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Frobo666

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Hey,

Thanks for looking.

So I've got myself into a bit of a mess with a property I'm developing. We managed to buy a house to develop with my GF and her Dad, but costs are quickly adding up and unfortunately we can't afford all the trades to come and do this stuff for us.

Basically, I want to try and get at least some of the plastering sorted myself (probably not the skim) but experience is lacking. Hopefully you guys can take a look at the stuff below and give me some advise:

  • Salts in the brick
When we managed to get the wall paper off the wall we found that there was damp half way up the wall (Pics: https://imgur.com/a/JgBUS). We first thought that it was raising damp, but we got a damp survey and they said it was hygroscopic salts in the brick pulling moisture out of the air and into the plaster. They recommended using a tanking slurry on the wall to stop it, but I've read on some forums that you can just use 50/50 water and vinegar with a few drops of washing up liquid in it to neutralise the salts. Is that true? If not what should I use on it?

We also have a few spots of Efflorescence, would that be treated the same way? We've had a full damp course done anyway since it needed doing in other areas.

  • Dot and Dab
We're going to be dot and dabbing the house, basically all the ground floor and some upstairs (mainly patching upstairs). We're going to use 9.5mm stuff for a ceiling (screwed to beams), but weren't sure on weather to use 12.5mm on the walls - does it make that much difference? Also any tips on getting the sheets level would be great.

We've got a wall where an old chimney stack used to be, and it's covered it soot. I've heard that the soot will eventually make it's way through the adhesive and stain yellow on the other side - what do you guys suggest? Batton the wall out so that the soot won't soak through?



Any advise for a total novice would be great (I ain't giving up my day job)!

Cheers,

Martin
 
U should go on a plastering course. Gold trowel do one. It's only 2500.
Best of luck with the house. U should get a plasterer in to do the work. It is the finish of the house
 
when you had the dpc fitted why did they not cut off and replaster the affected areas ?
only use 12mm plasterboard, it keeps a better shape and costs the same.
dot and dab your chimney breast .
plastering is a craft not an illness so it will cost less to employ a tradesman.
 
when you had the dpc fitted why did they not cut off and replaster the affected areas ?
only use 12mm plasterboard, it keeps a better shape and costs the same.
dot and dab your chimney breast .
plastering is a craft not an illness so it will cost less to employ a tradesman.

We had the DPC done for cheap, only £840 with the guarantee. The room from the pictures had that moisture all the way around, so we took off 1.5m for the DPC, but just ended up remove the rest as it'll be simpler to dot and dab.

That's great, 12mm it is.
Do I not have to worry about the soot coming though the adhesive?

I've had quotes for the house to be done, in the region of £3.5k not including materials (another 1k). That was 3 lads over 7 days if my memory's correct. I agree that that's fairly cheap, but like I say I'm trying to do as much as possible so that price is less & just for the skim & some finishing. Need to do the house on a total budget of about 8-9k, so 4.5k takes a massive chunk out of that.

Cheers.
 
I don't normally say this but stop what you are doing, you are going to waste a load of money on materials and f**k the house up and be in a worse position than you are now. Where abouts are you?
 
I don't normally say this but stop what you are doing, you are going to waste a load of money on materials and f**k the house up and be in a worse position than you are now. Where abouts are you?

I'm up in Wigan. I understand that the finish is hard are requires a lot of experience, but there must be something that I can do to save costs! I hope... :endesacuerdo:
 
I'm up in Wigan. I understand that the finish is hard are requires a lot of experience, but there must be something that I can do to save costs! I hope... :endesacuerdo:
It's not the finish mate it's the questions your asking and I know this is a forum to ask questions but you are taking on far too much and asking far to basic questions. Maybe get a few prices rather than just the one or maybe get one room done at a time and help the guy out, out of interest what did you give the magic damp man £850 for?
 
