Plastering over wood in wall

[Molebob]

I have just finished pulling the skirting board off of my main bedroom and thanks to it being held on with floorboard nails the plaster hasn't survived all that well.

The problem is in the bay area there is wood in the wall. A quick search suggests not to plaster directly on to it, and the crack up the wall suggests expansion and contraction of the wood may be a problem. But then what are my best options for filling the hole in? The room will be papered.

Untitled

• Molebob
• 18 Mar 2013
• 1

 

[gregers]

if you cannot remove the timber then put some eml on the wood then plaster it.

 

[Molebob]

if you cannot remove the timber then put some eml on the wood then plaster it.

The only way the wood can come out is to rebuild the entire bay. Notices there is a crack in the plaster at the top also where there is wood.

What is the best way to attach the EML to the wood?

 

[roughcaster]

The best way to attach wire lath (eml) is with galvanised clout nails, hammered in at an angle, to keep/pull the mesh tight as you go. It's also advisable to seal any timber first with a bitumin paint or similar, to stop it swelling up, cracking the new plaster. You could also put a membrane over the timber then fix the lath. Either way will work fine.

 

[gregers]

i personally wouldnt put any membrane over timber in case it sweats?
if it does then this itself can then lead to other problems,and 1 of them YOU really dont want.

 

[Molebob]

i personally wouldnt put any membrane over timber in case it sweats?
if it does then this itself can then lead to other problems,and 1 of them YOU really dont want.

I am a little reluctant to put a membrane over as it has "happily" not had one for 80 years but obviously I need the plaster to stay on. It appears there has been many attempts to repair this area in general, though there has been some movement in general to the bay.