No matter how good you are at plastering if the wall is not ready, you are only prepared for failure. Do not worry because plastering a wall may sound difficult, you need just need to keep a few things in mind before preparing. Services such as KG Lime Plastering Essex provide a professional to assist you, which is always much more recommended than trying to do it yourself.
Remove The Wallpaper:
Make sure you remove all wallpaper from the walls, this also includes wallpaper that may have gotten stuck. Be sure the wallpaper is completely removed, otherwise you may stumble with problems during plastering.
Clean The Walls Properly:
Cleaning the walls properly is vital to ensure any unwanted grime or grease is effectively removed. If areas of the walls aren't properly cleaned you can find this starting to sag up with time. All the issues or substances on the wall can't be seen with the eye, so better be sure by giving it a good cleanup before starting up!
Check the Walls:
Check if any area of the walls is cracking or peeling. Be sure to scrape off any area that may be damaged, because you don’t want to plaster on a damaged wall. Depending on the wall’s state you may need to hack parts down or simply use filler to remove any holes.
Get Scrim Tape:
Scrim tape is a mesh that is applied on your walls to ensure any cracks or damage doesn't continue or return. Scrim tape is very useful when you have cracks at your walls because it allows for natural movement to happen which halts the damage of the cracks.
Get Carpenter’s Glue:
PVA or carpenter's glue is excellent for plastering walls. It can help you control the rate of suction on your walls, which can help you avoid drawing moisture from the plaster. It may be a good idea to add a double coat of PVA to your walls because it makes controlling moisture much easier.
When it comes to wall plastering there are a few factors you also need to consider and that is wall suction. Depending on the material and porosity of your wall you can have one with high or low suction. For example, brick walls are known for having high suction while on the other hand plasterboard’s suction is much lower. Being able to define between a high or low suction wall can help you save time, or even give you enough time to add a few details to your plastering.
Wall Suction Types:
High Suction Walls:
A porous background will always have higher suction than a non-porous one. When you apply plaster to a high-suction wall, you may find that the plaster sticks very well but it dries very fast. By properly applying enough water you can control suction and even give yourself enough time to flatten or decorate the plaster.
Low Suction Walls:
Known for not sucking the moisture out of plaster or at least not at the same rate as a high suction one. Low suction allows enough time for you to decorate the wall or flatten in, yet you may have to wait a few hours to restart your work. Many professionals add PVA to ensure the wall will stick to the plaster that is being applied.
The Tools For Plastering:
You may be thinking about what basic tools you need to start plastering? Then let me provide a few brief descriptions of each, so you can get better acquainted.
Straight Edge:
A plasterer's edge is usually 5.9 feet long. It can either be of aluminum but if you don't have one even a timber one can work. Ensure the blade is thick enough so that it will not bend.
Float:
A tool that helps smooth out the plastering while in process. It is generally used after ruling off with a plasterer’s edge.
Trowel:
A tool used to apply the plaster to the walls. Trowels can be used no matter their quality, but its recommended to do the finishing touches with a trowel you can trust.
Board and Stand:
Your basic plasterer’s stand or bench. It can be of a variety of materials such as plywood, worktops, hardwood.
In Conclusion
There are a few more tools and tips you can opt to when you are preparing yourself for plastering a wall. This process is recommended to be done by professionals, though you can always DIY.
