Easifill or call in a plasterer?

[phatboy]

9 years ago we removed a fireplace (Between 2 rooms), and had the space blocked up, with concrete blocks on wall starters.

The whole wall was re-plastered each side. The original walls had s&c as a base, the new section was Hardwalled. 4" scrim was used where they met. One side had a hairline crack down 1 side and the plaster sounded hollow, so I popped it all off easily.

Question is, should I re-scrim and Easifill this, or get as plasterer in for a morning to fix it all up with Multifinish? There are a couple of socket boxes to fill as well.

Thanks
Tim

 

[opps]

As a decorator, I would remove any loose material and then brush in PVA/wood glue . Once dry, I would pre-fill with Toupret Flex and Fill. It is like a caulk with reinforcing fibres. It shrinks as it dries. The following day I would use Toupret TX110 filler. It is "rapid" setting. Easifill is incredibly soft and often used inappropriately by people that don't care if it fails after they have been paid- admittedly, I am being a bit harsh, but nevertheless it is often used because it is incredibly cheap and easy to sand.

 

[ree]

OP,
Plumb pencil lines down either side of the damaged areas
- give the old tape a wide birth with the dropped lines
- use a utility knife to cut the lines to the background
- between the pencil lines hack off all hardwall & scrim to the background.
Post pics showing now exposed background (and maybe crack), and the "socket boxes"?

FWIW: used correctly for the correct job Easifill is an excellent material.

 

[Wayners]

Some PVA and water 3-1
2x2kg boxes of toupret powder.
Mix and fill
40 mins later mix and fill again.
Drag something over to keep it flat like some wood.
Damp sponge edges to keep tidy. If your rough it will sand flat if you use a block of wood and 120 grade
That's my option

 

[phatboy]

Thanks everyone,

It's only the thickness of the skim I've removed, so about 2mm - will I get 2 coats of filler in there? I have a plastering trowel, so best use that to keep the filler flush?

Ive done loads of filling in the past, but never really to repair stuff like this. I always hear how good Toupret is, so will try and get some tomorrow at the local trade paint centre.

 

[Wayners]

2mm thick will be easy enough then. Trowel is good..
Damp sponge the edges to blend and can use trowel as well.
Could do that In one fill I guess. Sometimes to get it nice a little fresh mix over as the first is setting makes a good job. Whatever works

 

[ree]

OP,
Unless you expose the background & find the cause of the hairline crack appearing then skimming over a 2mm finish will probably allow the crack to re-appear in the future.
The depth you have exposed is deeper than 2mm.

With respect: Neither you nor your other respondents seem to have noticed that there is a vertical background join showing, & the tape is in the wrong place at the wrong depth - the tape should be under the hardwall not below the skim. Why? Because you have solid plastering not drywall taping.

The best tape for a masonry join or crack would be a metal mesh.

 

[phatboy]

OP,
Unless you expose the background & find the cause of the hairline crack appearing then skimming over a 2mm finish will probably allow the crack to re-appear in the future.
The depth you have exposed is deeper than 2mm.

With respect: Neither you nor your other respondents seem to have noticed that there is a vertical background join showing, & the tape is in the wrong place at the wrong depth - the tape should be under the hardwall not below the skim. Why? Because you have solid plastering not drywall taping.

The best tape for a masonry join or crack would be a metal mesh.

I was thinking, as the cracks were hairline, that it was just settlement from when the new bit of wall was built. Im concerned about damaging the wall further if I dig out the hardwall, and the very solid sand and cement on the original wall.

The background join is the meeting of the old to new sections of wall.

Thanks

 

[opps]

OP,
Unless you expose the background & find the cause of the hairline crack appearing then skimming over a 2mm finish will probably allow the crack to re-appear in the future.
The depth you have exposed is deeper than 2mm.

With respect: Neither you nor your other respondents seem to have noticed that there is a vertical background join showing, & the tape is in the wrong place at the wrong depth - the tape should be under the hardwall not below the skim. Why? Because you have solid plastering not drywall taping.

The best tape for a masonry join or crack would be a metal mesh.

Having looked at the image again on my QHD+ laptop, I cannot see any visible scrim tape. Care to highlight it?

 

[Wayners]

Just fill sand and paint.
If it cracks again you can either fill it again or hack off and bridge with expanding metal lath.
From my experience it's not an easy job to fix and no guarantee anything's going to work over a long period. Up to you

 

[ree]

Poster #9,
No problem:
1. The best thing you can do is to look again - with or without your "QHD + laptop".
2. Another best thing you can do is to read what I said.

 

[ree]

Poster #10,
The OP's problem is a background join creating a surface crack - if he follows what you say he will indeed have another crack later appearing, & your "advice" would be for him to do then what he should have done now?

 

[opps]

Poster #9,
No problem:
1. The best thing you can do is to look again - with or without your "QHD + laptop".
2. Another best thing you can do is to read what I said.

Okay. In no image is any tape visible. Do you see it with your third eye?

I did read what you said- you said that the (not visible) tape had been used at the wrong level. How have you concluded that?

 

[phatboy]

There was in fact tape in there, I assume @ree has spotted the square markings in the hardwall where the skrim was attached... I used it to rip off the loose plaster.

 

[phatboy]

I had a good go at this today, taking on board advice but being a little restricted on filler choices (Its Jersey!)

- PVA'd the areas I'd removed the plaster, and laid in 4" skrim. Added a layer of Toupret Fibarex filler (Says external use but imagine its fine internal). Waited about an hour, then did a very thin coat of Easifil 60. I'll need to fill a little more I expect, after sanding whats there.

As @ree noticed, a couple of bits were deeper where the Hardwall had come off. I pre-filled these.

I hope it all works out. We go on 3 weeks holiday in a few days, so if it's not cracked when I am back I'll hope it lasts. Id it doesn't, I'll look at digging it all out back to block and using a metal mesh, but as I hope it was just settlement of the new blockwork, and it would have made it a far bigger job, I dodged it for now.

Socket box that needs filling.... I think I'll fill the 35mm hole with Hardwall, and then a thin Easifil over the top - the kit I got had 5x 1KG bags of it.

All input much appreciated.... many things I can do, but decorating always challenges and frustrates.