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I had a company in to undertake some damp proof work in my utility room and the wall behind it (the dining room).

The workmen duly came and, whilst the dining room plastering is reasonable, give or take a few cracks. The utility room has had to be done again due to rather extensive cracking, also the job was condemned by a visiting friendly builder.

Anyway, some of these cracks are now appearing again (it was done to 1 metre) and I am not impressed because some plaster vertically is now standing a bit proud. None is blown!

The damp proofer boss and I was promised that the workers would return to rectify the job. This will include the botched replacement of the skirting board and other minor details.

What I wondered about was why the plaster was cracking in the first place. I have looked carefully at the worse bit and there is certainly no continuation of cracking up the wall.

Incidentally, given that this is a utility room, the washer and dryer do run from time to time, although the current dryer is a condenser.



Rachel

Hmm,

sounds as if either the walls havnt been P.V.A'd properly (if at all), or the plaster was mixed too thick when applied. Or perhaps it was "laid on" to thick. If plaster is applied thicker than the recommended 2 to 3 mm per coat, it can cause this. If your walls were very out of level, hard wall plaster should of been applied to level it off to within toleranceHow quickly did it crack? .Was the wall drylined plaster boarded?
What surface was the plaster applied to. Non porous surfaces like gloss paint can cause this to happen also.
Sounds like another case of getting a chippy/sparky/builder to do a plaster's job.
So its difficult to say, but a picture would certainly help.
i think if u are able to elaborate on the above, youll probably have your answer.

Atb Mash

Thank you for this.

Unfortunately, I have no idea what occurred on the second occasion that this job was undertaken. The guys came and did the job whilst I was absent from the home.

They could not come on a date convenient to me at that time because it did not suit their diaries. On their next visit, I shall have a friend in attendance at all times. (I have to work and she will be much better than me as a general overseer.)

The job was done by a large company. I know that the plaster was put on in two coats and, from what I can see, there was nothing else applied to the wall. The plaster cracked within a couple of months or less and was applied in February. I brought down the boss to look at it. I think I shall have to free some space on my camera and take a picture.

They did the other side of the wall and, whilst there is cracking, most of it is explicable and certainly level. I can guarantee that there is no house subsidence as a gent from my insurance company came around last week and assured me that there was none. (A long story.)

It is also worth noting, and perhaps you could shed some light on this, that, in the adjacent room, there is a plaster smell. I think that, in the absence of any moisture, this is due to the fact that there is virtually no natural ventilation and my door is permanently shut to keep out the cats.

I am currently working on a double-pronged solution, i.e. trickle vent on the double glazed French window and a special door catch that will hold the door open.



Rachel

The plaster smell should go away after painting. My question would be. After plastering was the heating on to dry it out? were there de humidifiers in the house. Was the house freezing bellow 0. All these could make the plaster crack. Plaster has driers so if its forced to dry too quickly it will crack.

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