waltham Abbey, Enfield, Southgate, Edmonton, Cockfosters, Hadley Wood, Cuffley, Barnet, Potters Bar, St Albans, Radlet, Borehamwood, Bushey, Watford, I come across many types of buildings.
Plaster is a hydration product, just like concrete. When you add water to dry plaster powder you begin an irreversible chemical process. The water and air content of the mix is critical. Timing is important as the plaster has to be “finished” at just the right time. It is not a job for the uninitiated.
Clients may require various plastering solutions to their needs, ranging from skimming over artex, re-plasterboarding ceilings, constructing stud walls, dry walls, dot and daub, skimming over old walls, rendering and coving.
Coving can add a finishing touch to a room. It can be used to cover up cracks between walls and ceilings. It can be used to aesthetically enhance a room by detracting from the squareness of a room. Paper faced coving is the most commonly used and is cost effective. There are also decorative plaster coving and cornicing which requires a little more care and attention to install and is, therefore, more costly.
Extra care should be taken when dealing with artex, (textured walls and ceilings), as it can contain asbestos. Generally, artex pre dating 1984 will contain 3-5% white asbestos, (least dangerous form). There is no threat from skimming over artex. Disturbing it by scraping, sanding or removing can release fibres, and that is when care is needed.
Some plastering situations require special consideration. Often in older properties where the damp proof course (dpc) does not exist or is compromised, the ingress of moisture has a detrimental effect on the plaster. The moisture accumulation allows the natural migration of salts, which will undermine the integrity of the plaster and its decorative covering. In these instances the damaged/damp areas have to be hacked off. A new dpc should be inserted to eliminate any further ingress of water. Time has to be allowed in order for the affected areas to dry out before re-plastering can take place. In historic buildings where lime mortars have been used in their construction, the use of modern cement based products can cause further damp problems. This is due to cement product forming an impermeable barrier, restricting the evaporation of moisture from the core of the wall. Traditional lime mortars have to be used when renovating in these situations. Only lime based products will allow a wall to breath.
All Aboard Plastering offers the full range of plastering solutions and has many years experience. Ultimately, customer satisfaction provides the drive to continue our outstanding service.
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