September - Home-Dzine

B. Loose orcrumbling plasterIn an older homeyou will frequentlycome across loose orcrumbling plaster thatBeventually falls off thewall. In this newer homethe plaster has becomevery soft underneath the paint, possibly asa result of incorrect mix when applied.A. Damp onwallsThe problem iseasily identified bybubbling or peelingpaint in the area.AIn our projectthe house is situated on a slope, with thefoundation being more exposed at the backof the house and resulting in damp below thefloor slab.At the front of the house the land is slopedtowards the walls, putting more of a strain onthe existing DPC and resulting in rising dampfrom a buildup of water. Additionally, thegarden beds are situated against the walls andare slightly higher than the DPC.SolutionAll loose and flaky paint wasremove along the damagedlevel using a paint scraper.The surface of the plasterwas brushed down with awire brush to remove dry,sandy rendering. Luckilythe damage was not tooextensive and only chasingout and repairing cracks needs to be done.At the front of the house the paint wasremoved as above. To prevent future damageit will be necessary to lower the level of the soilso that it sits lower than the DPC.SolutionRemove as much loose or crumbly plasteras possible from the area with a wire brush.If you need to reapply plaster, mix tothe required consistency. Click here forinstructions on ratios forexterior plaster.Spatterdash is appliedto the surface to berepaired (one part ofcement to one anda half parts of coarsesand with enough waterfor a slow pourableconsistency). Themixture is thrown forciblyon to the wall, using a brushwith long, stiff bristles. Thespatterdash should coverthe damaged surfacecompletely and forma rough texture. Allowto dry for at least threedays.See instructions on nextpage for apply plaster overthe spatterdash.Using a paintbrush, applyProminent Bonding Liquidto the plaster surface. Doread the instructions, as theBonding Liquid needs to bemixed with thinners beforeuse.31