Newly plastered ceiling and walls showing joint tape/mesh is this normal?
Anonymous user 28/02/2024 - 2.56 PM
I have a plasterer in plastering my bathroom. (He is due to finish tomorrow (Saturday) and will want paying!
I don't know what I'm looking at, but even I can see the mesh joint tape showing through the ceiling and walls, even where ir is supposed to be finished.
It has been expensive to get done (old lathe and plaster completely removed, new board and plaster/skimmed,
but I am really concerned about the finish and he is going to expect payment tomorrow when he finishes off. I just not know what to do?
Dear John,
I don't know how you reply to answers, but you can see the mesh and it feels rough too, there are also 2 mil gaps between the new plaster and the architrave round the door, plus it now looks like two of the walls have nettle rash (lots of little bumps) I think I will phone another plasterer and get them to look at it, as I just don't know what to do with it, it was a proper plastering company, but the guy was a bit scary, the only good thing is that I haven'taid yet, as he wanted cash and I had to go to the bank to get it and he had left before I got back.
Hi guys.
I have had another plasterer in. As you have quite rightly said in your answers, it wasn't troweled off properly.
Also, he didn't take the door architrave off, so didn't plaster up to the frame,mthat is why there is then2 mil gap.
It is very rough and uneven everywhere, when the other plasterer put a length of wood down the wall, there was a 3 mil gap between the top and bottom of the wall.
It is really really uneven and needs completely re-skimmed.
There are also cracks in the ceiling already, along with the ridges and tape showing.
The plasterer who did it is coming in this morning (I am going to have a friend with me as I don't fancy seeing him on my own) but just wondered legally where I stood?
The job is awful, even I can see its rough, in hindsight he quieted 3-4 days and its taken 2 weeks so far,the bathroom is only 12'x 9' and it took him a week to put the plasterboard up.
I haven't paid yet, do I have to? Can I just pay him part for putting the plasterboard up but not for the plastering? Do I have to pay then try and get it back? I don't really want him touching it again, but not sure whether I can use a new guy to do it or not?
Oh and the new plasterer couldn't believe the mess, inch thick plaster on the floor, over the windows and frames etc, but I have managed to cpscrale most of it off now.
I also use the flat for holiday lets and have people coming in next week,argh!
It took ages to board the roof as he only used little bits (the room is rectangular). Hence lots of lines and ridges
Also after starting on the day he gave me a hammer and chisel and made me take off two walls of the old plaster (blisters everywhere) but he had to do two walls, although he moaned that it wasn't his job (other platerers I have used just used a drill with a flat thing on the end. It really wasn't what I was expecting, I usually just make tea
Are you a tradesperson and able to answer this question?
Hi, not good news here. Plaster laid too thin and troweled up too soon. Plaster from start to finish takes 2hr 30mins finish no matter how fast you put it on. 12x9 room that's not 2 week job lol, its an easy one have the room redone.
If the walls weren't even to start, the so called plasterer should have pointed it out to you and given you options on how to sort it, with new board or multi finish plasters can't put it on over 5mm thick otherwise you're gonna run into problems. 3 things a good plasterer will have on his van or in his car, a level, plasterers Darby or a REFINA spuraflex spat 1.2m long as this keeps the finish nice and flat. 50% plasterers out there today now would never pass a CITB skills test - it just makes me sad.
I had a family about 2 years ago that got stung for £1900 from a bloke that quoted to do their plastering. By the time I was finished they were over the moon and 100% happy with the job (left feedback on my builder)
I hope you get your room sorted out and just don't pay him. Get the good guys in ;) they're out there...all over the uk
What has happened here is a onecoat job. Fact. Got nothing to do with filling joints in first!.as all good plasterers knows.... As x2 coats of multi finish will never leave tape showing.
HI, I AGREE WITH SOLID BUILDING, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE HE HAS NOT PUT A BAND OF PLASTER OVER THE SCRIM FIRST , AND THEN PLASTERED OVER THAT, AS FOR THE PIMPLES, THEY ARE CALLED BLEBS, ITS MOISTURE TRYING TO ESCAPE THROUGH LACK OF SUCTION.,, YOU HAVE GOT TO LET THE PLASTER GO OFF TILL ITS ALMOST DRY, AND THEN TROWEL THEM OUT WITH TROWEL, BUT YOU NEED TO HANGAROUND FOR AWHILE WAITING FOR THE PLASTER TO GO OFF, THATS WHY HE AS LEFT IT LIKE THAT,.
