couple of plastering questions

[samohtom]

Hi. I'm new to plastering and trying to learn/practice on a fake wall before I actually need to do it in a couple of months. I had a couple of questions about how to do it?

1) I've redone all the door linings in my flat, and being built in the 70s the walls were not completely vertical, so in places the door linings are slightly proud of the plaster and (more commonly) in others they are slightly below the level of the plaster. Also where the new linings have been fitted I have filled between the frame and rough opening with mortar in places - what's the best way to deal with this if reskimming the wall? Would I just PVA over the mortar and plaster skim over that?!

2) I've watched a couple of vids on youtube about how to plaster but they don't say much about corners. I'm not clear on what you normally do for these - do you use angle beads for both internal and external corners? Do I just fix the bead in the corner with some plaster and then skim over it? Also for external ones I can see you could fix the bead and skim over it, but then there'd be nothing there to plaster up to....how do you go *around* the corner so to speak?

3) Sockets and such...just power off tuck wires in and skim over?

cheers

Tom

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

1) If the rest of the plaster around the door frames are in good condition, you could sand down or chip off the slightly proud plaster (if this is going to effect the fitting of architrave) Then use a product called easifill, to fill and feather out until level/even/flat to your existing plaster. This can then be sanded down to smooth, it may take two or three application until it is spot on, sanding down after each application.
The other alternative is to feather in a skim, may also require the knocking off of some of the current skim finish, so you don't get too proud of the door frame.
I advise you use a two coat skim and prime with a two coat PVA, letting the first dry, then the second go tacky before you apply your finish.

2) With internal corners, it is common just to brush the corners in, after you have done your wet/dry troweling, just as it starts to set.
Use a small (inch-inch and half) wet paint brush. You don't work two adjoining corners at the same time, unless the corners are bang on 90 degrees (then there is a special trowel for that) you normally let one set hard before working the next one.
On external corners use a thin coat metal angle bead, this can be either nailed on, stuck on or my preferred method stapled on. You need to pinch the bead in at the side, this will help stop the bead showing through when plastered. You also need a spirit level to get it level, then again it's matter of skimming and feathering in if needs be. The metal nose of the bead should clean and visible, onces plastered, so keep it clean.

3) With sockets and switches a couple of ways to deal with these. Always isolate before you remove any fronts.
If you are disconnecting fronts, note where the wires go, specially on switches. Tuck wires in and you can stuff some old newspaper in the back boxes to stop them filling with plaster, specially where the screw holes are for the plates to fix to the boxes.
Alternative is to remove face plates from back boxes, keeping wired up and wrap some plastic bags or something to protect them from getting messy, then again stuff old newspaper in back box.
If you have RCDs on your consumer unit, tucking the cables in to the back boxes, may cause the RCD to trip even if the power is off, this is meant happen. You can prevent this be insulation tape on the conductor ends.