Fitting architrave to bumpy walls

[rhysjc]

Hi all,

I've got a bit of a job on my hands fitting architrave. The plaster is proud which is a fairly common problem, and I believe the solution here is to fit some stripwood set back from the frame, have it flush to the plaster and then fit your architrave to that, again set back from the stripwood. This creates a double quirk/reveal which I'm fine with. However, the issue I've got is that the degree to which the plaster is proud varies massively along the height of the wall. In some areas it's flush enough that some gripfill would make up the gap, in others it's about 7-8mm. I'm struggling to find a good solution to this. Planing the stripwood down so it's flush along the height would give me huge gaps behind the architrave in the areas where it's currently almost flush. The only thing I can think of doing is somehow scribing the back of the architrave to the profile of the plaster? Any tips here are much appreciated!

 

[Wayners]

You can scrape wall back with a tungsten scraper on the high spots.
Use CT1 to stick it on.
A few screws will pull it in a bit.
Fill with toupret powdered wood filler. Mix with water

 

[opps]

You could possibly sand the plaster back where it is high. I would use a belt sander followed by a D/A sander (assuming that it is gypsum plaster).

What happens where it meets the skirting?

 

[mrrusty]

I tack a batten or the arch itself up to the frame and run a multitool down the edge, and then in from the frame to trim away the excess plaster to cut a rebate in it and then just fit the arch into the rebate. Once grooved the excess plaster just falls away neatly

 

[rhysjc]

In the end I don’t think it was quite as bad as I thought. I ran some 4mm strip wood set back from the frame, once I offered the architrave up to that it was okay for the most part. One area I had to sand back the back of the architrave where the plaster was particularly proud. A bit of caulk today and jobs a gooden!