skimming over existing plaster

[l200]

existing walls have hairline cracks in various places ,
-if they are overskimmend is there any way to gaurentee
cracks will not re-appear,
-is lining paper over existing walls a better option
( will cracks re-appear through this )
-does lining paper need to be cross lined
-are there any issues with emulsioning over lining paper (bubbling)
thanks in advance

 

[brist]

PVA the wall then skim 2 coats and you will have no problems.

 

[noseall]

re-skimming any wall is a relatively inexpensive way of achieving the look of a freshly plastered wall, albeit a rather susceptible coating that is vulnerable to anything that the wall below may have previously suffered.

cracking due to hydration shrinkage can be controlled using solutions of pva, but structural cracking due to shrinkage movement or otherwise will not be fooled by a coat of skim.

 

[Richard C]

Check that the base plaster has not blown (de-laminated from the blockwork underneath) by tapping with a screwdriver or similar. If large areas of the wall sound hollow, it’s had it & the only long term solution is to strip it back & start again.

If it generally sounds OK & you’ve only got cosmetic cracks, get yourself a roll of fibreglass reinforcing tape & stick this over the cracks prior to skimming & all should be OK for a good few more years at least. Lining paper is, in my view, a bodge; useful if you want a quick fix sell up in the next 6 months but it’s the beginning of the end & just creates more work for someone else later on.

 

[supernelly]

You CAN NOT 100% guarantee the cracks wont come back.

Its unlikely but unless the reason for their apearance in the first place has been addressed then it can still hapen again.

Generally hairline cracks are due to age and shouldnt be a problem.

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[Tozzy]

Hairline crack filler?