whats happening here and how do i fix it!

[loltolhurst]

On the wall of my stairs going to the ( damp proofed ) basement the top layer of plaster seems to be coming off - the whole wall feels like its floating to touch and it will come away easily ( the plaster ). is it just the plaster and if so how do i fix it? It seems to be white plaster underneath is it a case of getting some skimming plaster / all in one plaster? what has casued it to do that ie how do i stop it happening again? can i just paint on the white plaster underneath?


thanks

Edited by loltolhurst on Thursday 20th August 13:00

[IanMorewood]

Looks like a moisture buble getting under the skim coat and causing that to buldge/crack.

[loltolhurst]

I have some one coat plaster would that do or does it need special skimming plaster?

thanks

[headcase]

you need to pick out ALL of the loose plaster first and scratch up the surface of the white under paster then with a paint brush apply pva mixed with water (approx 75% water mix) and let it dry. Then you can re-plaster it. You will get a better finish with propper plaster assuming you know how to do it, if not use your 1 coat then sand it down to a nice finish when that has dried.

Edited by headcase on Thursday 20th August 14:51

[VxDuncan]

headcase said:

you need to pick out ALL of the loose plaster first and scratch up the surface of the white under paster then with a paint brush apply pva mixed with water (approx 75% water mix) and let it dry. Then you can re-plaster it. You will get a better finish with propper plaster assuming you know how to do it, if not use your 1 coat then sand it down to a nice finish when that has dried.

Edited by headcase on Thursday 20th August 14:51

Pretty much what he said, the plaster is "blown". Be wary of PVA if there's a chance of damp (or condensation), although it seals the wall to stop the moisture being sucked out of the plaster prematurely, it isn't waterproof, and hence will come away if it gets really wet (never use PVA in bathrooms...). There are proprietry sealers that are probably a better bet in this case.

Have you got a damp meter you can have a poke around with?

[chili1]

Is it on an exterior wall?
Need to check for damp first - rule this out as the cause of the plaster coming away.
Is there any mould on the wall behind the plaster?
Is the basement well ventilated?

I had a similar problem with the basement of my previous house. Had it coated in bitumen which solved the problem.

[chili1]

Is it on an exterior wall?
Need to check for damp first - rule this out as the cause of the plaster coming away.
Is there any mould on the wall behind the plaster?
Is the basement well ventilated?

I had a similar problem with the basement of my previous house. Had it coated in bitumen which solved the problem.