First Trowel

[Foxcroft]

Ive been having a real big problem with the first trowel when skimming a wall, the plaster had nearly set by the time I had finished today, every time I trowel over an area and fill in I create more gauls to fill, I'm using enough water as plaster not dragging. Got really frustrated with it in the end, not really had a major problem with this in the past but my bedroom wall wasnt having it. Can lay on fairly well and quick but having real problem with the first trowel.

Any ideas what am I doing wrong? I'm I using too much pressure on the first trowel?

Cheers for any help

 

[FatmanWithATrowel]

This is one of those could be anything questions....

1. Messing with it too soon.
2. 2nd coating too soon.
3. Pressing too hard.
4. Trowel at the wrong angle.

The best description I've seen for when to trowel it up is when its cheesy, catch it too soon and your trowel wont sound right... hard to explain.

 

[SLIPPY]

Cheesy is a great description , all thanks to ron the builders vid on youtube i reckon.

 

[ant]

have you sealed it properly if it going in to quick then the wall must be pulling the moisture out of the plaster try given two coats of pva should give you more time to play with the plaster. also check the date on the bag you might of got a bad bag..

 

[gangsta-spread]

I have had some dodgy bags of multi of late, seems very sticky, lots of grit, tears when firmed up. i try to lay on flat, leave as long as possible, and keep my trowel wet.

 

[gps]

you may also be putting it on way to thin, i new a spread who used to say same thing and when i see what he was doing it was because he was hardly putting anything on the wall

 

[scott]

a would of thought the same way as gps your not puttin a thick enough coat on

 

[Foxcroft]

I think I was troweling with too much pressure. Trowel was fairly flat to the wall, wasnt much of an angle on it. The wall was cheesey when I troweled although there was still a lot of water and the plaster was still soft, prob should have left it another 5 mins. Wall was old plaster, no paint although there is a boiler in a cupboard in the wall.

Dont think I had a bad bag the first and second coats went in fine, had enough time with it