What causes skim to crack?

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FreeD

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Ok apart from the obvious turning the heating on full after a reskim...how long does multifinish last before it fails?

I'm currently redecorating a flat which was only repainted 2 years ago and hairline cracks have reappeared through the paint...I have taken the paint back and noticed the cracks were not filled in on the last paint job (although they may be new)...but i've got loads of filling to do and i'm wondering whether the skim is just going to get worse and worse due to a failing backing coat or through expansion and contraction of existing cracks...don't know how long the skim has been on the walls i'd guess approx 30 years (its multifinish)

At what point from a decorators point of view do you tell the customer sorry this is going to have to be reskimmed or lined?
 
At what point from a decorators point of view do you tell the customer sorry this is going to have to be reskimmed or lined?

i would say its when the customer says "Im not happy with your lack of a guarantee" or "im sick off all these cracks, cant you do something about it?"

but if its excessive and frequent i'd be looking into it a bit deeper than a 'quick skim' (customer spec ;D)
 
If there really are a lot of fine cracks running in all directions all over the wall .walls.
Id line rather than reskim.
Theres a top quality lining paper called wallrock lining paper this is what you need.In the past ive skimmed over really badly cracked walls only to get a call from the customer 3 months later saying theres some faint cracks appearing.
 
you have to remember an overskim is as only as good as the background if thats dodgy then you could end up with allsorts of problems i always tell the customer this before i quote if the walls sound hollow underneath then its a sure bet the skim will crack cos its moving underneath the new finish you have put on but sying that it could also be a number of other reasons too oh the joys of reskimmin
 
why do people blame the skim or plasterers, are they thick . how the hell do they expect the skim not to crack when something moves such as timber twisting or settlement in blockwork. The plaster is not a magic compound which will hold everything together. If you have cracking in a wall you can bet the blockwork has cracked behind, if a ceiling has cracked its because the timber joists have twisted.
 
what about plasterboarding the cracked walls? that should prevent them coming back
 
could you bed the external mesh you use for krend etc into a tight coat of bonding and skim it
 
spunky said:
could you bed the external mesh you use for krend etc into a tight coat of bonding and skim it
ive done this in my little 1s room about 2 years ago and theres no cracks appeared as yet
 
Just been to look at a flat I skimmed over 6 months ago.
Full re skim walls and ceilings uni bond and skim.
There is hair line cracks appeared all over the place, on every wall in the flat and some ceilings .
The cracks are hairline and go vertical horizontal and at angles and the plaster can not be pick off with finger nail etc.

Done nothing different to every other job Ive done in the last 10yr or so.
Any visible cracks were taped any loos/blown plaster was removed be fore re skim. The walls are solid walls, in a up stairs flat.
it had a full renovation and has stood empty for the last 5 months

Whats ya thoughts then with out looking at it

cheers

Heating being put on to dry it out ?
Poor background (every wall but ?)
Painted while wet ?
No heating for months then being put on?
 
spunky said:
could you bed the external mesh you use for krend etc into a tight coat of bonding and skim it
gud idea spunk. did this on somebods chimmney breast about 3 years ago they had serious problems with cracking . was an open fire and they had it plasterd loads and still it cracked. so used some of that mesh ; . stapled on then floated with bondin skimmed up. jobs a gud one . stil on not cracked. oh yeahand i thistle bonded b4 i meshed and then b4 i skimmed. ;)
 
wiganlad said:
spunky said:
could you bed the external mesh you use for krend etc into a tight coat of bonding and skim it
gud idea spunk. did this on somebods chimmney breast about 3 years ago they had serious problems with cracking . was an open fire and they had it plasterd loads and still it cracked. so used some of that mesh ; . stapled on then floated with bondin skimmed up. jobs a gud one . stil on not cracked. oh yeahand i thistle bonded b4 i meshed and then b4 i skimmed. ;)

fukin hell mate, next time a war kicks off just get inside you chimney ;D
 
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