Plaster repairs
Plastering is certainly an art form, as we have witnessed countless number of times the results attempted by the well intentioned home DIY!
The main reason that DIY work on plaster does not conform to professional standards, is the lack of knowledge in getting the correct consistency of lime putty, hard wall plaster and water. The correct professional application tools are essential, and the cheaper versions do not give the finesse and finish required.
We see a great deal of internal wall web cracking with plaster. This is often caused by the render being applied with too much cement, or lime added, causing it to be non- porous which stops the plaster from soaking into and drying in its normal time. Other problems can occur when the plaster mixture is not the consistency required, as then it can weaken the product when applied. Sometimes during the polishing of the plaster, it’s also common that too much water is sprayed onto the wall, whereas a professional can overcome all these problems.
These problems are not isolated in certain areas, they are Western Australia wide, and it is mostly due to the application of the products. Weather can be a factor - if it is too hot the plaster dries too quickly in its containers, applying this is very hard and not advisable as it is too dry for adherence, rain and damp days do not usually affect applications as plaster is normally applied in covered areas.
In the past, with most of these cases that we have seen, existing plaster would have to be removed, and new plaster applied, and this was an expensive operation. It was advisable in occupied homes to cover all furniture and timber/vinyl floorings prior to commencing works, and in the case of carpeted floors, also often required carpet removal by experienced floor layers and then relaying of carpets.
The good news is that now there is a product that can be applied to the existing plaster it is a resin render compound, tinted to the colour of your choice. The product fills all web cracking with resin as it is applied, and the resin expands and retracts, thus not allowing cracks or new cracks to appear. This is a significantly cheaper and cleaner form of repair and finish, we still covering with plastic to protect your furniture, but there is a significant cost saving, with simply no need for the expense of carpet removal and relaying required.