At Evis Build, we undertake all manner of plastering work. We know that a great finish is all about the preparation, especially if you are wanting to redecorate your walls with emulsion, so our plasterers make sure they achieve a perfect finish every time.
Key points to consider about plastering walls
The type of plastering that will be required to get your walls smooth and flat again depends on the condition of the existing plaster. Although we will advise you on the most cost efficient option to suit your particular walls and space, below are the most common ways we can prepare your walls for decorating. Remember, no matter how many layers of emulsion you apply onto your old walls, every chip, crack and irregularity on the surface of your existing walls will always be evident. Re-plastering a wall, often with only a very thin layer of new plaster, called a ‘skim’ coat, is the only guaranteed way to have a wall which is perfectly flat.
Wet plastering
If your existing walls are constructed from solid brick or block and the existing plaster has blown (sounds hollow when you tap it), the existing plaster will need to be removed and a new coat of wet plaster will need to be applied. Removing old plaster down to the brickwork is a messy and noisy job, but a necessary one if much of the plaster on your walls has blown.
Dry lining
Dry lining, also referred to as dry walling, is not a form of plastering as such, but the action of covering timber stud walls, and sometimes existing solid walls with sheets of plasterboard. It is sometimes more cost effective to dry line very uneven solid walls, rather than apply layers of wet plaster.
Skim plastering
If the plaster on your existing walls has not blown, and any unevenness is only cosmetic from previous decorations, all that will be required to achieve a flat finish is a 2-3 millimetre thick ‘skim’ coat of plaster. In instances where your walls do require wet plastering or dry lining, they will still need a ‘skimmed’ to achieve the final smooth finish.