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Interior Plastering
When you have finished your First Fixes and before your Second Fixes can be completed you need to get your internal walls finished. If you are not confident that you can do a good job of this yourself you will need to employ a plasterer.
There are three main finishes that you can use in your new home. The first is sand and cement. This is the same mix as the outside wall plastering, a bit rough but ideal for use in areas that are to be tiled like, bathroom, utility and kitchen as the rough finish allows the adhesive to stick better. This is not really an option for timber framed buildings as the moisture could go into the wood and take a lot longer to dry out.
The second option is called Dry lining. This used to be only used in timber frame or for renovating an old house with no insulation and wet walls but many self builders have found that it saves money and time and is warmer in the cold weather. Stud walls are erected and any electrical, home networking and plumbing work that needs to be placed in the wall is done on the First Fixes . Then the plaster boards are fixed to the stud wall by tacking them to the wood. If you are fixing plaster boards to masonry then you should hold them in place with blobs of plaster on the back of the board or you could use battens and tack the plaster boards into place that way. You will need to place special tape over the joints or else they will show under the plastering and they might even crack. On top of this it is recommended that a skim coat of plaster be used to give a smooth finish. The above job should really be done by a professional plasterer. It is no point doing a great job underneath, if the finishing touch looks bad. If you do not know how to plaster, then do not attempt it as you might devalue your property.
The third finish for inside the house is sand and cement layer first and then a smooth skim coat on top. This does need quite a while to dry before you can put Decorating on top of it. Do remember this is a very good finish but any outside walls could feel rather cold to the touch even with wall paper on it.
The ceiling is a hard job. You usually have to dry line it with plaster boards which are very heavy to lift above your head. Make sure that you hire the proper tools for putting the plaster boards into place as this can cut down on breakage’s and injury.
The plaster boards have different finishes on each side so do make sure that you are using the recommended side for the finish that you are using. If you are going to Artex your ceiling the board should be with the cream side down and you need to put a paper scrum tape over the joints. Before you put on your Artex you should put up any covings and moldings that you are using with this finish. The grey / white side of the plaster board is used for skim coat and jointed with a silk scrim. In this case you add your moldings and covings after the plaster has set.
If the floor is to be screeded it is another job for your plasterer. Screed’s that are bonded directly on to an over site or concrete base can be as thin as 50 mm . Those that are on top of insulation have to have a minimum thickness of 65 mm.
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