Sponge or not to Sponge

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smudge505

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Is it just me or are people who use sponges on their finish coat plasters the roughest of the rough and give us genuine time served, quality crafts men a bad name? to me it just smacks of bad practice and low skill levels.
 
@smudge505 tbh the best plasterers ive ever seen in terms of meterage and attention to details was a 2&1 gang that sponged all there work and it was beyond flawless...

the problem is that the timing has to be perfect...if you do time it right and have been shown how to you will never get a better finish FACT...

however time it wrong and you will destroy 2hrs work!!!
 
@Big k...we always run straight edge over then when ready lighty sponge before running scarifyer over....

takes out any ridges and leaves it a dream to skim...

also always do the same on any chases patches etc....
 
zombie said:
@Big k...we always run straight edge over then when ready lighty sponge before running scarifyer over....

takes out any ridges and leaves it a dream to skim...

also always do the same on any chases patches etc....
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Scarifier? You mean like a comb scratcher or a devil float?
Not used hard wall for some years now, but used to just edge it and then rub it up with a devil float.


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we put a sponge float over a wall when we skim over blue grit.
you have to skim thicker on blue grit, therefore the skim may slump slightly, putting a sponge float over the set has the same affect as a cross grain float.
 
Should nt need to sponge a backing coat, if you rule it off flat and give it a key at the right time with a devil float, why add a extra process and moisture??? as far as your FACT goes why sponge your finish coat, lay it on in two coats flat, straighten up, and a final polish with minimal water and you'll get a nice blemish, fat mark free, monolithic, Matt finish ready for a decorator to ruin!!
 
I don't see it as necessary over floated S&C or browning but anywhere requiring building out or filling can respond very well to the float, makes for a really flat surface which trowelling by itself is difficult to match, time consuming perhaps but so would a coat of bonding etc. Just another solution in the bag really.

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As malc says,Has to be thick too really hide the blue grit plus the staircase am doing is in a old farm house so the walls are very uneven. Sponge is good where the skim is deep in places and straightens the wall out.
 
scottie5 said:
This ol chestnut agen.
Makes me wonder just how bad a finish some must leave with a trowel to make scouring the bollox out of a couple of mm of skim on board seem like a Flawless finish.
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To require a rub of a float would most likely be many mm. deep. At one time all skim type finishes would have been hard wood float applied, the SF is just a modern take on same, hardly a game changer, I know plenty won't look at an angle trowel preferring opposite walls, I think they are mad, do lovely work but, so how bad?

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all well all I can say is that if you all don't that's fine...

but believe me theres many a situation where a sponge float benefits and improves an overall finish from backing coats to finish...

@Big k ref scarifyer its a tool for keying up but you use it earlier as they have bit of flex aposed to a devil float bud...

@smudge505...it doesn't add any moisture to the backing coat...

also its not the use of the sponge that makes the plaster ruff its the plaster...I could show you flawless sponged work likewise could show you terrible without..

its the plasters skill and attention to detail that counts not the tool hes using!
 
Walls are all over the place here i use the sponge sometimes on 1st hit sometimes on both , good quick leveller .sometimes on big hits is a saviour too always as it gets to putty like.
Sure some take out of gorilla tubs others always off the board , use of trowels, speedskims ,spats you name it whatever suits its just a choice not wrong or right.
 
malc said:
unifinish is not an undercoat, it is a one coat finish. it does have a sponge float put over it to bring up the fat for final finish.
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Your right Malc, Thistle Unifinish isn't an undercoat, But Universal One Coat is an undercoat, which is what I was talking about, well technically it's alone coat plaster
 
smudge505 said:
Is it just me or are people who use sponges on their finish coat plasters the roughest of the rough and give us genuine time served, quality crafts men a bad name? to me it just smacks of bad practice and low skill levels.
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I use a sponge regularly well the Labourer does it for me
I find it leaves a nice finish and flat angles.
Also if you get the timing right you can bang a lot of gear on also great for 1 coat skim finish some call it cheating I call it easy money and that's what it's all about.
 
smudge505 said:
Your right Malc, Thistle Unifinish isn't an undercoat, But Universal One Coat is an undercoat, which is what I was talking about, well technically it's alone coat plaster
Click to expand...

And the sponge is used on that for the same reason, where you are trying to trowel something that's on at a decent depth, so you can trowel it without it moving under the trowel.


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i use a sponge ------------------------------------in the bath :inocente:
zombie said:
all well all I can say is that if you all don't that's fine...

but believe me theres many a situation where a sponge float benefits and improves an overall finish from backing coats to finish...

@Big k ref scarifyer its a tool for keying up but you use it earlier as they have bit of flex aposed to a devil float bud...

@smudge505...it doesn't add any moisture to the backing coat...

also its not the use of the sponge that makes the plaster ruff its the plaster...I could show you flawless sponged work likewise could show you terrible without..

its the plasters skill and attention to detail that counts not the tool hes using!
Click to expand...

we are all after a good finish, true straight and flat -------- its the end product that matters not the journey,

totally agree with zombies last sentence ---- but it helps if you're using the right tools (y) :inocente:
 
The sponge method... for people who can use other methods, but prefer the sponge.

Other reviews available on request.

Might start a you tube channel with this quality. I'll be an Internet sensation .
[emoji38]
 
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