You may, however, feel confident enough to tackle a large area of damaged or missing plaster where a window, door, or fireplace has been blocked off. For such ajob, it is easier for the beginner to achieve a smooth, flat finish with either a ready-to-use DIY plaster or a traditional type fsee p, 89). Your preparations for plastering must be thorough. Remove all loose and flaking plaster and if the reason for the original plaster failing is due to dampness then you must find the cause of the problem and cure it – otherwise the same fate awaits the new patch. Once you have cleaned off all the loose material, wet the wall and apply the plaster.
When you have applied about a 12 mm O~in) undercoat, use a fairly wide straightedge to level it off. Work the straightedge up the wall using a sawing action. The undercoat should finish about 3 mm ) below the level of the surrounding plaster work. This gap allows you to apply a fine finishing plaster flush with the surrounding surfaces. Use a little water with the top coat to give it a polished appearance. Use a wood or plastic float to apply the undercoat, working upward. f o Use a steel float, aided by a light spraying of water, to give the top coat a fine, polished finish. 90 Repairing a lath and plaster wall o Provided the laths are secure,you can fill holes in a lath and plaster wall as you would a solid wall. Reinforce broken laths using expanded metal mesh, stapled in place. e Draw a wood straightedge, spanning the patch, upward to level the surface.
You will have to reinforce a large corner repair. Here angle bead is used, held in position by blobs of plaster. e Dampen the laths and apply a plaster undercoat. Make sure that the plaster is forced between the laths for good adhesion. Key, allow the plaster to set, and then apply the finishing coat. /’ o Draw a scratcher over the drying undi coat to give the surface a good “key”. e Plaster the walls in turn, working awa from the corner. Leave the nose of the bel exposed to form the corner’s apex.