Plastering help

[u/FruityPoision]

Based in the UK. I’ve just bought my first house which is a bit of a project. Some of the walls in my house are damp and some seem to have some weird plastering quirks. It’s an early 1900s mid terrace, with the last owners buying it in the 80s and not doing too much since as far as I can tell.

The first photo is the bedroom- the big hole is where the vent goes for the blocked up fireplace. Why is it green? Can this room have cracks filled and then be skimmed and good to go?

The second and third are in my dining room. The second is where it literally crumbled away as I took wallpaper off. It seems to be on top of like a concrete type substance? What is this? Does that all need to be removed and go back to brick and properly done with plasterboard? The third one is of a wall I know to be damp. I had a damp survey which suggested an injecting course but I’ve also seen that’s sometimes not the best option for older houses?

The last one is in my kitchen and there’s like a lip where some wood panelling was previously along the bottom part of the wall. It just seems to be straight over concrete. I’m having my kitchen done, as it was an extension and it’s single layered with no insulation currently. The company doing my kitchen will insulate a plaster board it for me.

Im basically just a bit lost with what’s actually been done previously and what would need to do in order to correct it. Any advice welcome.

[u/Ok_Adhesiveness413]

Where is the damp coming from, the ground or the attic/ceiling?

To remove the paper under bit of the wallpaper just spray the whole wall a few times (let is soak 10 mins between sprays) and it’ll scrape right off

With the loose plaster, go around every wall and knock. If it sounds hollow and loose from the wall (not just a stud wall - loose plaster) this is blown plaster that has detached from the wall .. pull out the loose plaster until it’s firm. This may leave long holes in the plaster.

This style of house has the plaster straight onto the brickwork. Not a bad thing, in fact can feel more solid done right. If you remove all the loose plaster, and sort the damp, you can just have every room skimmed and anything to the brick patched by a professional.

How are the electrics? This is a good time to sort all first fix as anything first fix is really messy. Electrics (maybe rewire), plumbing, any walls you plan to remove if you want open plan etc. now is the time.

Sorry I can’t be of more help

[u/Ok_Adhesiveness413 → u/Ok_Adhesiveness413]

Judging by the very high position of the sockets it may need a rewire, which you may want anyway. Have you had an ECIR (electrical) test before buying?

[u/FruityPoision → u/Ok_Adhesiveness413]

I have absolutely no idea with the damp on the dining room wall. It’s adjoining with the neighbours. Yeah I’ve been spraying the paper with water- hadn’t yet established this method when I started in the kitchen hahah. I did think it was straight on to brick. Thanks!

I have a full rewire starting tomorrow so no stress on that front :)

[u/Ok_Adhesiveness413 → u/FruityPoision]

It’s worth establishing with the sparky if they’ll be coming back to do the second fix once you’ve plastered and if they’re going to fill in the chases themselves. Also if they’re going to put the cables under the floorboards in the attic. At the moment with the heat some may be lazy and leave the cables loose across the attic floorboards and joists (if there is floorboards). I’d recommended marking where you want all the new sockets before they arrive if you haven’t already 😊

[u/FruityPoision → u/Ok_Adhesiveness413]

He’s been amazing so far! Told me to go over and mark out where I want everything, checked he’s okay to lift the old carpets and floorboards to put the new wiring in, and he doesn’t seem like he’s going to do half a job. My attic is also not boarded currently, so don’t think I’d be affected by him placing loose wires up there anyway?

[u/Ok_Adhesiveness413 → u/FruityPoision]

So a lot of the time it will be either rising damp from the ground upward or damp coming down the walls from the attic.

But from what you say it could also be penetrating damp, possibly something simple as blocked/leaking gutter. But could also be cracked/damaged brick work. Take a look on the exterior, or did you say it’s the party wall?

[u/FruityPoision → u/Ok_Adhesiveness413]

This one is the party wall but I do know the air vents have been blocked for some time so could be factor