Answered24 February 2013
17
Anonymous user
Hi, when you tape up, you should try and fill the joins first, then go over them but if you run your finger across the tape does it fill smooth? If not, I can only say get another plasterer as as he has not filled out the joins properly, but if it's smooth, then when you paint it, you will never see it. Hope this help, b&r plastering. Have a nice day.
Answered23 February 2014
14
Anonymous user
If you can feel the tape, this means the plasterers first coat wasn't thick enough to cover the 1mm scrimping tape, what you can do is ether get it skimmed or buy some easy fill and cover the scrimping tape with a jointing tool twice as big as the tape then when dry sand it make sure you wear a mask and goggles
Answered25 June 2013
10
Anonymous user
It was a one coat wonder
Answered8 March 2014
10
Anonymous user
You should remove door architrave when plastering , not plaster up to it,As for seeing tape, bonding skim should of been put over this prior to skim coat.Skim coat should be no more than 5 mm , that is sufficient to cover jointing tape. Sorry mate to say but , they aint very good.
Answered2 October 2015
10
Anonymous user
Hi I agree completly with solid building ,He has it spot on
Joint tape showing means not enough coverage over it, will be ok if flat to the plaster but still not very good. The blebs on the wall are for trying to polish it up to quickly,. As for the architrave it should be taken off, many people i have worked for in the past like to keep them on as they don't want the hassle or expenses off having new ones, i allways try my best to get the client to let me remove them .
Answered25 March 2017
6
Anonymous user
Hi
if you can feel the tape when you rub your hand over it then this isn't great. But if you can see the tape but feels smooth then it is fine once you have painted it you won't see it.
Hope this helps
John
Solid building services
Hello again.
When you say 2mm gaps do you mean the architrave has been removed and when back on the wall there is a gap between finished plaster and archatrive, if the new plaster is thinner than the old. if so this isn't the end of the world some times door frames are slightly wider so to overcome this you can decorater caulk the gap and paint. Or do you mean the plaster does not reach the architrave, as if finished before rather than under?
As for the bumps this usually occurs if you try and finish the plaster to quickly, ie applying water to the wall before its ready to polish.
I hope this helps
John
Solid building services
You may notice where the scrim tape is if they have used tapered plasterboard as the edges are deeper than square edge plasterboard and may take longer to dry. So the area may remain darker than the rest of the wall. But it should feel smooth to the touch. If there are air bubbles and scrim tape showing through then it sounds like the Plasterer has only done one coat of finish plaster rather than two. Obviously this means he can do it twice as fast as a normal Plasterer so can come in cheaper.
Each coat is 4 mm and COMPRESSES to 3mm when trowelled in so 2 coats is 8 mm. ( Back to 6 mm) How do you think walls are made flat if it is only 2+3 mm. ? And yes you can use one coat and get a perfect finish (as long as it isn't 3 mm like so many crap plasterers do). Glad I got 30 years of experience as it seems a lot of plasterers don't have a clue
But I see it everyday.
Oh and by the way 1 day to prepare a bathroom maybe 2 and a day to day and half for skimming.
I'm afraid to say you were done over...
Oh and to huntarian ,you don't have a clue. You think 2 mm of plaster per coat is is strong.? You think anyone can put 2 mm on a 40 X 12 foot wall.? 30 Years experience and seen and outlasted hundreds of " so called " plasterers. It's why I teach . Joker
Answered24 May 2022
4
Anonymous user
What has happened is the plasterer hasn't coated out the joints where scrim is applied, therefore the suction has pulled in the plaster in that area. Plasterer should of coated out the joints before applying the first coat of skim.
Plaster scrim tape 1 mill 2 coats skim 4 mill so shouldn’t see scrim some times need apply bit more plaster to joints if boards a bit up down also if you some times get bibs in places a piece of news paper flattens on them will draw out moisture so can trowel outalso like some one said once painted some times it won’t show often tell clients when plastering over artex when drying can see pattern but once dry shouldn’t show show
not grate to thin of plaster applied to wall by the sound of thing that have done one coat and try to get a finish with such tight coat and that have troweled up to early using flexible trowels at wrong time a 12x9 room should only take 2 days and if not happy with work u do not have to pay an till he as rectify work and u happy or he pays someone else to rectify his work