Fair play to anyone doing a bit of DIY, but this seems to involve a bit more.When you were doing your budget how did you go about it and do you expect tradesmen to conform to your figures?.It does'nt work like that in the real world.When I get my car,or boiler serviced I don't mention budgets.If I go to the doctor or Tescos I don't mention budgets.Why do people begrudge the tradesman a decent few pound.I'm not knocking you for trying to do a bit but it's a skilled job to get right and as was previously stated it could end up going wrong.
 
We had the DPC done for cheap, only £840 with the guarantee. The room from the pictures had that moisture all the way around, so we took off 1.5m for the DPC, but just ended up remove the rest as it'll be simpler to dot and dab.

That's great, 12mm it is.
Do I not have to worry about the soot coming though the adhesive?

I've had quotes for the house to be done, in the region of £3.5k not including materials (another 1k). That was 3 lads over 7 days if my memory's correct. I agree that that's fairly cheap, but like I say I'm trying to do as much as possible so that price is less & just for the skim & some finishing. Need to do the house on a total budget of about 8-9k, so 4.5k takes a massive chunk out of that.

Cheers.
Oh dear
 
Thing is dude even if you do the underlying work/prep for a plasterer to then come in and just skim everything you will still end up paying more than you expect as he would have to correct a lot of what you would have done.

Skimming is (within reason) only as good as the substrate it is going over, if you badly board walls 3mm of finish won't make the walls look great without a fair amount of prep before hand.

I know you mean well and arnt trying to knock anyone, buying houses aint cheap! People often bite off more than they can chew though! Even as a tradesmen I wouldnt buy a house that needed completely gutting and re doing as I still wouldnt have the time nor money to do so! As flynny says, do one room at a time and pay for it to be done properly and you wont regret things!
 
Fair play to anyone doing a bit of DIY, but this seems to involve a bit more.When you were doing your budget how did you go about it and do you expect tradesmen to conform to your figures?.It does'nt work like that in the real world.When I get my car,or boiler serviced I don't mention budgets.If I go to the doctor or Tescos I don't mention budgets.Why do people begrudge the tradesman a decent few pound.I'm not knocking you for trying to do a bit but it's a skilled job to get right and as was previously stated it could end up going wrong.
I totally agree it's a big job, and I wasn't expecting the amount of stuff to need doing. We made our budget out before we knew the full extent of the work that needed doing (stupid, I know). I didn't expect tradesmen to confirm to the figures, just wasn't expecting this much s**t to do!

Basically we have £13k margin to play with, but we're already up to £7,500 without the plastering. Another 4k will just wipe us out really.

Guess you live and learn!
 
I know you mean well and arnt trying to knock anyone, buying houses aint cheap! People often bite off more than they can chew though! Even as a tradesmen I wouldnt buy a house that needed completely gutting and re doing as I still wouldnt have the time nor money to do so! As flynny says, do one room at a time and pay for it to be done properly and you wont regret things!

I definitely bit off more than I could chew - I work 7-5 mon-fri so I only get weekends and some nights to go up. It's kind of damage limitation at this point!

You might be onto something with the 1 room at a time, probably for the best over all.
 
Best thing u can do for u and your house is get a lone of money if u can that is and get a plasterer in. I know u where hoping to come on here and get tips. But u have been given the best advice. And that is get a plasterer in to do the work. If u do one room at a time over a long period of time it will cost U more money.
 
Best thing u can do for u and your house is get a lone of money if u can that is and get a plasterer in. I know u where hoping to come on here and get tips. But u have been given the best advice. And that is get a plasterer in to do the work. If u do one room at a time over a long period of time it will cost U more money.
I'm not available :D
 
Makes u laugh dsnt it plastering is something u shudnt side line and do urself like flynny said do 1 room at a time and wen u can afford it do another do ur most important rooms 1st like living room etc so u can move in if it all goes tits up ur just knocking money off the value of ur home as wen u sell it eventually expect a few grand knocked off for any shoddy work uve done..dont scrimp on a finished article that every1 sees
 
Kitchen and bathroom first. They're the most expensive rooms. Bare brickwork in the sitting room can be made to look OK (for a year or 2)
 
Done
Kitchen and bathroom first. They're the most expensive rooms. Bare brickwork in the sitting room can be made to look OK (for a year or 2)
Done every room in my house apart from kitchen..the thought of doing It terrifies me think Il leave it for another year or 2
 
Plaster it yourself and wallpaper it ....cheapest advice there is.

everything today is about money.
I hope your wife has a good taste in decorating.
 
