Retain Coving and skimming or replaster old walls?

[chris101]

My property was built in the late 1800's.

The walls I have been told by the builders are weak and so far has knocked down 3 internal walls and replaces them with plaster boarded walls.

My living room they also wanted to knock down the old brick walls and replace them with wooden which we didn't want to do as we they are probably fine.

They are now suggesting only taking back the wall paper and skimming the existing walls rather then taking them back to the brick work like they have done for all the other walls in the house.

What would be the best way forward for this room and how could I retain the ceiling coveing if they were to replaster the whole room?

According to the builders, if they were to take the walls back to the brick work, due to the drilling, there is a strong chance some if not all of the coveing will get damaged.
Hence by skimming only, they will be able to retain it.

They have stated though by keeping the internal walls and only skmming, in the future I am guranteed to get cracks due to how the old walls were build...

 

[dann09]

I've seen this business of builders replacing pre-1914 walls with studding far too often.
Mostly, they are making work and degrading excellent old properties. Sometimes, all this studding can actually create structural difficulties.

Why not strip the paper from the existing walls and carefully examine them for cracking and bulging etc.

19th century decorative plasterwork is gold dust in selling terms - keep it. Keep as much old as possible - they dont make it any more.

I cant comment on future cracks - pics and more details would be required.

 

[chris101]

dann thanks for your post.

The walls all have horrible paper stuck to the old plaster and when we have tried to take off the paper it took off the plaster as well.

The coving is the only feature we would like to keep but to achieve this they will need to simply skim the current walls.

 

[dann09]

Remove the paper by scouring, or scoring, it with utility knives and constant wetting - allow th wet to seep in, dont be in a rush. Or hire a steam stripper.

If you remove the in-situ skim, then use the knife to cut a line just below the coving. Only penetrate 4-5mm.

Old plaster is lime and horse hair, take up the suction with PVA - research on here.