DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

When removing the woodchip off my walls alot of the plaster has come off with it exposing the lathes which in some areas are in very bad condition.

My question is whether to remove all the old plaster; to remove all the lathes and plaster and replace with plaster board OR just patch it up with cut plasterboard or wire meshing and then plaster over the top.

I would be extremely grateful for any info as i dont know where to go from here (besides paying a fortune for a tradesman!)

twarzeen

Hi twarzeen,
You'll probally find that most of the wall is in the same condition, it's the oldest trick in the the book to put heavy duty wall paper such as woodchip over walls that are starting to deteriate.
So i'd remove plaster and lath, it's a dusty job so be prepared for it! (dust mask, suitable PPE workwear, gloves, safety specs, dust sheets and rubble bags etc...)
you'll find the plaster will come off quite easily with a few taps of a hammer, I'd start by turning electric off and removing socket/switch facias, close valves and remove radiators if these are on this wall, be aware of direction of cables and pipes so you don't damage while knocking off. Remove skirting boards and arcitrive etc. then cutting a channel around edges of wall you're removing and ajoining walls and ceiling, using a bolster chisel. To seperate, so you don't start to damage them when removing the plaster from problem wall. Be careful of Cables and pipes that maybe buried in wall.
Then just knock plaster off of the lath with medium sized hammer, it should not be too difficult, it is not a sledge hammer job!
Then remove lath, again on ajoining walls try to cut in to lath along edge, so when you start to pull it away you don't do any unwanted damage to other areas and it wont be trapped along edges too. They too should come off quite easy too, I pull them off be hand with good pair of gloves on. But you can use claw hammer/ small crow bar.
Next job pulling all the nails out of stud timber wall, use claw hammer for this. Clean up every now and then, nowt worse then working in mess.
That's the wall down.
Hope this was helpful, if you need more info don't hesitate to post reply and tell me how you're going on.
Regards
KB

thanks for all the advise.
altho i have to say it was the most disgusting job ever. the dust got absolutely everywhere and i was coughing for a few days after aswell.
still its done now and i am busy painting freshly plastered walls! ( i did get a guy in to fix the boards and plaster!)

thanks again
twar