Still waiting on natural day light pics or normal light pics? U cnt be that arsed about it I'm with plasterman I smell a rat..i think from now on if any1 cums on asking for advice on stupid pics with a phone torch light against a wall saying can I have advice is this rough etc we shud say f**k all as this has happened a few times now any1 cud do that to our work
 
Still waiting on natural day light pics or normal light pics? U cnt be that arsed about it I'm with plasterman I smell a rat..i think from now on if any1 cums on asking for advice on stupid pics with a phone torch light against a wall saying can I have advice is this rough etc we shud say f**k all as this has happened a few times now any1 cud do that to our work
Your work maybe no mine lol
 
Still waiting on natural day light pics or normal light pics? U cnt be that arsed about it I'm with plasterman I smell a rat..i think from now on if any1 cums on asking for advice on stupid pics with a phone torch light against a wall saying can I have advice is this rough etc we shud say f**k all as this has happened a few times now any1 cud do that to our work
Nobody asked me for additional pictures, and I took those pictures 6 weeks ago. How am I I rat [emoji23] I came looking for advise because we can't afford to get it done by a pro, that's all. I want to give it a go myself so I thought this would be the best place for advise.

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Nobody asked me for additional pictures, and I took those pictures 6 weeks ago. How am I I rat [emoji23] I came looking for advise because we can't afford to get it done by a pro, that's all. I want to give it a go myself so I thought this would be the best place for advise.

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I think he might of responded to the wrong thread bud
@Kitchy was you thinking of the other dude?
 
Would you change your boiler yourself? Or totally rewire the house ? I wouldn't so why think that plastering basically a refurb is any different skill wise ?get a bloody plasterer in!!


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Would you change your boiler yourself? Or totally rewire the house ? I wouldn't so why think that plastering basically a refurb is any different skill wise ?get a bloody plasterer in!!


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I appreciate there is skill involved, but trying plastering myself won't lead to me dying like changing my boiler! Well, unless I do something seriously wrong...

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I appreciate there is skill involved, but trying plastering myself won't lead to me dying like changing my boiler! Well, unless I do something seriously wrong...

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
No but it will cost you a lot of cash if done wrong and you will always see the Defects in the work .also it could kill you if your ceilings come down on you or you screw through a live cable ! I want a new van but I don't go to ford parts and then ask advise on how to put it all together sometimes your best biting the bullet either as flynny man says do one room a time properly or get it all done so you can paint it and move in honestly you will be better off mate [emoji106]


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No but it will cost you a lot of cash if done wrong and you will always see the Defects in the work .also it could kill you if your ceilings come down on you or you screw through a live cable ! I want a new van but I don't go to ford parts and then ask advise on how to put it all together sometimes your best biting the bullet either as flynny man says do one room a time properly or get it all done so you can paint it and move in honestly you will be better off mate [emoji106]


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Totally agee with ya
Think the thing is he doesn't know how hard it is to get right..people see plasterers working and think it 'looks' so easy..everyone has gave him the best advice and we all know he going to have a go and either make a bomb site or loose loads of money having it done again.
 
Nobody asked me for additional pictures, and I took those pictures 6 weeks ago. How am I I rat [emoji23] I came looking for advise because we can't afford to get it done by a pro, that's all. I want to give it a go myself so I thought this would be the best place for advise.

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Oops sorry pal wrong thread lol..
 
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