Lime plaster on old beams

DebsH

New Member
Hello,

I really need some help and you all seem very knowledgable so I hope you don't mind me posting a question. I had my ceiling replastered as sections of the 500 year old original plaster fell down.

We had it lime plastered, and the finished plastering is fine but there is plaster all over the oak beams and it's just not coming off! I asked the plasterer how to get it off as I wasn't expecting the beams to be so covered, and he said I'd have to restain them ( they're not stained!).

I scraped the worst off, and I'm gently rubbing the beams with fine wire wool and cleaning with water with a tiny amount of detergent - is there anything else I can do? I'm worried that even if I stain them they won't colour evenly....

Thank you in advance for any ideas....
 
Hello,

I really need some help and you all seem very knowledgable so I hope you don't mind me posting a question. I had my ceiling replastered as sections of the 500 year old original plaster fell down.

We had it lime plastered, and the finished plastering is fine but there is plaster all over the oak beams and it's just not coming off! I asked the plasterer how to get it off as I wasn't expecting the beams to be so covered, and he said I'd have to restain them ( they're not stained!).

I scraped the worst off, and I'm gently rubbing the beams with fine wire wool and cleaning with water with a tiny amount of detergent - is there anything else I can do? I'm worried that even if I stain them they won't colour evenly....

Thank you in advance for any ideas....
You can get it sandblasted or try a wire brush.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
 
i wouldnt use detergent or liquids as the beams will blacken. its a case of dry clean. sand paper wire brush etc but not to go mad with it.
 
Dans got it right. I have done a bit of this (I work in historic buildings....well maybe work is a bit too far....)
When the lime mortar is good and dry, gently scrape, sand an wire brush until it's gone. TBH it's easier to spend time putting on masking tape beforehand.
Hope we've helped.
 
A good few years ago when working on a very well known manor house i was told that the oak beams were never to be painted, stained, or cleaned with any chemicals, only with boot polish every so often by the maintenance team. Dont know if this true but could be worth a go!
 
Top