Anyone handy with plaster?

[racoles]

A little off topic but maybe someone knows?
How would you fill/repair this wide shallow defect in plaster? The plaster is over concrete not onto plasterboard.
Ideas much appreciated as always!
Thanks, R

 

[Ozi]

This is how I have done similar in the past but I am not a plasterer so you may get a more knowledgeable answer.

Clean off any unsound bits still there, tap with your finger to listen for hollow sounding pits detached from the concrete
brush with PVA to give a good key.
If the area is not to big use pre mixed as it will be the correct consistency
use a straight edge wider than the defect to spread working from bottom up - do not worry to much about finish at this point but apply with pressure to push into all the smallest cavities.

When just starting to dry use a slightly wet float to polish

Curse the i d i o t who gave you this advise

 

[racoles]

This is how I have done similar in the past but I am not a plasterer so you may get a more knowledgeable answer.

Clean off any unsound bits still there, tap with your finger to listen for hollow sounding pits detached from the concrete
brush with PVA to give a good key.
If the area is not to big use pre mixed as it will be the correct consistency
use a straight edge wider than the defect to spread working from bottom up - do not worry to much about finish at this point but apply with pressure to push into all the smallest cavities.

When just starting to dry use a slightly wet float to polish

Curse the i d i o t who gave you this advise

Thanks Ozi! Really helpful

 

[Sachakins]

Was that gap left after removing a rail or something?
If so, just asOzi said.
But if it was a section of plaster that had blown and fell off, you need to find out what caused it first, there may be an underlying issue with the base coat or damp/moisture issues.

 

[Spectric]

How would you fill/repair this wide shallow defect in plaster?

If you are not a plasterer and want a decent job then get a plasterer to do it, trying to DIY this type of job is often time consuming and messy when a plasterer will do it in his sleep and it should look good.

 

[MikeJhn]

Normal permanent repair is to attach expanded metal over the crack and plaster on that.

 

[Doug B]

If you want an easy solution & dont fancy plastering I’d suggest easi fill Gyproc Easifill Filler 5 x 1kg

It’s not dissimilar to polyfilla but sands like a dream, coat the existing background plaster with a watered down solution of PVA 5:1 water to PVA then mix up the easi fill, plaster it on & once dry sand it flat with either a ROS or abrasive over a block of wood.
It really is a doddle & gives a really good finish

 

[Agent_zed]

I had trouble with the plaster drying too fast even with PVA applied first and instead switched to Febond Blue Grit. That stuff is amazing. Might be overkill for such a small area but incase anyone finds PVA isn't working for them

 

[budgie98]

I've never seen a plasterer using PVA on original work, or on the whole load of repair and patching jobs I had done in my first two homes. It was explained to me that 'suction' kept the plaster on the wall better than an adhesive, even when they were doing in-situ fibrous work.

 

[johnnyb]

First off sound edges are vital so remove all that loose. That's finish coat so get multifonish maybe one coat if it's a bit deeper. Then kill all the suction using pva or blue grit. With pva one coat 5/1 left overnight then another left to go tacky. What this does is allows the plaster to set at its own speed. For multi it's 2 hours or so. Put a layer just below the surface(1or 2 mm) leave it for an hour to start setting. Then mix fresh and put the last bit deeper than the surface by a bit. Finally leave for 30 mins then gradually remove and smooth spraying water to lube.
Second thought get a plasterer!

 

[niall Y]

Problems arise if the undercoat plaster is bone dry, This will invariably suck water out of the topcoat before it has time to harden. No doubt this is why plasterers used to thoroughly wet the walls. It isn't a problem if the undercoat plaster is still fresh as it will still retain enough moisture for this not to happen.
Applying PVA to dry surfaces is simply another way of tackling this without splashing around copious amounts of water, and, as a result, causing the finished plasterwork to take an eternity to dry out.

 

[Agent_zed]

Problems arise if the undercoat plaster is bone dry, This will invariably suck water out of the topcoat before it has time to harden. No doubt this is why plasterers used to thoroughly wet the walls. It isn't a problem if the undercoat plaster is still fresh as it will still retain enough moisture for this not to happen.
Applying PVA to dry surfaces is simply another way of tackling this without splashing around copious amounts of water, and, as a result, causing the finished plasterwork to take an eternity to dry out.

Yep, I had this in my house. I was literally chucking buckets of water on the walls as well as PVA and it was still sucking all the moisture out of the plaster faster than I could work it and causing it to crack whilst drying.

Febond Bluegrit was a life saver. No idea what it's made from but it definitely does the job.