Skimming onto Victorian plaster?

[versioncity]

Hello all.

Just sorting out my living room. I've opened up the fireplace & now I need to sort the walls. I stripped off all the woodchip to reveal two walls which (i think) are the original victorian plaster. (there is horsehair in it) The other two walls have been skimmed at some point in more recent times, then above the picture rail has some sort of paint over the top of the plasterwork.

Please see pics in my "plastering album"

My questions:

- The victorian plaster is quite sturdy apart from over the fireplace. Can this be skimmed & if so what is the process? - Or should I just patch in the few holes, sand & paint

- How do i deal with the picture rail. I don't really want to remove it as I think it may be troublesome re-fitting.

- the area above the picture rail. does this needed to be treated differently because its painted.

Hope you can help on some or all points.

 

[daneski88]

out of interest, what part of manchester (I'm in chorlton)

 

[versioncity]

just up the road in Old Trafford.

 

[daneski88]

Small, small world.

However, back to your problem - if the wall is sound, then it can be skimmed (pva'd the night before and just prior to skimming)- you may be able to feather the skim to nothing as it approaches the timberwork.. I've got the number of a local plasterer (who has also retrained as an electrician to expand his repertoire) if you're interested.

You'll have to accept me as a friend in order to facilitate pm'ing.

 

[stevethespreader]

is the fire place going to be used? if so you may want to consider heat resistant plaster around the fire place, normal skim will crack becuse of the heat, if that was my room i would take the picture rail off and skim the whole lot but i would leave the skirting on as the skirting looks ok

 

[versioncity]

Thanks for your replies. I was thinking of putting in a burner down the line. But very skint at the moment so will have to wait. Would I need heat resistant plaster for a burner?

How much would I be looking at for
a: a plasterer to skim the whole room?
b: just to re-plaster the fire breast?

 

[stevethespreader]

Thanks for your replies. I was thinking of putting in a burner down the line. But very skint at the moment so will have to wait. Would I need heat resistant plaster for a burner?

How much would I be looking at for
a: a plasterer to skim the whole room?
b: just to re-plaster the fire breast?

to be on the safe side i would go for the heat resistant plaster, and to make good and skim that fire breast maybe £150-£180, to skim the whole room with the fire place and without the ceiling you could double that 300-£360, you may get it done cheaper, but thats the kind of quote i would give you based on the pics ive seen.