Embedded Files
Skimming
Skimming is the single most popular thing for plasterers to do, it is simply the act of applying a thin coat of about 3mm total, over the top of a suitably prepared background, to create a smooth surface ready for painting.
Internal wall insuation - IWI
Internal wall insulation or IWI, is the process of applying insulation to the inside of a wall, often done on older houses with solid wall construction.
There are a few ways of achieving this, the most common being to adhere insulated plasterboard to the walls followed by skimming.
Using 37.5mm insulated plasterboard can drastically improve the efficiency of a house reducing heating bills and reducing or even eliminating condensation.
IWI should take no more than approximately 50mm of internal space when using 37.5mm insulated boards.
External wall insulation - EWI
External wall insulation is similar to IWI, just on the external face of the wall, EWI has many benefits, particularly for solid wall construction, the main being the fact that EWI keeps the wall of the house warm, rather than cold with IWI, this means that condensation is less likely to form in the walls, it also means that no space will need to be taken inside the house, often allowing thicker insulation to be used.
Some cons to EWI is that it is a slower and more expensive system to install than IWI, due to the fact that a specialist water resistant, external render is applied over the top.
Artex covering
Covering artex is a really popular job for plasterers, however, some poeple are unaware that artex can contain asbestos, certainly in houses built before the mid 90's.
This means that care must be taken when covering artex, simply scraping asbestos to plaster can release thousands of asbestos fibres into the air, so covering can be done in multiple ways depending on the ceiling.
The cheapest way is to simply skim over the pattern, this is possible on structurally sound ceilings with a relatively flat pattern, on structurally sound ceiling with a deep pattern, it is possible to cover with a undercoat plaster first to give a flat surface to skim on afterwards, however if there is coving in place, this can sometimes be too thick, meaning the coving will need to be removed aswell.
On ceilings that are not structurally sound, such as lathe and plaster ceilings, it is recommended to remove the previous ceiling, which involves asbestos testing depending on the age, or alternatively, you can overboard and skim the ceiling, this is good as the plasterboard is screwed through the lathe and plaster and directly into the timbers above, removing the need to rely on an unstable ceiling.
Either way, done correctly, no pattern will be seen afterwards, the surface will be flat and ready to receive a coat of paint.
Patch repairs
Patch repairs involve removing material to get the background to a strong and stable state, then using undercoat and top coat plasters, to create a new finish that blends into the previous wall. Done properly, patch repairs should be very hard to see once painted and in many cases, you are unable to see the patch.
Float and set
Float and set is the process of applying wet material, such as sand and cement, lime or gypsum undercoat plaster to solid walls, followed by a skim coat.
Float and set is the traditional, tested and proven way to finish the inside of a house, it is tough, durable, and the cement/lime based plasters are also water resistant.
This is considered by many to be the 'proper' way to plaster a house, however, it is slower and labour intensive.
Rendering
Rendering if the process of mixing and applying coatings to the external walls of a house, there are many coatings that can be used, each with their own pros and cons.
Some of the render we apply are the following:
Lime render
Sand and cement render
Through coloured silicone renders
Plasterboard and skim
Plasterboard can be applied in a few ways, the most common being stuck to the wall with powdered plasterboard adhesive, this is known as dot n dab, the other method is to be fixed using mechanical fixings to timber or metal stud walls, this is a modern process with many benefits, including being fast, cheap and clean to install compared to other methods, it also allows for easy insulation to be applied between the studs.
The cons are that it is not as durable or water resistant as a sand a cement coating for example.
If you are looking for a plasterer in lincolnshire, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse